I have U.S. based T -Mobil service. When I am vacationing in in Europe, I sign up for service there, so I can receive and call home for a reasonable fee.
My question is when I make a call to a European number from Europe, how/what do I dial?
Foe example: My hotel in Germany has a number of +49 8165 99900. When I am in Germany, what exactly would I dial? Would I dial the same number when calling from Austria?
BASIC question, but I am unsure and really want to know.
TIA, Joe
What matters is what the phone number on your phone is.
If you are using your T-Mobile service and not a Sim/eSim from a European
provider, it's still as if you are calling the German number from the US. The
originating phone number is your US one.
So dial the entire number including the country code. It's the same for any
number outside the US.
The snswer above is correct.
But do remember that you probably have TMobile wifi calling. Connect to wifi and calls are free.
Connect to wifi and calls are free.
Yes, but be sure you go into "settings" on your phone and enable "wifi calling".
And a warning. Tmobile and other carriers have cost per minute costs which vary with the exact plan you have with that carrier, and it's not so easy to find those prices for International and International Roaming. What matters is the costs for the service you signed up for.
Also calling from the US to Europe is not the same cost as calling from Europe back to the US (which is considered "roaming".
I learned this earlier this year, when I was at home, with wifi calling activated. I called an Irish hotel, and was charged $3 per minute by Tmobile for the calls.
From the RS website:
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/call-uk-europe
Two notes. Wi-Fi calling will only work if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network, which may not always be the case as you move around.
And to be sure of not making or receiving cell calls, go to settings, cellular, and turn cellular data to OFF. Your phone will still function in regular old data for messaging, and also on any Wi-Fi network you can log in to. But you won’t inadvertently get dinged for and incoming calls. WhatsApp works fine this way. And yes, I am on T-Mobile.
markcw, RS is clear as mud.
Hungarian numbers are often shown locally as starting 06 12 345 6789 So one might think when told to drop the zero and add the country code when using a US phone that the number would begin as +36 6 12 345 6789. Nope. You dont drop the 0, you drop the 06 and replace it with +36 making the number +36 12 345 6789. Clear as mud.
Here in Hungary with a phone having a Hungarian phone number you can dial either 06 or +36, both will work.
As for wifi calls, yes as the name implies .... I'm on holiday i dont talk on the phone. But if I must talk on the phone I go to a cafe and say "Americano and password please". If I get a call on holiday while out and about I answer if i think its important and pay the cost. Might be 75 cents; longer than that and I call back once I have my Americano.
I have a US phone here in Budapest in addition to my local one. I call it my house phone as its on airplane mode and connected to my wifi. For an American a US phone over here provides some conveniences difficult with a European phone.
When I arrive in a European Country with my T-Mobile service I get a cheery text message announcing what my services are in the new country. I use my phone as usual. T-Mobile is owned by Deutsche Telekom.
I have a U.S. phone, with a U.S. phone number. I add to my plan when I go to Europe. For $50, I get 10 days of my regular U.S. plan while in Europe. I can call home, or call Europe without any other cost other than the $10 per day surcharge. This includes texts and data.
Shoeflyer above answered my question. Thanks!!
