How to Call Switzerland From the United States

The characteristic efficiency of the Swiss extends to their phone system; it's easy to place a direct call from the United States, and connections are typically clear and trouble-free.

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

2. Remember that no fewer than four languages are spoken in different regions of Switzerland. Though Swiss German is spoken by more than half the population, in other regions French, Italian and Romansch are the languages of choice. Perhaps because of this linguistic hodgepodge, English is also widely spoken as a second language.

3. Dial 011, the international access code.

4. Dial 41, the Swiss country code.

5. Drop the 0 from the beginning of the city code. Some city codes for major cities in Switzerland include 01 for Zurich, 031 for Bern and 022 for Geneva.

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.
• 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.