Making International Calls and Finding Country Dialing Codes

Making an international call could be quite expensive if you do not follow some standard procedure. There are four things that you need to have when you want to start placing a call.

First, you need to know the international dialing prefix. This number allows you to call outside the country you are calling from. It varies and is unique in each country. For United States, the international dialing prefix is 011.

The second thing you need is the country code of the country that wanted to call. This varies for every country depending on the location or geography and whether it is a landline or mobile phone. It may have one to three digits. Finding this number couldn't be that easy. If you are using a prepaid calling card, usually the codes where the service is available is written at the back of the card. One way to get the country code is to call the customer service of your carrier or of the calling card that you are using. And one easy way is through the Internet if you have the access.

Next, you need the area or city code of the place that you wish to call. This consists of two or three digits that narrows down the area in the geographic region of the country that you are calling. If the code starts with 0, yo don't need to dial 0. Just dial the next digits.

Lastly, you need the local number or the actual number that you wanted to reach. Be sure to check if it is a landline or mobile number. Calls to mobile phones have higher rates compared to landlines.

When you make a call, you have different options on what medium to use when calling. You can use a landline or a mobile phone but the rates are slightly higher especially in the latter. The most common today is the use of international prepaid calling cards. The rate is cheaper compared the to the first media mentioned. You also have the option to use a local access number for cheaper calls or toll free access number for a reliable call. Now, you are sure that your call will be connected to the party that you are calling.