How to Call Cyprus From the United States

Swimming in the Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey, the island of Cyprus has been torn by conflicts between the Greek and Turkish regions. Still, some people consider this temperate island nation their favorite vacation spot. If you're planning a visit, follow these instructions to place a direct call.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

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

1. Determine what time it is in Cyprus; Cyprus is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, which means it is 7 hours later in Cyprus than it is on the East Coast of the United States and 10 hours later than it is on the West Coast.

2. Keep in mind that about 80 percent of Cypriots speak Greek and the remaining 20 percent Turkish, but English is fairly common in both the Greek and Turkish areas.

3. Dial 011, the international access code.

4. Dial 357, the Cypriot country code.

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

6. Dial the remaining digits.

Tips & Warnings

• 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 cities in Cyprus include 02 for Nicosia, 03 for Famagusta and 04 for Larnaca.

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

• 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.