I think phonecards are better, when we stayed at Pinewood last year we bought a different type of card from the newsagent nearby. He was very helpful.
I think you pin the no of the card during the call and it automatically takes credit off.
This was too complicated for me

so the newsagent did it for us and let us use his phone every time we rang home. ( where else in the world would you get that service?)
I also texted a couple of times which i don't think is very dear, but never used my mobile to phone home.