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When you're far away from home, it's comforting to stay in touch. Whether it's a postcard, a letter, a quick email or a long late night phone call, friends and family will be pleased to hear from you.
 Telephones and Dialling Codes The dialling code for London is 020, followed by an 8-digit number. For example, LondonTown.com's telephone number is 020 7494 2020. If you are dialling from outside the UK, dial the international access code from the country you are calling from, then the UK code, 44, then the full London number omitting the initial '0' from the local code. To dial abroad from the UK first dial, '00', the international access code, then the country code followed by the local code. See below for a quick list; Australia – 61 Austria – 43 Belgium – 32 Brazil – 55 Canada - 1 China - 86 France – 33 Germany – 49 Greece – 30 India – 91 Ireland – 353 Israel – 972 Italy – 390 Japan – 81 Netherlands – 31 New Zealand – 64 Norway – 47 Poland - 48 Portugal – 3512 Russia - 7 South Africa – 27 Spain – 34 Sweden – 46 Switzerland – 41 USA – 1   Public PhonesLondon’s traditional red phone boxes are now tourist attractions in their own right. They were introduced in 1884, eight years after the invention of the telephone and were initially known as Public Call Offices. Most phone boxes take coins and credit cards. Phone booths with a blue stripe across them also offer free access to LondonTown.com's events guide, hotel-booking facility and directory of shops and services.  International Phone CardsPre-paid phone cards can be bought from selected newsagents, off-licenses and convenience stores or internet cafes. They are sold in denominations of £5, £10, £15 and £20. The card will be pre-charged to the value shown. Callers can then use the card to call from almost any touch tone telephone or phone box to call either domestic or International numbers.  Internet CafesLondon may be an ancient and historic city but it is also very net-friendly these days. Many hotel rooms have modem points or an in-house internet café or bar. There are also a huge number of cyber cafes all over town. The biggest and easiest to use are part of the easyEverything chain: easyEverything branches: 358 Oxford Street, W1N 9AG 9-16 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 1BQ 457-459 The Strand, Trafalgar Square 160-166 Kensington High Street, W8 7RG 9-13 Wilton Road, SW1V 1LW Unit G1, Kings Walk, 120 Kings Road, SW3 4TR Burger King, 46 Regent St, London W1B 5RA  Mobile PhonesIf you are travelling to the UK from Europe check to see if your network provider has a reciprocal arrangement with a UK based network that allows you to use your mobile; almost all do, but some may need to be activated in advance. For travellers from the USA the situation is more complicated. If your US service provider uses the GSM system, it will probably run on the 1900 band. For your phone to work it needs to have a tri-band facility and your provider needs to have a reciprocal arrangement with a UK network. In short, you should definitely check with your network provider before you arrive. A pay-as-you-go handset can be be picked up for as little as £30.  PostSometimes there's nothing quite like the personal touch of a good old fashioned letter for keeping in contact. Although post offices around the UK seem to be closing down, the service is still excellent. National For sending letters within the UK, stamps can be purchased at a post office or at most newsagents and supermarkets. First class costs 32p and should arrive within one working day. Second class is only 23p, but can take up to three working days to be delivered. International For sending things abroad you can either opt for the speedy, but expensive, airmail service or pay about half the price for lethargic surface mail. Airmail is fine for postcards and letters but as soon as you start sending anything weighty it can get very expensive. Heavy items will get back to European destinations by surface mail within two weeks, although they can take up to three months to reach Australia. When sending items abroad, it's best to do it from a post office so the staff can weigh it to make sure you pay the correct postage. There are various insurance options available for valuable items. |
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