Connie

I have heard you cannot use calling cards from hotels. Can anyone explain to me why not? If we go over to Europe and want to call home (the US) usinf calling cards, will we have to use a phone booth all the time?<BR><BR>Thanks for any insight you can give!

XXX

It's not too different from some of the garbage pulled in the US. The hotels make lots of money on using the phone for convenience. So they put surcharges or block access to the access numbers for the calling cards.<BR>It means you might have to go out and use a pay phone....they are banking on your laziness.<BR><BR>For example, in Las Vegas, many of the hotels have the gall to charge you $1.50 to call an 800 number from your room....<BR><BR>The solution is to use a cell phone.

lynn

Hi Connie:<BR>I always thought that I had to find a phone booth to use my calling card however this year in a bit of a hurry to call home I used my calling card from the phone in our hotel room. Not only did it go through we weren't charged at all by the hotel for the call. I was expecting at least some added charges, but there were none.<BR>After I found this out I made two further calls back to North America using my calling card and from rooms in different hotels in Spain and France. Again no charges whatsoever. All three instances couldn't have been flukes.<BR>Hope this helps.<BR>

Rex

I encountered this at Hotel Giada in Florence last fall, and it's a strong reason not to stay there - - or at least not without a cell phone. The clerk at the desk just shrugged his shoulder and said "the proprietor decided to do it this way".<BR><BR>No doubt he did!<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

maria

Maybe I was lucky , but in the 3 hotels we stayed in Spain last month we were able to use a calling card with no problem.

Maribel

Connie,<BR>My experience is exactly that of Lynn's.<BR>I recently returned from 6 wks in Spain and southwestern France and needed to make twice weekly calling card calls from my hotels. I was never charged a fee. I've found this true every yr. since I've had my calling card; never have had to pay an additional charge.

Tina

Some hotels have blocked access for the usage of 'toll free' numbers incl. calling cards. I have often called the hotel operator and asked if they could remove the blocking because I would like to use my calling card. They have always been kind enough to remove the blockings, and I have never had to pay additional charge. Maybe it is because I am a foreigner?<BR><BR>This also goes for US motels. Once I could not even book a stay at the same motel chain (800 number). I called the desk and they were so sorry, and removed the blocking at once. We were later told that they blocked all outgoing calls to sort out any misunderstandings. We later often used our calling card; sometimes we had to call the desk, sometimes not. <BR>

Sandy

In Paris, I was informed that there were 2 types of calling cards - one for use at a pay phone, and one for use in a hotel...I had no problem and no extra charges for using the phone card at all.