In the United States, an area code always has three digits: 734 is the area code for Ann Arbor, Michigan; 402 for Leigh, Nebraska; 812 for Mifflin, Indiana.
In Deutschland a Vorwahl can have different amounts of digits. For Berlin, the Vorwahl is 030; for Bebenhausen, it’s 07071; for Liebstadt, it’s 035025. A Vorwahl always begins with null.
A Telefonnummer in Deutschland can have as few as three or as many as eight digits.
In Österreich, the Vorwahl can have from one to four digits, and also begins with null.
In der Schweiz, most area codes are three digits and begin with null. There are a few longer area codes reserved for special telecommunication services, not for regular phone numbers.
In all of these cases, however, the null is omitted when dialing into the country from another country.
Telephone etiquette, while variable and changing, often dictates that the person receiving the call answer either by stating her or his name, or by saying the phone number receiving the call. This confirms to the caller that the correct number has been reached.
Let’s change topics from phone numbers to address.
If you’re looking at a written address in Österreich, in Deutschland, oder in der Schweiz, note that the building number is after the street name: Uhland-Str. 24 or Kirch-Str. 7. In the United States, the number is before the street name: 2727 Fuller Road or 1928 Packard Street.
In the United States, a ZIP (“Zoning Improvement Plan”) code is five digits, sometimes extended with an optional four-digit suffix.
In Österreich und in der Schweiz, the Postleitzahl (PLZ) is four digits; in Deutschland it’s five.
When reading or writing an address, note that the Postleitzahl is written before the name of the town or city. (In the United States, the ZIP code appears after the city and state).
Written addresses in Deutschland do not contain the name of the Bundesland, and in der Schweiz addresses don’t contain the name of the Kanton. Likewise, in Österreich, the Bundesland does not appear in the written address.
