You've arrived in your destination country and connected to a cellular network, and now it's time to make your first call. Here are some ways to do that.
By Anna
Connecting to the network is one thing, but making a call is another. So far I've used WhatsApp and SIM cards to call numbers outside my home country, but I'll also talk about other options below.
Traveling Between the U.S. and Canada
If you have a U.S. or Canadian phone number and you're traveling in either country, you don't need to do anything different. Same goes for traveling in other countries with the same country code.
Traveling Between Other Countries
Option One: Apps
If you and the person you're calling have the same app, you can use that app to communicate.
If you and the people you're calling have WhatsApp
Type the person's number into WhatsApp and add them as a contact. Then call or message them.
WhatsApp is very popular in Italy and Spain, so I used it a lot there. Most hotels and lodgings that use WhatsApp put their number online, or they'll send you an email beforehand with their contact information.
If you'd like more info, this blog post from Smartup World has a more detailed breakdown of what to do. If video's more your thing, the Tech Life Unity channel on YouTube has a one-minute video on installing it, as well as one with background info.
If you and the people you're calling have Facebook Messenger
This only works for family and friends or people you're communicating with via Messenger, but it's really popular in some places. You don't need a Facebook account to get Messenger; email or phone will do.
Unlike WhatsApp, you don't need to have the person in your contacts. You can look up the person on Messenger, click on their name, and click on the audio call or video call option. I recommend making sure you know who you're calling and that they'd be okay with you calling.
Option Two: Country Codes
If you have a new SIM card and a new number
If you're calling within the country of travel, type the area code and the numbers after it, as you would at home. To call family and friends back home, type your home country's country code first.
If you're using roaming or a pass
If you don't have a SIM card for the country of travel, you'll need to type the country code for the place you're traveling before making calls. You can call your family and friends from back home the usual way, though.
Disclaimer: I've never able to successfully place a call outside of WhatsApp this way, so if someone knows how to do it, please let me know. This article has a step-by-step breakdown and looks helpful, though later on it's basically an ad for the company sponsoring it.
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