Making the Call
Dial 011 on your phone to call out of Canada. This is the exit code for Canada and the United States, which will allow you to make an international phone call. Open the Phone app on your smartphone to begin dialing, or punch 011 into your landline to start dialing the number. If you can, make the call on a phone that can display which numbers you’ve entered. This will help you keep track of where you’re up to in dialing the number. If your phone doesn’t have a display, try writing the phone number out first before dialing it. The phone number you have dialed so far should be 011-xxx-xxx-xxx-xxxx. Each “x” is a number you’ll need to fill in to make the complete phone number.
Enter the country code to reach Ireland. The country code for Ireland is 353, which will signal that the phone you are trying to reach is somewhere in Ireland. Dial 353 on your phone’s number pad. At this point, the phone number should look something like 011-353-xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Include the mobile code if you’re calling a cellphone. There are several mobile phone network providers in Ireland, each of them with a different code. All of them will begin with the number 8, followed by another number between 3 and 9. Here are the mobile providers and mobile codes available in Ireland: Three: 83 / 86 BlueFace: 83 eir: 85 Vodafone: 87 PostFone: 87 Tesco Mobile: 89 48: 89 Virgin Mobile: 89 Lycamobile: 89 If you’re calling someone who is with Postfone, for example, the phone number should look like this: 011-353-87-xxx-xxxx. Many mobile phone numbers will have the mobile code included.
Add the area code if you’re calling a landline. The phone numbers in Ireland are broken up into 17 different areas, each with their own area code. If you’re calling a landline in Ireland, look up the area code for the region where the phone is. Add the area code to the phone number. A list of area codes in Ireland can be found here: https://countrycode.org/ireland. If you’re calling a landline in Dublin, for example, you would dial 011-353-1-xxx-xxxx.
Dial the local phone number and start the call. The final 7 to 9 digits of the phone number will determine who you actually call. This is the phone number that you would use to contact someone within Ireland, and likely the number you were given. Dial the rest of the number and hit the call button to phone the number. If you were dialing someone with Tesco Mobile, the phone number might look like this: 011-353-89-123-4567. If you were calling someone in Limerick, the phone number might be 011-353-61-987-6543.
Planning for Your Call
Set up an international calling plan for frequent international calls. Most domestic landline and mobile phone plans won’t account for international calling, which can make it quite expensive. If you are planning on making many phone calls to Ireland, or any other foreign country, talk to your phone plan provider about options that will allow for more affordable international calling. If you don’t want to switch to a plan with international calling, check the fees associated with international calling for the plan that you are currently on. Some may start with a flat rate, where others might charge more for each minute.
Use an international calling card if you're only making 1 or 2 calls. International calling cards will route your call through the calling card provider, rather than through your phone plan provider. This will often allow you to make international calls at a much lower rate. Purchase an international calling card and follow the provided instructions to use it. You may be able to purchase an international calling card from local grocery or department stores, online, or through your phone provider. Most calling cards will require you to dial the number manually once you’ve phoned the calling card service. Write the number down before calling so you can dial it quickly. Calling the number through an address book in your phone will bypass the calling card service and use your phone provider instead.
Calculate the time in Ireland before you call. Different parts of Canada can be between 3 and a half to 8 hours behind the time in Ireland. Before you make your call, look online or calculate the time in Ireland. Make sure that the time there is a time that you would be comfortable receiving a phone call before dialing. Here is a list of timezones in Canada and Ireland. Ireland is in the GMT time zone, which is the standard from which other time zones are calculated. Newfoundland is in the GMT-3:30 time zone, meaning it is 3 and a half hours behind Ireland. Halifax is in the GMT-4 time zone, meaning it is 4 hours behind Ireland. Ottowa is in the GMT-5 time zone, meaning it is 5 hours behind Ireland. Winnipeg and Regina are both in the GMT-6 time zone, meaning they are 6 hours behind Ireland. Edmonton is in the GMT-7 time zone, meaning it is 7 hours behind Ireland. Vancouver is in the GMT-8 time zone, meaning it is 8 hours behind Ireland. To calculate the time difference between your location in Canada and Ireland, add the number of hours you are behind to GMT to the current time. For example, if you were making a call from Vancouver at 7 o’clock in the evening, it would be 3 o’clock in the morning in Ireland!
Schedule your call in advance. In order to make sure that you don’t waste your calling credit by phoning at an inopportune time, it might help to schedule the phone call a day or two in advance. Text or message the person you want to call to set up a time that works for both of you. If you are calling a business or other organization, you should be able to call them at any point during their opening hours.
Exploring Other Options
Make the call through Skype. Skype is a free communication app that lets you make phone calls to anybody in the world. Download and install Skype for your computer or smartphone, set up an account, and add some calling credit. Use the dial pad to type in the number and start your call. You can add money to your Skype account through the dial pad. This can be accessed by clicking on the grid of dots in the Skype window. If the person you are trying to call also has Skype, you can call them through Skype over the internet. Add them as a contact through the “Search Skype” text field and click on their name to call them.
Try FaceTime or WhatsApp to make a call over the internet. There are plenty of different apps for smartphones that can be used to call someone using mobile data or WiFi. Download an app such as FaceTime or WhatsApp, add the person you want to call as a contact, and press the call button to start a conversation! Facebook Messenger, Google Voice, and Yahoo Messenger all have options for making calls over the internet. Many apps will allow you to make video calls, as well as regular voice calls. Make sure the person you are calling is comfortable with a video call before you call them.
Keep in touch via e-mail or social media instead. Even though it’s less direct and immediate than giving someone a phone call, using email or social media is a great way to keep in contact with people without having to call them often. If you want to save money or keep in touch with someone often, try using a platform such as Facebook Messenger, Twitter, or Telegram to contact them instead.
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