How to Call the UK from the United States

InsightBright

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posted on 17 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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If you want to stay in contact with people in the United Kingdom, you can give them a call from the United States with ease. To call someone in the UK you'll have to dial "011", then "44," followed by the person's number. When you call the UK, there are a couple of other things you should also keep in mind, like the additional fees you may incur from making an international call. If you follow the right steps and dial the right numbers, you'll be talking to someone in the UK in no time.

Steps

How to Dial

Dial 011 or the “+” key. 011 is the number that you dial to make a call outside of the United States. Some cell phones require you to dial + instead of 011 to dial outside of the country. Try either method if calling from a cell phone.

Dial 44. This number is the country code for the United Kingdom. After dialing 44 you’ll be able to call any number in the UK.

Enter the area code. The UK is made of different area codes that can have anywhere from 2-5 digits in the number. If the area code has a 0 in front of it, do not dial this number. Enter the rest of the numbers after the 0. Popular area codes include 020 for London, 0113 for Leeds, 0161 for Manchester, and 01452 for Gloucester.

Enter the rest of their phone number. The rest of the phone number should be anywhere from 4-8 digits. The area code and phone number combined will make up a 10-digit number. This is the length of all phone numbers in the UK.

Wait for the phone to ring. Once you’ve dialed the full 10-digit number, the phone should start ringing on the other side. Wait for the person in the UK to pick up their end of the phone.

Logistics

Calculate the time in the UK. The UK uses BST, or British Summer Time, during the summer and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) for the rest of the year. The continental U.S., on the other hand, has four time zones. Be mindful of the time differences so that you don't call the UK at inappropriate hours of the night. The time in the UK 5 hours ahead of EST. The time in the UK is 6 hours ahead of CST. The time in the UK is 7 hours ahead of MST. The time in the UK is 8 hours ahead of PST.

Schedule the call beforehand. Calculate the time difference between where you are and the UK and schedule a call-time with the person that works for the both of you. This will ensure that you aren't calling them while they are at work, sleeping, or doing something important.

Determine the extra fees. Many phone companies will charge extra fees for making international calls. Read and understand your phone plan so that you know how much extra you’ll have to pay. Some mobile companies will have special plans created to make international calls, so you may want to investigate this if you’re calling the UK frequently.

Cheaper Alternatives

Chat online. Avoid excessive international calling fees by using video chatting applications like Skype or Google Voice. To avoid the international fee, make sure that both people have an account registered with the application and use the local internet to connect to one another. You can also use chat programs to talk through text rather than making expensive calls. Popular chat applications include Gchat, Yahoo Messenger, and Facebook Messenger.

Use international calling cards. You can purchase an international calling card at some department stores, online, or through your phone provider. You can load money onto these cards and use them to make calls to the UK at a much lower rate than long-distance calls typically cost.

Utilize email and social media to communicate. While sometimes a slower means of communication, email and social media is a great way to stay in contact with people without having to call them often. Consider using this option if you want to save some money.