If you've never made a long-distance telephone call to another country, you may be unsure of the process when you want to call someone in London, England for the first time. Whether you're calling your long-lost Uncle Ted, your new Internet pen-pal or Harrods department store, calling London doesn't have to be a stressful process once you know what to do.

Check with your telephone provider to obtain a per-minute rate. With the right plan, you can obtain cheap rates of less than 10 cents per minute. Without an international calling plan, you may end up paying more than $1 per minute.

Check the time before you make your call. London, England is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in the United States. Realize that if you call at 9 p.m. from the Eastern zone, it's 2 a.m. in London.

Dial "011" for an international line.

Dial "44," which is the country code for the United Kingdom, of which England is a member.

Dial "20," which is the area code for London, England. You may find the area code listed as "020," however, the initial "0" is used only when you call within the United Kingdom.

Dial the telephone number of your party. The number may be six or seven digits long. Do not add any numbers to create a seven-digit number. It is not necessary. Dial the number as you see it.

Tip

If you find yourself unable to complete your call, dial "00" to obtain the assistance of an international operator.