Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• The instructions above apply whether you're calling to or from a European landline
or mobile phone.
•Ifcallingfromanymobilephone,youcanreplacetheinternationalaccesscodewith
“+” (press and hold 0 to insert it).
• The international access code is 011 if you're calling from the US or Canada.
• To call the US or Canada from Europe, dial 00, then 1 (country code for US and
Canada),thentheareacodeandnumber.Inshort,00+1+AC+LN=Hi,Mom!
Once in Europe, buy a
SIM card
—the little chip that inserts into your phone (either un-
der the battery, or in a slot on the side)—to equip the phone with a European number. (Note
that smaller “micro-SIM” or “nano-SIM” cards—used in some iPhones—are less widely
available.)SIMcardsaresoldatmobile-phoneshops,department-storeelectronicscounters,
and some newsstand kiosks for $5-10, and usually include about that much prepaid calling
credit (making the card itself virtually free). In most places, buying a SIM card is as easy as
buyingapackofgum—andalmostascheap.(Insomecountries—includingItaly,Germany,
and Hungary—it can take a bit longer, because you have to show your passport and be re-
gistered.) Because SIM cards are prepaid, there's no contract and no commitment (in fact,
they expire after just a few months of disuse); I buy one even if I'm in a country for only a
few days.
When using a SIM card in its home country, it's free to receive calls and texts, and it's
cheap to make calls—domestic calls average 20-30 cents per minute (though toll lines can
be substantially more). Rates are higher if you're roaming in another country, but as long as
you stay within the European Union, these fees are capped (about 30 cents per minute for
making calls or 10 cents per minute for receiving calls). Texting is cheap even if roaming in
another country. Particularly inexpensive SIM card brands let you call either within Europe
or to the US for less than 10 cents per minute.
WhenpurchasingaSIMcard,alwaysaskaboutfeesfordomesticandinternational calls,
roaming charges, and how to check your credit balance and buy more time. If text or voice
prompts are in another language, ask the clerk whether they can be switched to English.
It's also possible to buy an
inexpensive mobile phone in Europe
that already comes
with a SIM card. While these phones are generally locked to work with just one provider
(and therefore can't be reused on future trips), they may be less hassle than buying an un-
locked phone and a SIM card separately.
Mobile-Phone Calling Apps:
If you have a smartphone, you can use it to make free or
cheap calls in Europe by using a calling app such as Skype or FaceTime when you're on
Wi-Fi; for details, see the next section.
