How to Call Russia From the United States

An enormous country that reaches from cosmopolitan St. Petersburg in the west to the vast nothingness of Siberia in the east, Russia offers attractions of every sort. If you're planning a trip to Russia, follow these steps to place a phone call.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

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

1. Determine what time it is in the city you're trying to call. Russia spans 11 time zones, but Moscow and St. Petersburg are both 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, which means it is 8 hours later there than it is on the East Coast and 11 hours later than on the West Coast.

2. Keep in mind that, although many Russians working in the tourist industry speak some English, many others don't speak any English at all.

3. Dial 011, the international access code.

4. Dial 7, the Russian country code.

5. Remove the 0 from the beginning of the city code. The city code for capital city Moscow is 095.

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.

• 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.