US cell phones in UK

[barbie21144]

Thank you for this informative site! I’ve scoured your forum and FAQs, but I want to make sure I haven’t confused myself.

A group of us will be traveling to the UK (including Scotland) and will have US cell phones. Please check me to see if I am correct.

From US mobile phone to US mobile phone (when both phones are in Great Britain): the formula is: 00 (or the plus sign) 1 ???-????

From US mobile phone (in UK) to any UK phone number (mobile or landline): Dial number as written (without international or country code) (Note, I read elsewhere I need to begin with a plus sign)

From any UK phone (landline or mobile) to a US mobile phone (in UK): Call as if I’m still in the US: 00 (or plus sign) 1 ???-????

From any phone in the US to a US mobile phone overseas: Dial as if you are both in the US

Am I right?
Thanks so much!

[admin]

Hello,

Thanks for posting your questions. There isn’t much I should add – you are correct in all your assumptions.

Regarding dialing UK numbers from your US phones – both ways may work. The correct way to dial is using the local numbering sequence. However, especially when dialing mobile phone numbers you may also use their international version. For example: a UK mobile number looks like this when dialed from within the UK: 07xxx xxx xxx. When dialing it from outside the UK you would use +44 7xxx xxx xxx. This last dialing sequence would likely work nowadays when dialing from the UK either, at least when using a cell phone to place the call.

[barbie21144]

Thank you for the reassurance. I was going crazy researching this. What had confused me was the scenario when the US mobile phones were physically in a different country. No other websites were clear on that.

About the US phone to UK phone scenario, thank you for the clarification that there may be two ways to dial UK numbers; that explains why I saw contradictory info on other websites. Also in US phone to UK phone, I need to leave out any initial zeroes in the UK number, correct?

I just realized I left out one other permutation for you to double-check me on — but I think I’m right here:

From US mobile phone (in UK) back to the US: 011 (or plus sign)1 xxx-xxxx

Am I right on those?

[admin]

You leave out the initial zero only when dialing the full international version of the UK number (+44…). If you choose to dial the national version (07xxx xxx xxx for UK mobiles is an example) then you no longer leave out the initial zero – in other words you dial exactly what locals do.

Even though you have a US phone, to dial back to the US you will have to use the European exit code which is 00. You use 011 when calling abroad from the US and Canada. To avoid confusion you may also use the plus sign instead of this international exit code, also known as IDD (international direct dial) code: +1 xxx xxx xxxx is the same with 00 1 xxx xxx xxxx for calling the US from the UK.

[barbie21144]

Thank you! I will hoist a pint to you in jolly old England!

[Author]

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