How to Call the United Kingdom From the United States

Follow these steps to place a direct call to the United Kingdom, which includes England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (but not the Republic of Ireland).

Things You'll Need

• Travel Guides
• Telephones
• Clocks
• Telephone Calling Cards

Instructions

1. Determine what time it is in the United Kingdom. The time there is equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time, which means it is 5 hours later in the United Kingdom than it is on the East Coast of the United States, and 8 hours later than it is on the West Coast.

2. Dial 011, the international access code.

3. Dial 44, the U.K. country code.

4. Drop the 0 from the beginning of the city code. Some city codes for major cities in the United Kingdom include 01232 for Belfast, Northern Ireland; 01222 for Cardiff, Wales; and 0131 for Edinburgh, Scotland.

5. Dial the remaining digits.

Tips & Warnings

• On April 1, 2000, the London area code 0171 will change to 0207, and 0181 will change to 0208. In the meantime, either area code will work.

• 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.