I would like to share with you some personal experience on calling Russia from the United States.
Basic instructions on calling Russia
1. Dial 011 on your phone for international access (read below before you start dialing).
2. Dial Russia country code 7.
3. Dial the number in Russia: area code then the local number.
Notes:
Replace the first 8 with a 7, if applicable. In Russia the phone number often begins with an 8 (digit eight). That 8 is used for calls inside Russia; do not dial from the US. For example, if the number you see is 8-911-55-12-34 then you should dial 7-911-555-12-24 (911 is by the way the area code for a cell phone in St. Petersburg).
The + (plus) in the phone number. Another often used symbol in the Russian phone numbers is the plus. For example +7-812-555-1234. You can actually use the plus when dialing inside Russia on your mobile phone for example. If you are calling from the US, simply don't worry about the plus (you don't need it to dial the number inside Russia either by the way.)
Your phone number to call Russia from the US should look like this:
Format: 011-7-812-123-4567
Now back to point 1 above, getting international phone access.
Let me begin by telling you about the most economical (without sacrificing quality and convenience) way: use phone cards to call Russia. Here are the current rates per minute to call Russia. If you are calling Moscow, Russia or looking for lowest phone rates to St. Petersburg, Russia, then your rate is even lower:
By clicking one of the links above you will be taken to the site specifically dedicated to international calls to Russia. There you will be able to locate a phone card that best fits your needs.
Read about phone card features, access numbers, etc. and pick a card that works best for you. My own preference is Jupiter phone card (no maintenance fees, low rate, no expiration, also works in Russia - more about that later).
After you purchase the card you will see dialing instructions right on the screen (transaction is through VeriSign in all those years I've never had a problem; they actually don't get your credit card info, simply receive a notification from VeriSign that the transaction has been processed). You will get the same instructions in your e-mail and they will also be available in your account.
Other ways to call Russia:
Call Russia using your cell phone: I wouldn't advise that. I have Verizon and it would cost me $1.50 a minute to call Russia. At the same time I suggest using your mobile phone to get the lower rates by using local access numbers for your phone cards. Many plans in the US include "free" nationwide minutes as well as unlimited night and weekend ones. Use them to call local access numbers for the phone cards and save versus using toll-free access.
The most obvious (and practically most expensive) means to call Russia: use your long distance on your home phone. There used to be a time when I went with the big guys like AT&T, Sprint, MCI etc. The long distance providers.
Some of the disadvantages:
1. You must have a home phone in your name (lots of people are giving up on that what with the mobile phones out there; doesn't work for students, temporary workers, visitors, etc.)
2. You must sign up (and pay a monthly fee) for some sort of long distance or international plan. Without being on some paid plan you will be paying through the nose for your per minute calls to Russia.
3. You can't use the option if you want (or need) to call Russia while on the go (hotel, pay phone, mobile phone, someone else's home).
4. This is the most expensive way to call Russia. A minute would cost you anywhere from $0.30 to $3.00.
Call Russia via the internet
Yes, you will get lower rates (sometimes free but those free "calls" are to other computers, not land or mobile lines in Russia).
Disadvantages are similar to those outline above in reference to calling from your home computer (you need to at your computer to make the call). You also need internet connection, software, and hardware.
