Public Telephones
The major provider of telephone and telecommunication services is British Telecommunications ("BT").
The company provides public call boxes, and full instructions on how to use the telephones are displayed in the call box.
BT call boxes
These are glass type cubicles with either the word "Telephone" with red markings, or "Phonecard" with green markings, along the top of the cubical.
"Telephone" call boxes accept 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 coins, and some will also accept Access, AmEx, MasterCard and Visa credit and charge cards.
"Phonecard" call boxes do not accept cash. They will only accept pre-paid cards (which are about the size of a credit card) which are obtainable from main Post Offices and most newsagents. Also, some Phonecard boxes will accept Access, AmEx, MasterCard and Visa credit and charge cards. Phonecards are obtainable in £2, £4, £10, and £20 denominations.
Dialling & codes
The codes for London changed in 2000. The old 0171 and 0181 codes - not long in operation themselves - were replaced by a single new code, 020, with a 7 or 8 added to the original seven-digit number to create a new 11-digit number. For example, 0171 813 3000 became 020 7813 3000.
Directory enquiries
Dial 118500 (BT) or 118118 (The Number) for any number in Britain, or 153 for international numbers. Phoning directory enquiries from a private phone is expensive, and only two enquiries are allowed per call. However, if you phone from a public call box, calls are free.
International codes
Australia 61; Austria 43; Belgium 32; Brazil 55; Canada 1; Czech Republic 420; Denmark 45; France 33; Germany 49; Greece 30; Hong Kong 852; India 91; Iceland 354; Ireland 353; Israel 972; Italy 390; Japan 81; Netherlands 31; New Zealand 64; Norway 47; Portugal 3512; South Africa 27; Spain 34; Sweden 46; Switzerland 41; USA 1.
Making a call
If you want to call a London number from within London, you omit the code (020) and dial the last eight digits. If you are calling from outside the UK, dial the international access code from the country from which you're calling, then the UK code 44, then the full London number, omitting for the first 0 from the code. For example, to make a call to 020 7813 3000 from the US, dial 011 44 20 7813 3000.
To dial abroad from the UK, first dial 00 (the international access code), then the country code, followed by your number.
Mobile phones
Mobile phones in the UK work on either the 900 or 1800 GSM system used throughout much of Europe. If you are travelling to the UK from Europe, check whether your service provider has a reciprocal arrangement with a UK-based service provider before travelling.
The situation is more complex for US travellers. If your service provider in the US uses the GSM system, it will probably run on the 1900 band; this being the case, you will need a tri-band phone, and your provider needs to have a reciprocal arrangement with a UK provider.
The simplest option, though, may be to buy a 'pay as you go' phone (about £30-£70). Calls are more expensive than with a subscription package, but there's no monthly fee and calls are charged not by billing but by buying (widely available) cards that slot into your phone in denominations of £10 and up. Check before you buy whether the phone is capable of making and receiving international calls.
Operator
Call 100 for the operator in the following circumstances: when you have difficulty in dialling; for an early-morning alarm call; to make a credit card call; for information about the cost of a call; and for help with international person-to-person calls.
Dial 155 if you need to reverse the charges (call collect) or if you can't dial direct, but be warned that this service is very expensive.
Talking Pages
This 24-hour free service lists the numbers of thousands of businesses in the UK. Dial 0800 600900 and say what type of business you require, and in what area of London.
Telegrams
There is no longer a domestic telegram service, but you can still send telegrams abroad: call 0800 190190. This is also the number to call if to send an international telemessage: phone in your message and it will be delivered by post the next day (£8.99 for up to 50 words, an extra £1 for a card).
Telephone directories
There are three phone directories for London: two for private numbers and one for companies. These are available at post offices and libraries. Hotels have them too and they are issued free to all residents, as is the Yellow Pages directory, which lists businesses and services.
Click here for Yellow Pages
