Calling hotels

[Anne_Aus]

I have to make a few phone calls to places that won't allow me to book things online.
I am wondering what methods you use to call, an international calling card, skype, some other way??

 

[Melbourne5]

Couple of suggestions.

Sometimes the chains ( Hilton etc) have a number in Australia to call an they will put you through to the USA If need be.

Depending on your home phone plan ( if you have one) my 20m or so calls to wdw reservations and a couple of LA hotels are never more than $1. So check your plan. You might be surprised how low the rates are.

 

[aussie shaz]

I just call. Normal home phone, no special deals. It's just so cheap. Maybe a couple of dollars for any phone calls I've had to make.
I had to call the Disney store to sort out problems with payments (different billing address and delivery address). It took a while with the language differences (Aussie vs American) Didn't cost much at all.
I just thought it would be easier than buying cards, working out how to contact via Skype etc.

 

[Anne_Aus]

I will try and see what the plan we have is on.
Sadly not chains I am calling its to book in my stuff for yellowstone and ask a few important questions about snowmobiling.

 

[Sugarglider]

I'm like the others - my home phone plan is so cheap it doesn't matter. merely a few cents per minute. And I don't have any special option - just the ordinary plan. Calling the USA is very cheap these days

 

[PrincessInOz]

Another vote for using the landline. Our IDD rates are really low.

 

[Anne_Aus]

Thanks everyone decided to use the parents landline, cheap for me snd hopefully for them lol
I could do without the time difference though I am meant to be on holidays

 

[zanzibar138]

Looks like you've decided now, but thought I'd add my bit in case it helps anyone else.

I NEVER get anywhere near the limit for included phone calls on my mobile cap, so I just call on my mobile. It's basically a free call And I'm only on a $30 a month cap, so it's not an expensive phone plan.

 

[Anne_Aus]

Looks like you've decided now, but thought I'd add my bit in case it helps anyone else.

I NEVER get anywhere near the limit for included phone calls on my mobile cap, so I just call on my mobile. It's basically a free call And I'm only on a $30 a month cap, so it's not an expensive phone plan.

Oh that is a good idea, I don't think i ever go near mine either. I did consider upgrading my mobile plan as there is one that includes 100 free international minutes

 

[aussietravellers]

If you know you are going to be on the phone for a while, you can dial 0018 instead of 0011 and you buy a block of 30 minutes rather than per minute. Thing is, when you get the warning beeps, you want to wrap the call up before you get to the end beeps or you will pay for another 30 minutes.

That's what I do when I know I'm going to be on the call for a while.

Just looked at the rates for this and Telstra dropped this service late last year

 

[Anne_Aus]

Luckily it turned out to be a pretty quick call, though they did say can we call you back and quickly changed their mind when I mentioned calling from Australia.
Will just have to wait for the parents phone bill to see how much it costs.

 

[DizOz]

I always use Skype. I put $15 in account years ago when I was overseas with my mobile out of action.

I also used it last trip to make my calls to DL to make dining reservations and had no problems getting through.

It costs next to nothing to make international calls. I still have most of that money still on the account.

 

[alicia1506]

i am another one for using my landline.

our phone plan is through our ISP. we have voip, so our local and national calls are free, and our international calls to the usa are only a few cents. i think the advertised rate is only a few cents per minute and our longest call cost us i think... $1.05.

but it didn't even reflect on the bill, as we have a certain amount of 'included call value' on our plan, i actually had to go into the bill's itemised listing to find out how much it cost us...

i think you will be fine. it's not like calling from a hotel where rates are like $10/min, most home phone or mobile plans have rates based around cents, not dollars, per minute.

good luck