How to Call Amsterdam From the USA

When you do not know how to make an international telephone call, it can seem rather confusing. After all, foreign phone numbers seem to be so long in comparison. If you are planning on making a phone call to Amsterdam -- which is the Netherlands' capital city -- from the United States, the process is very simple and quick.

Things You'll Need

Telephone with a long-distance calling plan
Telephone card (if necessary)
Phone number in Amsterdam

Tips For You

1. Make sure that you have a long-distance calling plan or an international calling card. If you do not have long-distance set up on your telephone, you will not be able to dial numbers outside of the United States. One way to get around this is by purchasing an international phone card on the Internet or at your local drugstore. These phone cards are relatively cheap. Buy roughly or just over the amount of minutes that you need to be on the phone to Amsterdam. For example, if you plan to speak for about 45 minutes, purchase a card with 60 minutes on it.
2. Be aware of dialing codes. To make a phone call abroad from the United States, you must dial the international access code, which is 011. Then, research the Netherland's country code. To make a call directly to a nation, it is vital to be aware of its specific country code. In the Netherlands' case, the code is 31. Dial the international country code with the country code immediately following it.
3. Take the "0" away from the start of the city code. The Amsterdam phone number you have begins with "020," as that is the city code. To make international phone calls, it is always necessary to remove the "0" from the beginning of the code first. After you do this, the beginning of the phone number you are going to dial should look like "011 31 20" with the rest of the digits following.
4. Figure out the local time in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is in a totally different time zone than the United States, so avoid being rude and calling at an overly early or late hour. Amsterdam is six hours ahead from the East Coast of the United States and nine hours ahead of the West Coast. Think ahead before making a call to Amsterdam. You do not want to risk waking someone up and dealing with a groggy and unhappy person.
5. Make your phone call. Be sure you have entered your international access code, the country code for the Netherlands and the city code for Amsterdam. Enjoy your call, and maybe you'll pick up a few words in the Dutch language.