If you have a telephone point in your accommodation you may

want to have a telephone connected for your personal use. To do

this you will have to register with a telephone company.

In the UK call charges vary. The cheapest times to use your

telephone are during evenings (6:00pm to 8:00am) and weekends,

but international call charges are cheapest between 8:00pm and

8:00am.

You may wish to discuss your call plan with your telephone company

as some may offer you special deals on international calls.

Telephone Boxes and Public Payphones

There are many public payphones across the UK and most of them

have clear visual instructions on how to use them. Calls will cost a

minimum of 40p for calls within the UK and £1 for an international  

call. Payphones will normally accept 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 coins.

Some payphones can be operated using a ‘phone card'. You can buy

these from newsagents and Post Offices which display the green  

‘phone card' symbol. Some payphones will also accept a credit or

debit card as payment for calls.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are very popular in the UK and are cheap to buy, however, they can be expensive to use. There are

two options to choose from when buying a mobile phone:

•   Pay-as-you-go: Once you have paid for the phone you are not committed to a contract you

can purchase or ‘top-up' your talk time and use it when you need to. This can help to make

budgeting easier and you won't receive a large bill at the end of the month.

• Contract: Contracts are available for 12 months and longer. If you choose a contract ensure

you check the monthly payments and call charges before you sign. With this compulsory monthly

charge you will be given some free minutes and text messages. Try not to go over this monthly

allowance as there will be an extra charge.

If you intend to use your mobile for calls overseas, check that your service provider will allow you to.

Remember it is illegal to operate your mobile phone whilst in control of a motor vehicle.

Expensive mobile phones can attract thieves. Refer to the Personal Safety section for advice on

keeping it safe.