Tips and Tricks for Using the Telephone in Baja California Sur
Click on an Item in the Index Below, or just Scroll Down to Review All the Tips…
Dialing FROM Mexico
Dialing U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico (800, 888, 877, 866)
Dialing from Mexico to the U.S. or Canada
Dialing Summary – Calling To and From Mexico
Properly Programming U.S. and Mexico numbers in your Cell Phone
Dialing TO Mexico
Dialing to Mexico Land Lines from the U.S. or Canada
Dialing to Mexican Cell Phones from the U.S. or Canada
Dialing Summary – Calling To and From Mexico
Properly Programming U.S. and Mexico numbers in your Cell Phone
Dialing WITHIN Mexico
Dialing Prefixes – Local, Long Distance, International, and Cell Phone
Cutting Communication Costs
U.S. and Canadian Calling Cards – Mexican Access Phone Numbers
Mexican Calling Cards and Pay Phones
U.S. Cell Phone Plans
Mexico Cell Phone Plans
Internet Telephone (Skype, MS Messenger, Yahoo, etc)
Important Phone Numbers for La Ventana and El Sargento (Near La Paz)
- 911 – EMERGENCY in Baja California Sur, Mexico
- 114-4015 – Police & Ambulance – El Sargento, La Ventana, Los Planes
- 114-0252 – Medical Clinic El Sargento (9am to 2pm Mon-Sat)
Customer Service and Other Communication Numbers
- 050 – Telmex Repair
- 090 – Telmex International Long Distance Customer Service
- 01-800-123-2222 – Telmex Infinitum – Internet Support – (ask for English)
- +1-916-843-4685 – AT&T Wireless International Support
Dialing U.S. 800 Numbers from Mexico (800, 888, 877, 866)
Mexico has its own series of 800 numbers, so in order to make dialing U.S. numbers possible, they came up with a simple system. Simple – once you know the secret…
To dial a United States 800 number FROM Mexico, replace the 800 prefix with the prefix shown below:
- 800 numbers Dial 001-880-then the number
- 866 numbers Dial 001-883-then the number
- 877 numbers Dial 001-882-then the number
- 888 numbers Dial 001-881-then the number
For example, to call Wells Fargo’s customer service FROM Mexico we change the number from 1-800-869-3557 to 001-880-869-3557.
Dialing from Mexico to the United States or Canada
To dial International Calls from Mexico
- Dial 00 & Country Code & Prefix & Phone Number.The Country Code for the United States and Canada is 1
- For example, to dial AT&T Wireless International Support dial 00-1-916-843-4685
- If you are using a cell phone, you can replace the 00 with a + sign. So dial +1-916-843-4685.
- Mexican International Operator assistance can be reached by dialing 090
Dialing to Mexico Land Lines from the U.S. or Canada
- The Country Code for Mexico is 52. To dial Mexico you follow the normal international dialing procedures.
- International Code 011 and Country Code 52 and- Prefix and Phone Number. For example, to dial Baja Joes Hotel, you would dial 011-52-612-114-0001.
- And if you are calling from a cell phone, you could replace the 011 with the + Sign, so dialing Baja Joe’s Hotel would be +52-612-114-0001
Dialing to Mexican Cell Phones from the U.S. or Canada
- Cell phones work a bit differently in Mexico. The person calling the cell phone pays a surcharge, while the person receiving the call on their cell phone pays nothing for the call… no air time, no plan minutes – nothing.
- In order to let you know that you are calling a Mexican cell phone (and that you will be paying a premium), you must dial an extra digit when calling. You dial the digit 1 after the country code, and before the prefix.
- For example, to call The Paperchase’s cell phone number, you would dial 011-52-1-612-157-7285
Dialing Summary – Calling To and From Mexico
- Dial from Mexico Landline to U.S. or Canada – 00 & 1 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number
- Dial from Mexico Cellphone to U.S. or Canada – +1 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number
- Dial from U.S. to Mexican Land Line – 011 & 52 & Area Code & Phone Number
- Dial from U.S. to Mexican Cell Phone – 011 & 52 & 1 & Area Code & Phone Number
- Dial from U.S. Cell Phone to Mexican Land Line – +52 & Area Code & Phone Number
- Dial from U.S. Cell Phone to Mexican Cell Phone – +52 & 1 & Area Code & Phone Number
| Properly Programming U.S. and Mexico numbers in your Cell Phone | ||
| If you frequently travel internationally, this little trick will save you much time and frustration.
When programming numbers into your phone for U.S. or Canadian contacts, The + sign replaces the international dialing codes of 011 in the U.S. and 00 in Mexico So to program Sol y Mar’s phone numbers you would program |
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| Dialing Within Mexico – Dialing Prefixes | ||
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7 Digit Phone Number Only
01 & Area Code & 7 Digit Phone Number 044 & Area Code & Phone Number 00 & Country Code & Area Code & Phone Number |
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| Mexican Access Numbers for U.S. and Canadian Calling Card, Credit Card, and Collect Calls |
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01-800-288-2872 01-800-021-8000 01-800-123-0200 |
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| Mexican Calling Cards and Payphones | ||
| Telmex has a Prepaid Calling Card named Telcard that can be used from Landlines and Pay Phones. The cards can be purchased in various denominations and the rates start at $2.0 pesos (about 20 cents) per minute for calls to the U.S. and Canada $0.5 pesos (about 5 cents) for calls within Mexico. If you purchase larger denomination cards, you get additional free minutes, further reducing the cost. |
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| U.S. Cell Phone Plans | ||
| Most of the major provider phones work here in Baja. Mexico is going to a full GSM network, and all new towers are GSM only, so Verizon’s coverage has become spotty. If you plan on using Verizon, be sure to get one of their multi band world phones. AT&T’s GSM phones work perfectly on the Mexican system. Nextel has been deploying their system in Baja California Sur as well. The majority of the cell towers in Mexico are owned by Telcel. Telcel’s network is 1900 Mhz for GSM and 850 Mhz for 3G.
Many providers turn off International Roaming by default. Before you leave the U.S. or Canada, be sure and call your cell phone provider to let them know that you will be traveling to Baja California Sur, Mexico. Also, be sure to ask about their international dialing plans. AT&T Wireless Mexico Plan – $4.99 per month Data Roaming can be very expensive. Be sure to Turn Off your Data Roaming capabilities unless you have an International Data Plan. |
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| Mexican Cell Phone Plans | ||
| The major cell phone provider is Telcel. There are also plans available from Movistar and Nextel. Telcel’s network is 1900 Mhz for GSM and 850 Mhz for 3G.There are special low-cost plans for Mexican Residents, including foreigners that hold valid FM2 and FM3 documents.Probably the least expensive option is Prepaid Cell service. You can purchase a phone for around $40 or bring down your unlocked GSM phone. Then your purchase minutes via a card and you are set to go. Super Convenient – You can purchase additional minutes at many of the local Mini Supers. |
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| Internet Phone (Skype, Yahoo Messenger, etc) | ||
| If you have a computer and internet access you can make FREE internet calls to any friends and family that have computer. All you need is a headset and one of the many internet telephony products.
The most popular one is Skype – and many of us use it here in La Ventana. You can also use Skype to call regular phones by purchasing some credit. The cost is extremely low, and the sound quality is generally pretty good – but depends on the quality of your internet connection. Skype is a free download and runs on most operating systems. |
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