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I have recently received an email from one of my readers asking how to call Ukraine without spending a lot of green. Since both my and my wife’s parents live in Ukraine (as well as many relatives) the topic of international phone calls to Ukraine has never been off the table and we have probably tried every possible way to save on international calling. Here are a few tips that will help you call Ukraine (and other ex-Soviet countries) without braking the bank.

Check what your current provider charges

If you are using one of VOIP providers the chances are they already have very competitive rates. SunRocket, when it was still alive, even offered $3.00 monthly credit towards international calling. My current provider Packet8 charges $0.13 to call a land line and $0.16 to call a mobile phone in Ukraine, which is a very good rate. For those of you still stuck with AT&T and the likes - read on.

For occasional calls use calling cards

If your provider doesn’t offer good rates and you need to call Ukraine just occasionally then check out this table (also in Russian). These guys are doing a good job maintaining it current. You can buy all these cards online. After you pay, you will receive instructions by email on how to call. I haven’t used calling cards for long time and can’t recommend any particular one. My own experience with those that I used was OK however I heard stories from people who claimed they were cheated (the card had less minutes than advertised).

Have broadband internet - give Skype a try

Skype has pretty decent rates if wearing a headset while talking is not an issue for you. They charge $0.134 to call a land line and $0.186 to call a mobile number in Ukraine. Rates to Russia are $0.048 to a land line, $0.071 to a mobile phone, and $0.021 if you call Moscow or St.Petersburg. There is a small connection charge of $0.039.

You will need to sign up to Skype Out if you don’t have it yet. Once you do so you will be able to call regular phone numbers just as you call other Skype clients. In addition I found Skype Out very useful when calling the US from Ukraine (more about it here).

Calling often - change your long distance provider

If your demands are more than a couple of calls a month and your current provider don’t over good rates then it will be cheaper and more convenient to change long distance provider. You usually can keep your service provider and just change the company servicing long distance calls. I can recommend WDT as one such company offering decent service and competitive rates to Ukraine, Russia and other ex-Soviet countries. I have been their client for several years and many my friends are using them as well.

WDT charges $0.139 to call both land line and a mobile number in Ukraine. For Russia the price is $0.059 for a land line and $0.119 for mobile phones. The rate is just $0.025 per minute when you call Moscow or St.Petersburg. These rates don’t have any connection charges or other tricks. If you want though you can sign up to a “Value Plan” where you prepay for certain number of minutes a month at a lower rate.

Time difference and voice quality

And the last but not the least, when you call Ukraine or Russian, beware of the time difference. When it is morning here in the US, it is late afternoon over there. Midnight here would be early morning of the next day in Ukraine. I have noticed that voice quality varies slightly depending on when you call. This is especially noticeable when calling small towns where they have outdated equipment and century old phone lines. The rule of thumb is try to avoid busy hours when phone service is overloaded. This is usually weekends at night Ukrainian time (Saturday and Sunday morning here).

That is all I have. Do you happen to call Ukraine? What service provider do you use? Please leave your tips in the comments.

The photo courtesy of Rissmu @ stock.xchng