Dialing between Europe and the Rest of the World

To make a call from a phone in Italy, simply dial 001 followed by your desired number. Many Americans feel apprehensive about dialing European phone numbers, but there's no need to worry. With the help of these guidelines and a comprehensive list of calling codes for Europe, the process becomes quite straightforward, regardless of whether you're calling from the United States, Canada, or within Europe.

Placing International Calls

Regardless of whether you're using a US landline, your personal mobile phone, a Skype account, or a number from another European country (such as dialing from Spain to Italy), making an international call involves the same steps. Here's how it's done:

1. Begin by dialing the appropriate international access code.

- If you are calling from a US or Canadian landline or mobile phone, dial 011. If you're using a mobile phone, you have the option to press and hold the 0 key instead of dialing 011.

- If you are calling from a number within any European country, dial 00. Again, mobile phone users can enter a special character (usually displayed as *) instead of dialing 00.

2. For instance, if you are calling Italy, dial 39. If you wish to reach France, dial 33. The specific codes for each country can be found in the chart below.

3. If the number you are dialing begins with a 0 (excluding Italy), it should be omitted.

It's important to note that in certain countries, phone numbers can have different lengths. For example, you may encounter a seven-digit phone number or an eight-digit mobile number.

Country Codes for European Countries

Remember, just dial and bask in the simplicity...

- Austria: 43

- Italy: 39²

- Belgium: 32

- Latvia: 371

- Bosnia-Herzegovina: 387

- Montenegro: 382

- Croatia: 385

- Morocco: 212

- Czech Republic: 420

- Netherlands: 31

- Denmark: 45

- Norway: 47

- Estonia: 372

- Poland: 48

- Finland: 358

- Portugal: 351

- France: 33

- Russia: 7³

- Germany: 49

Slovakia: 421

Gibraltar: 350

Slovenia: 386

Great Britain & Northern Ireland: 44

Spain: 34

Greece: 30

Sweden: 46

Hungary: 36¹

Switzerland: 41

Ireland: 353

Turkey: 90

[1] For long-distance calls within Hungary, dial 06, followed by the area code and number.

[2] When making international calls to Italy, do not exclude the initial 0 from the phone number.

[3] For long-distance calls within Russia, dial 8, followed by the area code and number. To call the US or Canada from Russia, dial 8, followed by 10, then 1, and finally the area code and number.

Making Domestic Calls

When making calls from one number to another within the same European country (whether from a landline or with a local mobile phone or SIM card), simply dial the phone number, including the initial 0, if applicable.

In the US, we are accustomed to phone numbers with seven digits and three-digit area codes. However, European phone numbers and calling standards are more complex. Phone numbers and area codes can vary in length, even within the same country, and mobile phones have their own prefixes.

In certain countries, similar to the US, you can choose to exclude the area code when making a landline-to-landline call within the same area code. However, in other countries, it is necessary to dial the full number, even for local calls. Personally, I prefer to keep it simple by always dialing the complete phone number, including the area code or prefix.

Examples:

- To call a hotel in Munich (tel. 089/264-349) from your hotel phone in Berlin, dial 089/264-349. To dial the same number from your hotel in Italy, enter 00, followed by 49 (Germany's country code), and then 89/264-349 (the area code without the initial 0, and the number).

- To call a hotel in Paris (01 47 05 49 15) from your US home phone, dial 011, followed by 33 (France's country code), and then 1 47 05 49 15 (the hotel's phone number without the initial 0).

- To call a hotel in Madrid (915-212-900) from a friend's house in Germany, dial 00, followed by 34 (Spain's country code), and then 915-212-900.

- To call a museum in Florence (055-238-8651) from your US mobile phone (whether you are in Florence or the US), dial 00, followed by 39 (Italy's country code), and then 055-238-8651 (the phone number with the initial 0).

If you encounter any difficulties, you can visit countrycallingcodes.com or howtocallabroad.com for assistance. Remember that if you are dialing from a mobile phone, you can press and hold the 0 key to enter a "+" instead of the international access code (011 or 00).

Calling Home

Whether you are dialing from a mobile phone or a landline, here is how to call the US or Canada from Europe:

- Dial 00, which is Europe's international access code, or use "+" on any mobile phone.

- Dial 1, the country code for the US and Canada.

- Dial the phone number, including the area code.

So, to call my office in Edmonds, Washington, from anywhere in Europe, I dial 00-1-425-771-8303; or, from a mobile phone, I dial "+1-425-771-8303.