Vancouver Telephone Information

Calling Vancouver from the United States is easy. It’s just like calling any American city. Just dial 1 + the area code + the phone number. Vancouver’s area code is 604. Thus, to reach BCPassport from the US, just dial 1-604-990-9299.

The international calling code for Canada, like the US, is 1, so you can call Canada from anywhere in the world. And 800 numbers work the same way as well. So you can also call BCPassport by dialing 1-800-913-9207.

All Vancouver numbers are 10 digits even when you’re making a local call. You use both the area code and the number. For example, to reach BCPassport even when you’re in Vancouver and calling from a Vancouver phone, dial 604-990-9299

If you’re looking for the phone number of a person or business in Vancouver or any other city in Canada, use Canada 411

To use a pay phone, dial the number you want, then insert 50 cents. Before using a pay phone, which are getting harder and harder to find, you may want to ask a nearby business if it has a courtesy phone. Many Vancouver businesses have courtesy phones that allow you to make free local calls.

Purchasing a prepaid phone card is another option, and it can be used from a pay phone or from a hotel phone.

Using Your Cell Phone in Canada

If you are planning to bring your cell phone to Canada, check with your provider before you leave home to get long distance calling rates between your home country and Canada. Some cell phone providers don’t let you make international calls without first enabling that feature on your phone.

You may also want to inquire about rates. Many cell phone companies will give you a good international calling rate if you purchase a plan for that country. It’s a good idea to purchase the plan before you leave and then remove it once you get back home.

If you don’t bring a cell phone, you can always purchase a phone card at a convenience store. Most stores carry a lot of different cards. Look for phone cards without a connection fee.

If most of your calls will go to a certain country, ask the merchant who sells you the card which one is best for your particular country.

Cell/Mobile Phone Rentals

Canada Wide Communications
399 Mountain Hwy.
North Vancouver, BC V7J 2K9
604-980-9071
Canada Wide Communications rents cellular phones, wireless internet sticks, satellite phones and pre / post paid SIM cards. They deliver to anywhere in Metro Vancouver for free.

cita
1-888-593-2482
cita provides rentals with long talk batteries and offers a variety of brands.

You may also want to check with your local cell phone provider to see if your phone will work in Vancouver or if it can be made to work.