Keeping in touch while on vacation can be simple with preparation! (Comstock Complete)

Save on cell phone use abroad

Q: On our next trip to the United Kingdom I would like to phone Canada. How do I call Ontario from London? I was hoping maybe you could give me a few hints.

-- Jerod, Toronto

A: This is quite simple but you will need to dial the international dialing codes for Canada. If calling from your hotel you will probably have to dial "9" first to get an outside line. In London, England, the international prefix used to dial somewhere outside of the U.K is 00 followed by 1, which is the international code used to dial to Canada, followed by the area code of the city you wish to dial. For example, if you want to call Toronto, the sequence of numbers is 00 1 416 followed by the seven-digit phone number. If you need assistannce, companies like BT (btplc.com) have an online international code directory you can use.

Q: Do you have any details on gold mine tours in Timmins?

-- W. DeWitt, Scarborough

A: Around since 1990, the Timmins Underground Goldmine Tour gives visitors a chance to explore the culture and history of the now defunct Hollinger Gold Mine. The guides are retired gold miners, who start the tour by explaining about safety and the outfits worn by miners while participants don mining gear -- coveralls, hard hats and boots -- in the room known as the "Dry." After, you descend into what was once the richest gold producer in the western hemisphere for a first-hand look at the operation of a scaling bar, a slusher, a muck machine and an operating jack-leg drill. Highlights include the colourful drilling and blasting display, an underground rail ride, a mine rescue station, glass sculptures and the largest gold nugget you will ever see. Go to timminsgoldminetour.com.

ilona@mycompass.ca