tips for using our phone to text in Austria

I would suggest using WhatsApp to communicate with the host. There are many free wifi spots around.

Otherwise, just sent a text first using the +43 Austria country code and if that doesn't work, call the number without the country code. Assuming that the host will be using a mobile phone and not a landline, you will omit the first "0" if you use the +43 but will need to include the "0" if you are not using the country code.

You text here in Austria just like you would at home. It won't break the bank.

Thanks Emiliy, that is certainly an option but since we have free texting and data in 140 countries with TMobile, I'd rather find an answer to the question about how to do this with Tmobile. This way my number stays the same.

But I just told you how to text? It really isn't any different than texting in the US.

Calling - you just call like you would in the US. Try first with the country code and if that doesn't go through, try without the +43.

OK so if I'm in Austria and I want to text his Austrian number with the 43 (Austrian country code) first, right.
If I'm in Prague, are the rules the same for the EU countries or do I need to dial a 0 first?
I didn't understand the last part about mobile phone vs landline... how would I know the difference.

Thanks!

You should know that +43 = 0043. The "+" means "00" which may not be widely known in the US.

So if you are in Austria with your Tmobile phone, I suggest that you first dial 0043 and then the host's number without the next 0. A landline number will start with a 01 and then have about six more digits. A mobile number will start with 06 and then two more digits and then another 7-8 digits. If that doesn't go through, call or text the number without the 0043, just call the 06XX XXXXXXX mobile number or or the 01 XXXXXX landline number.

If you are in Prague, you would use the country code as you are in a different country!

Make sense?

I think I understand everything except the last sentence.
If I'm in Czech, or Hungary and I want to text my host in Austria I use the Austrian country code "43" otherwise if I'm in Austria I would just text him without the 43 country code. Is that right?

If I'm in Czech, or Hungary and I want to text my host in Austria I
use the Austrian country code "43" otherwise if I'm in Austria I would
just text him without the 43 country code. Is that right?

Yes to the first part of your questions. If in Austria, I suggested trying first with the country code but if that doesn't work try without it.

Great. Thanks for clarifying. Maybe I'm overthinking it :)

If you want to send me the host's number in a private message I can easily tell you if it is a mobile or landline.

In this case I know it's mobile since he mentioned that to me in a previous conversation I had with him but thanks for offering :)

We have tmobile, too. Switched because of the free texting and data. On a related note, I checked the coverage in the countries we'll be traveling in. Note that Austria's coverage was a little spottier than a lot of other countries. So you may have to use your hotel's wifi, depending on where you are.

Shawn, we are in Vienna for a month with a couple of road trips (Prague/Budapest) so although the majority of our time is in Vienna we may be visiting some of the countryside. Hope we always have a decent signal.
Did you ever do any download speed tests in Vienna? Would be interested in knowing what they were or a summary of your speeds, downloading, web pages in Vienna.

We will be there in a few weeks. Here's the link to check specific coverage. We are anticipating some slow connections (or lack of connections, as noted), so will, more or less, planning to get our research done before we head out for each day's explorations. We're def not planning to be using our phones like we do here in the states (love my technology!) for these reasons, but also, hey we're here to connect with other cultures, people, history.

Looks like coverage is good in Prague and Vienna.

Tmobile international coverage map

You are using the phone from your one base in the US, so no matter whether you are in Austria or Prague you would dial the Austrian number as if you were dialing from the US----+43, then the given number (usually without the leading 0).

To call home (the US), you usually need to add the US country code (+1), so the numbers in your contacts may not work unless you add the +1.

Ahhh. Thanks Lola!

Think of your T-Mobile phone as a little bubble of the US; wherever you are, you are calling from the US.

So, to call or text a US number, you do not do anything different from what you do at home.

To call or text an Austrian number, you do it as you would do it from the US: +43 and then the number, including the area code but without the initial 0. So, if the number is listed as 01 5121320, you dial +43 1 5121320.

To call or text a Czech number, you do it as you would do it from the US: +420 and then the number, including the area code but without the initial 0. So, if a number is listed as 0261 214 766, you dial +420 261 214 766

To call or text a Hungarian number, you do it as you would do it from the US: +36 and then the number, including the area code but without the initial 0. So, if a number is listed as 020 999 8797, you dial +36 20 999 8797

Harold,
Excellent instructions, thank you so much.