Please sign in to post.

What prefixes do I use to make phone calls on the continent with a UK sim/number?

Posted by (Nova Scotia, Canada) on

Hello all. I am used to using a sim when I travel, but in France and Germany this summer I got really lost with the prefixes. My data worked but I wasn't able to make a call. (SUPER frustrating!)

This time I have a UK sim card and will be travelling in France, Germany and Austria. So...if I want to call a German number (Germany country code is 49) that looks like this when I look it up...
"+49 89 2163340"
would I dial 00 49 89 2163340?

If I was calling this number in France (country code 33), listed as "+33 3 89 21 58 58" then I'd dial 00 33 3 89 21 58 58?

(Those are the numbers of a couple of hotels we're staying at. :) )

And if I don't see 49 or 33 at the beginning of a German or French number, I would add the country code in front?

I would also like to be able to call Canada if need be. Last time I needed to talk to my bank because a cash transfer wasn't working, and I could call the number at my own expense or "call collect". I could find no way to make a collect call to North America from a French cell phone. Does anyone know how to do this from a European cell phone? Hopefully I won't need to do an unexpected call to North America this time, but if I do, I'd love to know how!

So my bank says
"Call us toll-free at 1(800) 472 6842 (if you're in the continental U.S., i.e., excluding Alaska) or call us collect at (416) 701-7200 if you're anywhere else in the world." So I would dial 00-1-416-701-7200 if I am willing to pay for it myself? Or preferably there's a way to do a collect call?

(I did somehow get through on the "call collect" number in May but with no operator, I was charged for it and burned all my calling minutes on hold before the call even got picked up. Super frustrating.)

For family at home I will use WhatsApp, but that's not an option for a landline. Years ago I'd be able to go buy an international phone card, but with mobile service that doesn't seem to be an option any more.

Help!

Posted by
1072 posts

We had a UK SIM on our recent trip and you had to dial the whole number including the +.

So you would dial +49 89 2163340 to call in Germany.

I am not sure about 1800 numbers as we never had to use one.

Posted by
270 posts

Thanks AussieNomad. Did you put the 00 in front?

Posted by
5687 posts

JoAnne if you use the modern + style prefix, then you just enter the number as shown. Hold down the 0 key on your phone to get a + sign. Then dial it as shown:

+49 89 2163340

To call the US or Canada with your UK SIM, use the +1 prefix

+1 800 472 6842

Posted by
12113 posts

Will you be subject to 'roaming' charges now that UK is not an EU member?

Posted by
270 posts

Wow Andrew. That was magical! Thanks.

As for roaming, Joe, you're right it's odd that the non-EU member supplies the good plan...but it is sold on an international platform (which I've used before) as valid across Europe. So go figure.

Posted by
5687 posts

Because a lot of people still travel frequently between the UK and the EU, some of the mobile companies have simply continued their old roaming policies even if they don't have to. My Dutch Vodafone SIM still includes the UK for data roaming on the same terms as the other EU countries. They've covered Switzerland too for a while even though they aren't in the EU either (so aren't required to offer free roaming), for the same reason: lots of people travel back and forth.

Posted by
2267 posts

To call the US or Canada with your UK SIM, use the +1 prefix
+1 800 472 6842

It’s been a while since I’ve tried, but “800”/toll-free numbers usually don’t work internationally. Most credit cards have an alternate, “international” number on the back, with a regular North American area code.

I honestly wouldn’t know how to call collect from a cell phone. (Or a land-line—it’s been so long!) Pretty sure it’ll eat minutes.

Posted by
34321 posts

if you want to call 800 numbers just use Skype - calling 800 (and its friends) is free

Posted by
20949 posts

Here is a little twist, for my US phone service in Europe.
I go to Google Maps and find a business, click on it and the address and phone number pop up.
The phone number listed is 06 706 53 4387 and I click on it to call and make a reservation.
BUT, before hitting the dial icon on the phone I know I have to modify the "06" prefix to +36 then 707 53 4387 or the call will not go through.

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.