How to Call Canada

So you want to know how to call Canada. The answer to that question will depend on where you are calling FROM, and whether you are using a telephone and a telecom service, or whether you are using a VoIP device such as Skype.

Keep reading for explanations and details.

All countries with telephone service have an international calling code. This code number precedes the telephone number when dialing.

Canada's international calling code number is "1". That's the numeral one, without the quotes.

If you are calling long distance within Canada, you dial 1+area code +xxx-xxxx.

If you are calling Canada from the United States, you dial exactly the same -- 1+area code +xxx-xxxx

Calling Canada from Countries Other Than the USA

If you are calling Canada from a country other than the United States, you will preceed the number 1 by numbers that are specific to your country. For examples:

To call Canada from Mexico, use 00 + 1 + area code +xxx-xxxx

To call Canada from the United Kingdom (UK) use 00 + 1 + area code + xxx-xxxx

To call Canada from Thailand, use 001 + 1+ area code + xxx-xxxx

To call Canada from Russia, use 8 ~ 20 + 1+ area code + xxx-xxxx

To find the correct number to use from your country, contact your local telephone service, OR use the handy online tool linked on the upper right. It allows you to search for the calling codes for all countries.

Calling international long distance can be extremely costly. Using a VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) service such as Skype is an excellent way to avoid high long distance charges.

I once used Skype to call from Vancouver, Canada to a land line in Israel. The call lasted approximately thirty minutes and cost me $7. The connection was as clear as a bell -- much better than you often get with a mobile phone.

If the person on the other end had been a Skype subscribe also, the cost of the call would have been zero.

Skype is free to subscribe. You download and install a software application on your computer. Two Skype subscribers can call, video call and IM each other completely free of charge, no matter where you are calling to or calling from.

If the person you want to call is not a Skype subscriber, then you can pre-purchase a package of minutes that you use. The rate per minute will differ, depending on where you are calling. However, as I explained above, it is much, much cheaper than ordinary long distance charges.

Check out the link to the upper right to find out more about this service, and how you can get low cost calls to landlines with Skype

If you're going to call Canada, please be aware of Canada's time zones. Canada stretches from the Atlantic on the eastern side to the Pacific on the western side. This means there are several time zones in place as you cross the country. Vancouver on the West coast is four hours and thirty minutes behind St. John's, Newfoundland on the East coast. When its noon in Newfoundland, its 7:30 AM in Vancouver.

To add to the complexity, all Canadian provinces observe Daylight Savings Time, except for the Province of Saskatchewan, which does not.

Knowing how to call Canada means knowing what time to call. Some of us are cranky when awakened in the middle of the night :-)

Please refer to the link to the right. It contains a World Clock that will let you determine exactly what time it is in the part of Canada you are calling.

And lastly, just for a giggle -- take a few minutes to watch Rick Mercer, one of Canada's top comics He'll tell you everything you want to know about Canada.