Hi Guys, I'm an American in the UK going to Germany and will need to call my contact at the airport. Can I simply stick the number which is 49 XXX XXX XXXX as is? Do I need to put in any zeros? Before the 49? I'm using a vodaphone phone I bought at the airport
Posted by
Berlin, Germany
337 posts
00 49 XXX XXX XXXX ..... The "00" is the international call prefix for most of Europe including the UK. It is needed so that "49" is correctly interpreted as a country code, not as part of an area code or phone number. ....... With a mobile phone you can also use "+" instead of "00," because in mobile networks "+" is a shortcut for the local international call prefix.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33479 posts
Mark's right.... some UK network / phone combinations don't allow 00 and do require the "+"" before the number. Make sure that the phone is enabled for international calls, many are not sold that way and have to be enabled by the network...
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19237 posts
And if the German number starts with a '0', that's to indicate to the system that it is a "foreign" area code call. Since that is assumed for an international call, omit the '0'.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
If you use your UK phone when you're already in Germany, e.g. at a German airport, then you can dial the German number without the country code. E.g. You can call a Frankfurt home phone simply be dialing 069 XXXX XXXX or a German T-Mobile phone 0171 XXXX XXXX... Or you just store the number in international style (+49 69 XXXX XXXX) and then can call it from wherever you are in the world...