Using my cellphone to call local Spanish numbers
 

I will be in Spain next week and may need my US cellphone to make a few local calls. What is the correct way to dial? My service provider (AT&T) has given me 2 different answers. My phone is a tri-band Samsung x497. I believe you use the country code (34) and then the phone number. Do you need to punch in anything before the country code?
Thanks.

There are two ways usually to make mobile phone calls while roaming to a local number....

1. Since you will be in Spain and making a Spanish call you dial the number with its lead 0 (the way numbers are usually written) or...

2. You dial either:

a. 00 followed by the Spnish country code (34) followed by the local Spanish number without the leading 0 so it's 0034 local Spanish number (but omit the lead 0)

or

b. All cell phones have the ability to dial the plus (+) symbol which always on gsm phones stands in for the international prefix so you would dial +34 followed by the Spanish number again omitting the lead 0.

BTW

To call back to North America, you would either dial 00 followed by country code (which for either the USA or Canada is 1) followed by the area code and the number so it would be 001 212 555 1212 or as noted above use the + key so it could be +1 212 555 1212

(If you have numbers listed on your phone directory, you might wish to prefix them with +, also for text messages. It always works and never hurts...even within North America.

Spain is a bit different. Phone numbers have 9 digits, and no leading zero to admit.

Let's say you need to call the US Consulate in Barcelona, for example. Phone # is: 93 280 22 27

You will ALWAYS dial the full nine-digit number from any landline phone, pay phone, or from your own mobile once it is logged in with a Spanish network. Even if you are in the same town as the number you wish to dial, you ALWAYS dial all nine digits.

If you needed to call that number from the US, you would have to dial: 011 34 93 280 2227. (spaces are just there to make it easier to read)

To save it to your mobile phone using the "+" key as described by xyz123, you would use this syntax:
+34 93 280 2227.
This is the best way to save numbers as your mobile (GSM) phone will always use the proper intl access code. Using the intl prefix while in Spain will not cause any extra costs.

If someone from Spain will give you his mobile number it will look like that: 636 765 566.
Again, no part of that number is omitted. Calling a Spanish mobile number from the US will just add the prefix:
011 34 636 765 566.
To save it to your mobile you would again use the + key:
+34 636 765 566.

This is getting boring as this question has been posted all over the internet. I have taken time to reply but the Op has not responded to one answer.

Thanks cowboy1968 & xyz123 for your help.