Cheapest Way to Call Italy from the UK
Every option compared honestly — access numbers, WhatsApp, VoIP apps and eSIMs. The right answer depends on your situation, so we cover all of them.
All Your Options at a Glance
There is no single best way to call Italy from the UK — it depends on whether both ends have internet, whether you're on a landline or mobile, and how often you call. Here is an honest comparison of every option.
| Method | Typical Cost | Needs Internet | Best For | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Free | Both ends | Regular callers with WiFi on both sides | Best if both online |
|
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Coming soon | No | UK landline callers, elderly relatives with no smartphone | 🔔 Notify me |
|
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~1–3p/min | UK end only | UK mobile callers, no app needed on other end | Best for UK mobiles |
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Free / low | Both ends | If your contact already uses the same app | Good if app matches |
|
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From £3 | For data calls | Travelling to Italy | Travel only |
|
Standard UK Mobile
EE / O2 / Vodafone — international direct dial
|
50p–£1.50/min | No | Emergency calls only | Avoid — very expensive |
💡 The most important caveat on WhatsApp: it is genuinely free — but only works if the person you are calling also has a good internet connection. For calling elderly relatives or anyone without reliable WiFi or data, you need a paid option.
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Calling from Your UK Mobile
Your standard mobile network will charge 50p–£1.50 per minute for international calls to Italy. Here are the two options that actually make sense.
Rebtel
The key advantage over WhatsApp: the person you're calling doesn't need a smartphone, internet connection, or any app. Rebtel routes your call over the internet on your end but delivers it as a normal phone call at the Italy end. Rates from around 1–3p per minute.
WhatsApp (Free — with a caveat)
Completely free if the person you're calling has WhatsApp and a reliable internet connection. That caveat matters — if they have unreliable WiFi or data, call quality suffers. Best for regular calls to people you know are online.
Used Skype to call Italy?
Microsoft shut Skype down in May 2025. The best direct replacement for calling Italy landlines and mobiles is Rebtel — same principle, no account needed. For free app-to-app calls, WhatsApp is the natural replacement.
Also Need to Send Money to Italy?
Many people calling Italy from the UK also send money home regularly. Your high street bank is typically the worst way to do it — most add a hidden margin of 3–5% on top of the exchange rate before charging a transfer fee. These two services are consistently cheaper.
Wise
Uses the real mid-market exchange rate — the same one you see on Google — with a small transparent fee shown upfront before you send. No hidden margin buried in the exchange rate. Used by over 16 million people worldwide.
Remitly
Built specifically for diaspora remittances — very popular for UK–Italy transfers. Competitive exchange rates with an on-time delivery guarantee: if your transfer is late, they refund the fee. Supports bank deposit, cash pickup and mobile wallet.
💡 Compare both before sending — rates shift daily. The cheapest for your amount this week may differ from last week.
Travelling to Italy? Avoid Roaming Charges
If you're visiting Italy, your UK SIM will cost you significantly more than you expect. EE charges up to £8.45 per day for data outside Europe — which adds up to over £59 on a week's trip just for mobile internet. An eSIM costs a fraction of that and activates before you board.
Airalo
Best for most travellers. Buy a data plan before you leave, scan a QR code, and you have local data rates the moment you land in Italy. No physical SIM swap, no queues at the airport. Plans start from around £3.
Holafly
Better for longer stays or heavy data users. Unlimited data plans mean you never worry about running out — useful if you're making lots of WhatsApp video calls home, using Google Maps constantly, or working remotely during your trip.
ℹ️ eSIMs are data-only — calls and texts still go through apps like WhatsApp. Your UK number stays active on your phone's physical SIM alongside the eSIM.
How to Dial Italy from the UK
📞 Dialling format
Dial 00 + the country code + the full local number (omitting any leading zero).
Dialling code for Italy
The dialling code for Italy is +39.
When calling Italy from the UK you must dial 0039 followed by the Italy number in full.
When using our service to make cheap calls to Italy, you need to:
- Dial the access number
- When you hear the voice prompt, dial the Italy number starting with 0039
- When you have finished inputting the number, wait to be connected.
That’s it….easy!
Best time to call Italy from UK
Depending on whether or not it’s summer, the time in Italy is 1-2 hours ahead the time in the UK (GMT +1/+2). On that basis the best time to call Italy is 8am until 7pm UK time. The whole of Italy is covered by a single time zone so you don’t need to worry about which part of Italy you are calling.
Travel Information (provided by the FCO)
Italy Area Codes
| City | Italian Dialing Codes from UK |
| Alcamo | 0039 924 |
| Alessandria | 0039 131 |
| Ancona | 0039 71 |
| Aosta | 0039 165 |
| Ascoli Piceno | 0039 736 |
| Bari | 0039 80 |
| Bergamo | 0039 35 |
| Bologna | 0039 51 |
| Bolzano | 0039 471 |
| Brescia | 0039 30 |
| Brindisi | 0039 831 |
| Brunico | 0039 474 |
| Cagliari | 0039 70 |
| Campobasso | 0039 874 |
| Caserta | 0039 823 |
| Cassino | 0039 776 |
| Catania | 0039 95 |
| Catanzaro | 0039 961 |
| Chieti | 0039 871 |
| Civitavecchia | 0039 766 |
| Como | 0039 31 |
| Cortina d Ampezzo | 0039 436 |
| Cremona | 0039 372 |
| Cuneo | 0039 171 |
| Domodossola | 0039 324 |
| Empoli | 0039 571 |
| Ferrara | 0039 532 |
| Florence | 0039 55 |
| Foggia | 0039 881 |
| Formia | 0039 771 |
| Frosinone | 0039 775 |
| Genoa | 0039 10 |
| Gorizia | 0039 481 |
| Grosseto | 0039 564 |
| Imola | 0039 542 |
| L Aquila | 0039 862 |
| La Spezia | 0039 187 |
| Lanciano | 0039 872 |
| Lecce | 0039 832 |
| Livorno | 0039 586 |
| Lucca | 0039 583 |
| Merano | 0039 473 |
| Messina | 0039 90 |
| Milan | 0039 2 |
| Modena | 0039 59 |
| Monza | 0039 39 |
| Naples | 0039 81 |
| Novara | 0039 321 |
| Novi Lígure | 0039 143 |
| Nuoro | 0039 784 |
| Orvieto | 0039 763 |
| Palermo | 0039 91 |
| Parma | 0039 521 |
| Perugia | 0039 75 |
| Pesaro | 0039 721 |
| Pescara | 0039 85 |
| Piacenza | 0039 523 |
| Pisa | 0039 50 |
| Pordenone | 0039 434 |
| Potenza | 0039 971 |
| Prato | 0039 574 |
| Rapallo | 0039 185 |
| Ravenna | 0039 544 |
| Reggio Calabria | 0039 965 |
| Reggio Emilia | 0039 522 |
| Rieti | 0039 746 |
| Rimini | 0039 541 |
| Rome | 0039 6 |
| Rovigo | 0039 425 |
| Salerno | 0039 89 |
| San Marino | 0039 549 |
| San Remo | 0039 184 |
| Sassari | 0039 79 |
| Savona | 0039 19 |
| Siena | 0039 577 |
| Siracusa | 0039 931 |
| Spoleto | 0039 743 |
| Taranto | 0039 99 |
| Teramo | 0039 861 |
| Termoli | 0039 875 |
| Terni | 0039 744 |
| Tivoli | 0039 774 |
| Trapani | 0039 923 |
| Trento | 0039 461 |
| Treviso | 0039 422 |
| Trieste | 0039 40 |
| Turin | 0039 11 |
| Udine | 0039 432 |
| Varese | 0039 332 |
| Vasto | 0039 873 |
| Vatican City | 0039 6 |
| Venice | 0039 41 |
| Verona | 0039 45 |
| Vibo Valentia | 0039 963 |
| Vicenza | 0039 444 |
| Viterbo | 0039 761 |
