How do I phone Australia?

[Pacific]

Now laugh if you like but I have never phoned abroad before.

What is the cheapest way of doing it? (I have BT option 1, and calls from AOL/talktalk)

My friend, who is in Australia, wants me to phone her within the next couple of days and has supplied the number which is 00613 XXXX XXXX. Do I just dial this number or do I have to use another code?

TIA

the number you have includes the international dialing code for Australia (0061), so you should be good to go with the number you have... re price: I havn't got a clue!

Can't help with which network to use, but re the number: your friend has given you the number you need to dial ie 00 is to make an international call and 61 is Australia. The 3 is her regional code which would have a 0 in front if you were calling from elsewhere in Australia, but you miss it off for international calls. HTH

Thank you.

Anyone know about cost or cheapest time of day?

You could download Skype onto your computer and call much more cheaply. You would have to put some money on a Skype account if she doesn't have Skype.

If you both have internet and both download Skype you could call for free. You would need a headset/microphone thingie.

Talk talk do a free overseas calls package - but I don't think you're on it by the sound of things. You could just phone the number from the phone line but it will cost more.

If you are set up to use skype, it's cheap or free.

Alternatively use this website

this

Cheapest calls to OZ look like 0.5p a minute. You need to type in another code first, wait for the instructions and then put in the friends number.

we pay 5p a min to call Oz (my brother lives there) as BT have a 'overseas' package. I think its £1 a monnth.

Oh dear. That all sounds terribly complicated. What about cheapest time of day on my house phone?

I think the cheapest time for you to phone is whenever it is cheapest in this country eg after 6 in the evening (but then it would be roughly 4 in the morning in Oz!)

My dh (Australian) rings his family at the weekend usually about 10-11 in the morning which is early evening for them. And his mother usually rings back to save us the cost!

Thanks all. I will just use the house phone as it is only a one-off so no point in setting up any other service and will phone at the weekend.

Dial this number first, it allows you to make cheap calls abroad at any time of day 08448615252. Then listen to instructions to dial your friend's number.

A very easy, once off service that you can use is called JustDial Here

And here's the summary below - but in a nutshell, you dial a local number from your home phone, then you dial the international number and it bills your landline number. And it will cost you just 2p per minute to phone an Australian landline. Please don't use the obscenely expensive BT phone at home.

STEP 1. Select the access number for the country you want to call
STEP 2. Dial the access number followed by your international number

Thank you all. I love mumsnet.