Living
Telephone
If you plan on spending a lot of time on the phone, companies now offer flat rates for all calls to landline phones either within Germany or even western Europe, as well as mobile phones in Germany. Some regular packages also offer free domestic calls on weekends for little extra charge. Otherwise, no call is free and they’re usually billed by the minute. Fees are broken up into time categories that roughly cover business hours, non-business hours and weekends.
Calls to local landline phones as well as numbers within Germany during business hours will cost from three to five cents a minute, and two to three cents during non-business hours. Calling mobile phones will cost about 10 times that respectively. International rates – to the US, for example – can range from five cents a minute up to about 12 cents a minute. Most phone companies no longer charge for landline calls between their own customers, but charge about €16 a month for providing the connection. If you’re making a lot of international calls, it’s best to use a Billigvorwahl, or a code that switches the call to a discount telecommunications company. They charge a couple cents less per minute, but aren’t always allowed by every phone company; try 0103, 01073 or 01049 before the international calling code.
Clark Kent would find life difficult in Germany. The popularity of mobile phones has all but eliminated payphones, and the booths that remain have been remodelled to offer just a sliver of safety glass for privacy. German payphones now accept either coins or calling cards that can be bought for €10 and refilled at tobacco shops, post offices or newsagents. A local call costs €0.30 a minute or €0.70 a minute to a mobile.
An industry has sprung up around what can be best termed as phone cafes – spare stores with five or 10 Plexiglas phone booths. The outlets offer international calls for just cents a minute but are concentrated away from city centres in immigrant neighbourhoods. Tell the attendant where you want to call and he’ll assign you a booth – payment is in cash.
Calls to local landline phones as well as numbers within Germany during business hours will cost from three to five cents a minute, and two to three cents during non-business hours. Calling mobile phones will cost about 10 times that respectively. International rates – to the US, for example – can range from five cents a minute up to about 12 cents a minute. Most phone companies no longer charge for landline calls between their own customers, but charge about €16 a month for providing the connection. If you’re making a lot of international calls, it’s best to use a Billigvorwahl, or a code that switches the call to a discount telecommunications company. They charge a couple cents less per minute, but aren’t always allowed by every phone company; try 0103, 01073 or 01049 before the international calling code.
Clark Kent would find life difficult in Germany. The popularity of mobile phones has all but eliminated payphones, and the booths that remain have been remodelled to offer just a sliver of safety glass for privacy. German payphones now accept either coins or calling cards that can be bought for €10 and refilled at tobacco shops, post offices or newsagents. A local call costs €0.30 a minute or €0.70 a minute to a mobile.
An industry has sprung up around what can be best termed as phone cafes – spare stores with five or 10 Plexiglas phone booths. The outlets offer international calls for just cents a minute but are concentrated away from city centres in immigrant neighbourhoods. Tell the attendant where you want to call and he’ll assign you a booth – payment is in cash.
