To be able to contact your family back in the States, you'll need Skype Credit to ring their phones. If you want them to be able to call you, you'll also need an online number - which can be purchased either with Skype Credit or credit card when you're ready to go.
To call the USA without signing up for a Skype subscription, rates are 2.3 US cents/minute plus a connect fee, or 6 cents/minute to Alaska. For USA phone numbers, there is no distinction between landline and mobile phones - the same rates apply for both.
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/payg-rates/#cc=US
Within Ireland, there is a big difference in calling a landline number (2.3 US cents/minute, plus connect fee) and a mobile number (21.5 US cents/minute, plus connect fee).
http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/payg-rates/#cc=IE
Ireland also has a class of numbers called "shared cost", something we don't have here in the USA.
Skype does not care where you are calling from. Only the destination matters, to determine the rates. You'll pay the same rates to call the USA or Ireland from anywhere in the world on Skype.
Skype Credit expires after 6 months of non-use on services that uses it. Skype Credit can be reactivated if you don't use it within that time.
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA10378/How-can-I-re-activate-inactive-Skype-Credit
Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!
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Patrick
Location/Ubicacion: Arizona USA
Time Zone/Hora Local: UTC/GMT -7
If this message has adequately addressed your issue, please click on the “Accept as Solution” button. If you found a post useful then please "Give Kudos" at the bottom of my post, so that this information can benefit others.
Si esto mensaje le ha ayudado, por favor haga clic en "Aceptar como solución". Si encuentra un mensaje útil, por favor "Da Kudos" al final del mensaje, por lo que esta información puede beneficiar a otros.
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