How to Call Belgium From the United States

A major European business center and home to the headquarters of both NATO and the European Union, Belgium attracts more businesspeople than bohemian backpackers. Whichever you are, you can use the following steps to place a call.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• French Phrase Books
• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Travel Guides
• Telephones
• Clocks
• Telephone Calling Cards

1. Determine what time it is in Belgium; Belgium is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, which means it is 6 hours later in Belgium than it is on the East Coast of the United States and 9 hours later than it is on the West Coast.

2. Keep in mind that Belgium is divided into French-speaking Wallonie and Flemish-speaking Flanders. Brussels is officially bilingual. No matter where you call, though, most Belgians speak at least a smattering of English.

3. Dial 011, the international access code.

4. Dial 32, the Belgian country code.

5. Remove the 0 from the beginning of the city code.

6. Dial the remaining digits.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're having problems getting through, dial 00 for the international operator and ask him or her to place the call.

• Calling between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. or on weekends will often cost up to 50 percent less than calling during business hours. Call your long-distance carrier to find out which hours are cheapest to call internationally with your long-distance plan.

• City codes for major Belgian cities include 02 for Brussels, 050 for Bruge and 03 for Antwerp.

• If you're calling from a pay phone, you'll need to have a calling card or charge the call to a credit card - you won't be able to feed the phone with coins fast enough to keep yourself connected. Follow the instructions printed on the phone for placing the call.