Is there a good way to make free calls to landlines and mobile phones in Switzerland (or elsewhere in Europe)? The cheapest method I've found so far is via skype.

For instance, I can make free calls to any number in the US through gmail while in the US, or while outside the US while using a US VPN. Using a VPN is also a good way to access sites like hulu and netflix for streaming while outside the US :-)

You could try Viber if phoning via internet / WLAN...

But I think Swisscom has an offer with which you can make free calls to landlines within Switzerland and Swisscom mobile phones.

Not sure about your main question, but you can still make free phone calls with google voice to US phone numbers without using a VPN

If free calling within Switzerland is your goal, then several of the mobile plans available include unlimited calling. You can also get all calls and all data included. The price of these plans varies, they seem to be available on special during the January sales quite often.

Whether they will be cheaper for you than Skype, I can't say. it depends how many calls you need to make and the rates that you can get.

I find Skype presently to be a lamentable option. I've been using it since the early days, when it was crap, then I loved it when it was great in the golden years 2009 and 2010, and now it's descended into the merde again. C'est l'IT.

We brought over an OOMA system and it works well if you have DSL. A bit bulky, but works we even have the same California number while in Switzerland.

I use Switzernet, and am very happy with it. 9 CHF per month and you get free calls to 23 countries.
www.switzernet.com put my phone number as a reference if you sign up

Hello, I just posted the message below in another thread, but can't figure out how to post a link to it here. So I've copied it below in case it is of use here too:

Hi there, I wonder if this will be of use to you. It's a bit lengthy to explain, but stick with me I purchased a local Swiss online number with Skype (see the link below), it was around £35, then I bought a Swiss Orange pay-and-go sim card (CHF5). I buy 30 CHF every 4 weeks in credit from Orange and this entitles me to 3 free numbers to call. The number can be Swiss Orange mobiles, or Swiss landline numbers. I made one of these free numbers my online Swiss Skype number. Then I set up call forwarding on my Skype account and set my caller ID to my Swiss mobile number. If I want to make a call overseas I open up Skype on 3G, select the number I want to call overseas from my phone and add it to my Skype forwarding option. Then I close down Skype and call my free Swiss Skype online number in the normal way from my cell phone, it forwards through my Skype account directly to the person overseas. Because of Skype caller ID they receive the call as if it's coming through from my cell phone. The call quality is perfect. Hope that's helpful!

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/feat...online-number/

If you are a student, you'll get free call to orange mobile and fixed phone in Switzerland for free when subscribing to one of the plan. Or buy a service of "three preferred numbers", about 10chf per month...

If you and your friends use smartphones, then viber, fring, chattime, etc are great apps for free call. For iphone uses, there are lots of apps for chat, msg, such as Whatsup, imessage.

You lost me after the 14th action that you have to take to call the restaurant to make a reservation.

How much do you save each month, in the end?

There are plenty of Voip service providers (12voip, voipcheap, etc) that allow you to make free calls to land lines in various European countries, provided that you make a first charge of 10 euros or something. Have not checked the price for local swiss land lines though.

Not free, but very cheap calls to landlines ("Fest" or fixed lines) (Rappen are Swiss centimes) .

You need to dial 10881 before each number, eg 10881 0044 123 456 7890

4 Rappen per minute for Swiss calls and 3 Rappen per minute to UK, 2 Rappen / Minute to USA, 5 Rappen / minute to Australia etc. No set time periods.

10 Rappen to Swiss mobile numbers.

You need a credit card, http://www.10881.ch/index2.php
__________________________________________________ _____________

Afghanistan [Fest] & [Mobil] Superpreis 60
Ägypten [Fest] & [Mobil] 34
Albanien [Fest] 23
Albanien [Mobil] 31
Algerien [Fest] 22
Algerien [Mobil] 31
Amerikanisch Samoa [Fest] & [Mobil] Superpreis 78
Amerikanische Jungferninseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Andorra [Fest] 8
Andorra [Mobil] Superpreis 31
Angola [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Anguilla [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Antarktis [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Antigua und Barbuda [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Äquatorial-Guinea [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Argentinien [Fest] 6
Argentinien [Mobil] 22
Armenien [Fest] 14
Armenien [Mobil] 39
Aruba [Fest] & [Mobil] 23
Ascension [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Aserbaidschan [Fest] 31
Aserbaidschan [Mobil] 39
Äthiopien [Fest] & [Mobil] 62
Australien [Fest] 5
Australien [Mobil] 34

Bahamas [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Bahrain [Fest] & [Mobil] 34
Bangladesch [Fest] 16
Bangladesch [Mobil] 34
Barbados [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Belgien [Fest] 5
Belgien [Mobil] 34
Belize [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Benin [Fest] & [Mobil] 25
Bermuda [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Bhutan [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Birma [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Bolivien [Fest] 14
Bolivien [Mobil] 23
Bosnien und Herzegowina [Fest] 29
Bosnien und Herzegowina [Mobil] 39
Botswana [Fest] & [Mobil] 23
Brasilien [Fest] 7
Brasilien [Mobil] 29
Britische Jungferninseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Brunei [Fest] & [Mobil] 14
Bulgarien [Fest] 14
Bulgarien [Mobil] 39
Burkina Faso [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Burundi [Fest] & [Mobil] 22

Chile [Fest] 6
Chile [Mobil] 29
China [Fest] 5
China [Mobil] 8
Cookinseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Costa Rica [Fest] 12
Costa Rica [Mobil] 22

Dänemark [Fest] 5
Dänemark [Mobil] 29
Demokratische Republik Kongo [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Deutschland [Fest] 3
Deutschland [Mobil] 34
Dominica [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Dominikanische Republik [Fest] 13
Dominikanische Republik [Mobil] 22
Dschibuti [Fest] & [Mobil] 54

Ecuador [Fest] & [Mobil] 26
El Salvador [Fest] 19
El Salvador [Mobil] 34
Elfenbeinküste [Fest] 34
Elfenbeinküste [Mobil] 45
Eritrea [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Estland [Fest] 8
Estland [Mobil] 31

Falklandinseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Faröerinseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Fidschi [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Finnland [Fest] 5
Finnland [Mobil] 29
Frankreich [Fest] 4
Frankreich [Mobil] 35
Französisch Guyana [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Französisch Polynesien [Fest] & [Mobil] 34

Gabun [Fest] & [Mobil] 26
Gambia [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Georgien [Fest] 12
Georgien [Mobil] 29
Ghana [Fest] 22
Ghana [Mobil] 29
Gibraltar [Fest] 3
Gibraltar [Mobil] 34
Grenada [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Griechenland [Fest] 5
Griechenland [Mobil] 34
Grönland [Fest] 16
Grönland [Mobil] 60
Großbritannien [Fest] 3
Großbritannien [Mobil] 23
Großbritannien [0845 Rate] [Fest] & [Mobil] 23
Großbritannien [National Rate] [Fest] & [Mobil] 23
Großbritannien [Personal] [Fest] & [Mobil] 45
Guadeloupe [Fest] 12
Guadeloupe [Mobil] 34
Guam [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Guatemala [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Guinea [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Guinea Bissau [Fest] & [Mobil] 90
Guyana [Fest] & [Mobil] 47

Haiti [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Honduras [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Hong Kong [Fest] 3
Hong Kong [Mobil] Superpreis 2

Indien [Fest] & [Mobil] 22
Indonesien [Fest] 14
Indonesien [Mobil] 29
Irak [Fest] & [Mobil] 25
Iran [Fest] 14
Iran [Mobil] 19
Irland [Fest] 3
Irland [Mobil] 29
Irland [National Rate] [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Island [Fest] 6
Island [Mobil] 29
Israel [Fest] 4
Israel [Mobil] 22
Italien [Fest] 4
Italien [Mobil] 29

Jamaika [Fest] 22
Jamaika [Mobil] 29
Japan [Fest] 5
Japan [Mobil] 29
Jemen [Fest] & [Mobil] 78
Jordanien [Fest] 29
Jordanien [Mobil] 34

Kambodscha [Fest] & [Mobil] 43
Kamerun [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Kanada [Fest] & [Mobil] 3
Kapverdische Inseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Kasachstan [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Katar [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Kayman Inseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Kenia [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Kirgisistan [Fest] & [Mobil] 19
Kolumbien [Fest] 14
Kolumbien [Mobil] 22
Komoren [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Kongo [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Kroatien [Fest] 12
Kroatien [Mobil] 34
Kuwait [Fest] & [Mobil] 19

Laos [Fest] & [Mobil] 22
Lesotho [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Lettland [Fest] 22
Lettland [Mobil] 34
Libanon [Fest] 22
Libanon [Mobil] 34
Liberia [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Libyen [Fest] 22
Libyen [Mobil] 35
Liechtenstein [Fest] 5
Liechtenstein [Mobil] 34
Litauen [Fest] 19
Litauen [Mobil] 29
Luxemburg [Fest] Superpreis 2
Luxemburg [Mobil] 34

Macau [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Madagaskar [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Malawi [Fest] & [Mobil] 14
Malaysia [Fest] & [Mobil] 6
Malediven [Fest] 42
Malediven [Mobil] 60
Mali [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Malta [Fest] 3
Malta [Mobil] 34
Marokko [Fest] 34
Marokko [Mobil] 54
Marshall Inseln [Fest] 70
Marshall Inseln [Mobil] 16
Martinique [Fest] 14
Martinique [Mobil] 29
Mauretanien [Fest] 39
Mauretanien [Mobil] 45
Mauritius [Fest] & [Mobil] 34
Mayotte [Fest] & [Mobil] 25
Mazedonien [Fest] 29
Mazedonien [Mobil] 45
Mexiko [Fest] 8
Mexiko [Mobil] 29
Mikronesien [Fest] & [Mobil] 34
Moldau [Fest] 25
Moldau [Mobil] 34
Monaco [Fest] 8
Monaco [Mobil] 29
Mongolei [Fest] & [Mobil] 11
Montenegro [Fest] 19
Montenegro [Mobil] 39
Montserrat [Fest] 22
Montserrat [Mobil] 29
Mosambik [Fest] & [Mobil] 20

Namibia [Fest] 19
Namibia [Mobil] 34
Nauru [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Nepal [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Neukaledonien [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Neuseeland [Fest] 5
Neuseeland [Mobil] 39
Nicaragua [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Niederlande [Fest] 3
Niederlande [Mobil] 34
Niederländische Antillen [Fest] & [Mobil] 22
Niger [Fest] 19
Niger [Mobil] 22
Nigeria [Fest] 16
Nigeria [Mobil] 39
Niue [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Nordkorea [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Nördliche Marianen [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Norfolk Inseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Norwegen [Fest] 3
Norwegen [Mobil] 39

Oman [Fest] & [Mobil] 26
Ost Timor [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Österreich [Fest] 4
Österreich [Mobil] 31

Pakistan [Fest] & [Mobil] 13
Palästina [Fest] 16
Palästina [Mobil] 29
Palau [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Panama [Fest] 12
Panama [Mobil] 22
Papua Neuguinea [Fest] & [Mobil] 54
Paraguay [Fest] 19
Paraguay [Mobil] 29
Peru [Fest] 6
Peru [Mobil] 27
Philippinen [Fest] 29
Philippinen [Mobil] 34
Polen [Fest] 4
Polen [Mobil] 26
Portugal [Fest] 5
Portugal [Mobil] 29
Puerto Rico [Fest] & [Mobil] Superpreis 2

Reunion [Fest] 14
Reunion [Mobil] 39
Ruanda [Fest] 22
Ruanda [Mobil] 29
Rumänien [Fest] 17
Rumänien [Mobil] 39
Russland [Fest] 5
Russland [Mobil] 23

Salomonen [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Sambia [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
San Marino [Fest] & [Mobil] 16
Sao Tome und Principe [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Saudi-Arabien [Fest] 34
Saudi-Arabien [Mobil] 45
Schweden [Fest] 5
Schweden [Mobil] 34
Schweiz [Fest] 4
Schweiz [Mobil] 10
Senegal [Fest] 39
Senegal [Mobil] 45
Serbien [Fest] 19
Serbien [Mobil] 39
Seychellen [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
Simbabwe [Fest] 12
Simbabwe [Mobil] 47
Singapur [Fest] & [Mobil] 6
Slowakische Republik [Fest] 6
Slowakische Republik [Mobil] 29
Slowenien [Fest] 12
Slowenien [Mobil] 34
Slowenien [IPKO] [Fest] & [Mobil] 34
Somalia [Fest] & [Mobil] 70
Spanien [Fest] 3
Spanien [Mobil] 25
Sri Lanka [Fest] & [Mobil] 29
St Lucia [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
St. Christoph & Nevis St. Kitts [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
St. Helena [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
St. Pierre [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
St. Vincent und die Grenadinen [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Süd Afrika [Fest] 9
Süd Afrika [Mobil] 29
Süd Korea [Fest] 6
Süd Korea [Mobil] 14
Sudan [Fest] & [Mobil] 30
Surinam [Fest] 39
Surinam [Mobil] 47
Swasiland [Fest] 19
Swasiland [Mobil] 34
Syrien [Fest] & [Mobil] 70

Tadschikistan [Fest] 26
Tadschikistan [Mobil] 29
Taiwan [Fest] 6
Taiwan [Mobil] 29
Tansania [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Thailand [Fest] 9
Thailand [Mobil] 10
Thuraya [Fest] & [Mobil] 150
Togo [Fest] 34
Togo [Mobil] 39
Tonga [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Trinidad und Tobago [Fest] 22
Trinidad und Tobago [Mobil] 29
Tristan da Cunha [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Tschad [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Tschechische Republik [Fest] 5
Tschechische Republik [Mobil] 34
Tunesien [Fest] & [Mobil] 37
Türkei [Fest] 12
Türkei [Mobil] 30
Turkmenistan [Fest] & [Mobil] 31
Turks- und Caicos-Inseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Tuvalu [Fest] & [Mobil] 47

USA [Fest] Superpreis 2
USA [Mobil] 3
Uganda [Fest] & [Mobil] 22
Ukraine [Fest] 14
Ukraine [Mobil] 20
Ungarn [Fest] 5
Ungarn [Mobil] 29
Uruguay [Fest] 9
Uruguay [Mobil] 31
Usbekistan [Fest] & [Mobil] 20

Vanuatu [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Venezuela [Fest] 9
Venezuela [Mobil] 31
Vereinigte Arabische Emirate [Fest] & [Mobil] 39
Vietnam [Fest] & [Mobil] 50

Wallis- und Futuna-Inseln [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Weissrussland [Fest] & [Mobil] 42
West Samoa [Fest] & [Mobil] 47

Zentralafrikanische Republik [Fest] & [Mobil] 47
Zypern [Fest] & [Mobil] 12

Preise in Rappen pro Minute (Rp/Min). Gespräche werden im Minutentakt abgerechnet, inkl. Mehrwertsteuer. Alle 10881 - Gespräche zuzügl. Startgebühr von 5 Rappen (10 Rappen bei Mobilcalls innerhalb der Schweiz) pro Verbindung.

Another vote for the Skype Online Number. Only drawback is that your computer has to be on to receive calls, but it does include free voice mail and the audio quality is good.

I have the Skype app on my iPhone and on my Android phone, and a goodly amount of "free" download -- so Skype is "always on" on my mobile.

Use a phone that somebody else pays for...

Cheers,
Nick

I've used Switzernet.com and works well without a computer. You just need a VoIP phone and internet connection. Even mobile with a WLAN would work, 3G possible.

btw.. I have a contract with them but don't use it enough to justify the 9CHF per month, if your interested let me know (PM), it's got about a year left

You can also define your Switzernet account via the Fring app on the Iphone. By this way you can use it over Edge / 3G.

We use PeopleFone (the one that InterDiscount and MediaMarkt flogs with some of their VOIP phones), and they're very very good.

They're cheap, very clear call-cost breakdown on their website, reply to customer service emails, and they have an Apple and Android client.

Which means, when I was traveling in Paris, and just had my iPod Touch device connected to a free Wi-Fi hotspot, I could use the PeopleFone client to telephone people, as though I was back at home.


The real pain is that we subscribed to Swisscom for TV, Phone and Internet. Now, with PeopleFone, I want to cancel the Phone part of this contract, as we make all our phonecalls through VOIP (through the internet), so I don't need the landline connection anymore.

Problem is, Swisscom won't let us cancel. If you want Swisscom TV, you have to pay for the Swisscom phone aswell, even if you don't use it.

(And having had horrendous customer service with Cablecom, I'd never go back there..)

Think I'll stick to my 2raps a minute option with Switzernet and avoid my brain overheating with all the steps you detail above!! I mean, how much do you actually save a month? And if you're buying 30CHFs credit every 4 weeks, do you actually use this? Or have you got 500CHFs credit accumulated on the phone? Just wondering.....admire your ingenuity though.

Hi,

Cablecom has a very good offer to make free calls to landlines with Switzerland... pls chk therir website.... The call quality is really good...

you can call for free to land line phones from justvoip.com if you top up your account with 10 euro