International phone calls have always been expensive. If you are making calls to France from the US for business or personal purposes, make sure you are aware of the international calling rates.
Calling rates can be different for landline phone numbers and mobile phone numbers, depending on your local telephone service provider.
However, frequent phone calls to France phone numbers can get very expensive quickly. The best solution to reduce your phone bills is a virtual phone number.
Virtual phone number providers offer virtual US phone numbers that look exactly like your regular phone numbers but are far more cost-effective.
In this article, we will learn how to call France from the US using a virtual cloud phone system at a very affordable rate.
Table of Contents
Types of Phone Numbers in France
Before learning about how to call France from the US, first, you need to know about the France phone number. There are different types of virtual phone numbers in use in France. Let’s have a look at them.
1. Mobile Phone Number
Virtual mobile phone numbers are a series of numbers that looks like a regular phone number. Generally, a mobile number is something that you can carry in your pocket all the time.
A virtual mobile number gives people the impression that they are calling you on their personal mobile phone.
2. Toll-free Phone Number
Virtual toll-free phone numbers start with toll-free codes such as 800 and 888 for the US. Toll-free codes are different for different countries. Toll-free numbers are free of cost.
The caller’s costs are taken care of by the recipient themselves. Many businesses use toll-free numbers to improve their chances of converting prospects to make sales.
3. Local Number
If you are looking to create a local presence in a particular local area of France, then a virtual local phone number will do the job. There are unique area codes for different cities in France. These phone numbers are tied only to that specific region so they are also known as geographic phone numbers.
4. National Number
Anyone can call national phone numbers at a local rate from any region within the country. This number is not tied to any particular area, unlike local phone numbers. They are also known as non-geographic phone numbers.
Phone number structure in France
A phone number isn’t just a random series of numbers. It has a proper structure for making the phone call to the right phone and the right person.
US Exit Code
If you are trying to call France from the USA, you will need to dial the US Exit code for international calling. The US exit code is 011. While calling from a mobile device, you can use + sign instead of 011.
Country Code
The country code is unique for every country. It indicates that you are dialing the phone number for a specific country. The country code for France is 33. It will let the phone service carrier know that you are making a call to France from the US.
Area Code
Every country has different area codes for each city or state depending upon their countries geographical division. Generally, the area consists of 1 digit to 3 digits in France. You will find an area code starting with 0, but you can ignore the 0 while dialing from the US. Here is a list of area codes in France.
| Location | Area Code |
| Alsace | (0)369 |
| Auvergne | (0)463 |
| Basse Normandie | (0)250 |
| Bourgogne | (0)345 |
| Bretagne | (0)290 |
| Northeast France | (0)3 |
| Northwest France | (0)2 |
| Picardie | (0)360 |
| Poitou Charente | (0)516 |
| Southwest France | (0)5 |
Phone Number
The French phone number consists of 9 digits. The subscriber’s number is followed by the area code of France. Generally, the format of a French phone number is (0)y xx xx xx xx for one digit area code.
How to make a phone call to France from the USA?
Let’s take a phone number. For example, 011-33-1-12-34-56-78.
To make a phone call to this number,
First, dial the US exit code, i.e., 011.
Secondly, dial the country code for France, i.e., 33.
Thirdly, dial the area code you are calling. In this case, you are calling Paris. So, you have to dial the area code for Paris, i.e., 1.
Finally, dial the subscriber’s number of the France phone number that is unique for each user. Here 12-34-56-78 is the phone number.
Phone Call Etiquette in France: Dos and Don’ts
You need to take some important things into account while making a phone call. French people always expect etiquette when getting a phone call. If you are calling from the US, then you need to follow some of the following phone call etiquettes while calling France phone numbers.
- There is a time difference between the USA and France. You need to consider the time you are making a call to make sure you are calling at the right time. You need to avoid calling during night or sleeping hours.
- It is necessary to use salutation during your phone conversation. For example, you need to use salutation before introducing yourself to the call recipient.
- French people love and value having a proper discussion during a conversation. Try to discuss analytical scenarios for business calls.
- Avoid talking about personal information during a business phone call. Make sure your conversation sounds professional and to the point.
- French people are interested in callers who try talking in the French language. Try to learn some French terms and phrases to build trust and show respect.
Popular greetings and salutations to use while making a phone call in France
While making a phone call, you have to greet people formally and in a respectful voice. French people value those calls and callers that use French salutations. Here are some popular salutations that you can use during your phone call to France.
| French | English |
| Bonjour / Âllo | Hello |
| Bonsoir | Good evening / Hello |
| Coucou! | Hey there! |
| Ça va? | How are you? |
| Tu vas bien? | Have you been well? |
| Quoi de neuf? | What’s up? |
| Puis-je parler à [name]? | May I please speak to [name]? |
| Ne quitte pas | Please hold |
| Pouvez-vous répéter cela? | Can you repeat that? |
| Au revoir | Goodbye |
| Ciao | See ya! |
| À plus! | Later |
Challenges while calling from the United States to France
First thing, international calling always has various challenges. Mainly due to their long distances. Here are some of the frustrating challenges while calling from the United States to France.
1. Call Quality Issues
One of the main problems of phone calls is the loss of call quality. Phone calls suffer from connection drops, bad signals, noise breaking, etc. It causes inconvenience during phone calls. The signal for long-distance calling needs to travel a long way which is a real problem.
2. High Calling Charges
Generally, phone call charges are high, but international calling charges are way higher. The US telephone service providers have international calling charges for calling France. When you dial the country code for France, it triggers the charges for every minute of the call.
3. Security
International calling has security loopholes. The calls between caller and recipient can be tapped and listened to by a third party which violates privacy. The phone calls can also be disconnected without the knowledge of the caller.
Are phone calls from the United States to France expensive?
Yes, the phone call rates from the United States to France are expensive. The international calling rates depend upon which phone carriers you are using.
Also, it depends upon the phone number that you are calling. The call rates for landline phone numbers and mobile phone numbers are different.
Easy and cheap way to make calls to France from the US
Traditional phone service providers have always been expensive. People are always looking at the clock while making the calls. But things are now different thanks to cloud-based phone systems.
Cloud-based phone systems use internet technology to make phone calls using a softphone. The call rates are very cheap because it uses cloud technology rather than telephone towers. These call rates are even cheaper than calling a local phone number within the country.
On top of cheaper call rates, international calling charges are totally eliminated while making calls from virtual France phone numbers.
Also, cloud-based phone systems eliminate the need for additional physical hardware that you require while setting up the traditional phone systems. You can use your existing devices like smartphones or computers to easily make phone calls.
Essential features you need to have on your business phone while making international calls
Business phone systems are popular because of their incredible features. These features make systems make better international calls with better proficiency and strategy. Here are some of the essential features you need to have in your phone systems.
1. Virtual international calls (international number appearing as a local number on their device)
The best thing about virtual phone numbers is that you can get phone numbers from any country you want from another country.
For example, you can get a French phone number from the US. This way, when you make calls from the US, the phone in France will display a French number that creates a local presence.
Making a local presence is important for businesses of all types. It improves the chances of attracting more local people into the business as potential customers.
2. Call recording
The option to record a spoken discussion over an audio source is referred to as call recording. Active calls can be recorded and saved as a digital file that can subsequently be transcribed or listened to. Phone recording and voice logging are other terms for call recording.
The type of call recording solution that would work best for you depends on your business demands. You can’t legally record a call without informing the other people on the line. The agent or employee can either start the recording automatically or manually.
3. Call Forwarding
Call forwarding is a powerful feature that allows you to divert or forward incoming calls to another phone number. It’s a regular practice to forward calls from an office phone to a user’s mobile phone, home phone, or a colleague’s number.
Call forwarding has always been a telephone feature, but technological innovations have increased the intricacy and complexity of call forwarding possibilities. Many cloud-based phone systems now allow you to create many rules for how calls are redirected.
4. Call Transfer
A call transfer occurs when an incoming call is sent to another phone in your company’s system. If someone calls your office and the receptionist answers, he or she will direct the caller to the proper department for assistance in resolving their problem.
In most cases, this is accomplished by the use of a call transfer button on the IP phone or a dedicated button in an app. Call transfer is available on all of the best cloud-based phone systems.
5. Call Routing
Call routing is a call management approach that prioritizes and assigns inbound calls according to a set of predetermined rules and parameters. It’s also known as an ACD system (Automatic Call Distribution system).
Call routing can assist your company’s phone system or call center in a variety of ways. It can cut down on wait times and ensure that your customers’ issues are resolved quickly and effectively. It can also improve the productivity and efficiency of your agents by optimizing workflow procedures.
6. Customized greeting
Customer phone greetings are the pre-recorded messages that play automatically when a customer calls your phone number.
When these types of messages are played, you can control the time and conditions. You can arrange it to answer all calls or just the away message when you’re not available.
Custom messages can be set in a variety of methods depending on whatever telephony you use. You may set it up by either uploading a pre-recorded audio clip or providing text inputs that the telephony will transform into voice.
Personalized greeting messages can save you time and effort when communicating with consumers. It also eliminates the requirement for dedicated staff solely to take calls and give information.
7. Voicemail
Voicemail is a stored voice message that is recorded if the recipient does not receive the call or is unavailable. The caller can record the message using their phone, and the recipient can hear the message using their phone, laptop, or another communication device.
Voicemail assists the recipient in knowing the purpose of the call and giving a callback. Some business phone systems enable users to download voicemails for future reference. Call centers use voicemail to eliminate on-hold phone calls.
Read also: Top Call Center Tools to Increase Agent Efficiency
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