Staying connected with the folks back home is easier than ever thanks to innovations in telecommunications. No matter what kind of hardware you use, you’ll need to know (initially) which numbers to punch in and their proper sequence.
To make international calls to Croatia:
1. Dial the international access code: 011 from the U.S.; 00 from the U.K., Ireland, or New Zealand; or 0011 from Australia.
2. Dial Croatia’s country code, 385.
3. Dial the area code, omitting the first zero. For Zagreb, for example, the area code is 01, so you just dial 1.
4. Dial the phone number.
To make international calls from Croatia:
1. Dial the access code 00.
2. Dial the country code (U.S. or Canada 1, U.K. 44, Ireland 353, Australia 61, New Zealand 64).
3. Dial the area code.
4. Dial the number.
For example, if you wanted to call the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., from Croatia you would dial 00-1-202-588-7800.
To call from one area code to another within Croatia -- Dial the Croatian area code, including the zero, followed by the phone number.
To make a local call within a Croatian area -- Dial the phone number. No codes necessary. Local calls cost about 5kn per minute.
For directory assistance -- Dial tel. 11880 or 11888 if you’re looking for a number inside Croatia, and dial 11802 for numbers in all other countries.
Toll-free numbers -- Toll-free numbers in Croatia start with 0800. Warning: Calling a 1-800 number in the United States from Croatia is not toll-free. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.
Croatian SIM Cards
To reduce the cost of calls and text messages during your stay in Croatia, you might consider buying a Croatian SIM card for your mobile phone. All Croatian mobile phone numbers begin with the digits “09.”
The mainmobile phone network providers each offer special deals to foreign visitors:Hrvatski Telecom (www.hrvatskitelekom.hr/visiting-croatia); Tele 2 (www.tele2.hr/welcome-to-croatia); and Vipnet (www.vipnet.hr/tourist-offer/en).
Smartphones
Advances in smartphone technology have fueled a boom in the use and ownership of these one-stop communication-media wonders. However, their services come at a price. Whether your phone of choice is a BlackBerry, an iPhone, or some other brand, you should check how it works with European carriers, so as to avoid nasty surprises when your bill comes in.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
