Germany By Telephone

Prepaid phone cards are a common and relatively inexpensive means of calling abroad. Each one comes with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and a toll-free access number. You call the access number and then follow the directions for dialing your PIN. To purchase prepaid phone cards, check online for the best rates; www.callingcards.com is a good place to start. Online providers generally send your access number and PIN via email, with no actual “card” involved. You can also call home with prepaid phone cards.

Placing International Calls. To call Germany from home or to call home from Germany, dial:
1. The international dialing prefix. To call from Australia, dial 0011; Canada or the US, 011; Ireland, New Zealand, or the UK, 00; Germany, 00
2. The country code of the country you want to call. To dial Australia, dial 61; Canada or US, 1; Ireland, 353; New Zealand, 64; the UK, 44; Germany, 49
3. The city/area code. Let’s Go lists the city/area codes for cities and towns in Germany opposite the city or town name, next to a }, and in every phone number. If the first digit is a zero (e.g., 020 for London), omit the zero when calling from abroad (e.g., dial 20 from Canada to reach London).
4. The local number.

Calling Within Germany

The simplest way to call within the country is to use a card- or coin-operated phone. Prepaid phone cards (available at newspaper kiosks, tobacco stores, or gas stations), usually save time and money in the long run. Phone rates typically tend to be highest in the morning and lowest on Sunday and late at night.

Cellular Phones

The international standard for cell phones is Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). To make and receive calls in Germany you will need a GSM-compatible phone and a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card, a country-specific, thumbnail-sized chip that gives you a local phone number and plugs you into the local network. Many SIM cards are prepaid, and incoming calls are frequently free. You can buy additional cards or vouchers (usually available at convenience stores) to “top up” your phone. For more information on GSM phones, check out www.telestial.com, www.orange.co.uk, www.roadpost.com, or www.planetomni.com. Companies like Cellular Abroad (www.cellularabroad.com) rent cell phones that work in a variety of destinations around the world.

Gsm Phones. Just having a GSM phone doesn’t mean you’re good to go when you travel abroad. The majority of GSM phones sold in the United States operate on a different frequency (1900) than international phones (900/1800) and will not work abroad. Tri-band phones work on all three frequencies (900/1800/1900) and will operate through most of the world. Additionally, some GSM phones are SIM-locked and will only accept SIM cards from a single carrier. You’ll need a SIM-unlocked phone to use a SIM card from a local carrier when you travel.

Time Differences

Germany is 1hr. ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and observes Daylight Saving Time from late March through late October—the reverse is true for Australia. The following table relates Germany and other localities at noon GMT.