While you are on your vacation to Mexico, you may need to communicate with friends and family back home. Or, you may have forgotten to relay some important information to a colleague at work. At the very least you may need to speak to a local restaurant over the phone to make reservations or call a golf course to set up a tee time. In any event, knowing what to expect of the phone service you will find in Mexico can be very helpful.

The phone in your hotel room may be the most convenient to use, but it is probably best to avoid using it for making long distance telephone calls. Most resorts contract their long distance call service out to a second party long distance company who charges exorbitant prices. Even making local calls from your room or suite could incur a surcharge from the resort for every call. Your best bet is to use the special pay phones that are located in and around most hotels that will charge about $1 a minute. That may seem a little pricey as well, but it is much better than the alternative. Make sure that when you check in that you have the person behind the counter explain to you what the local and long distance rates are. That way, if you do decide to use the phone in your room or if you have to use it for an urgent matter, at least you won't be surprised when you get the bill at check out time.

Calling cards are a great way to call home from Mexico. Purchasing a prepaid card for the many LADA Tel or TelMex payphones that are located in many public places is easy and affordable. Prepaid phone calling cards can be purchased at small kiosks, in supermarkets, and gift shops all over Mexico. If you buy calling cards before you leave home, make sure to call the toll free customer service number located on the back of the card and they can give you the international access code for calling from Mexico to the United States. Always be mindful of what phone you use, as some may not work with a calling card or they may charge a fee (usually by taking extra minutes from your card) above and beyond what you paid for the card.

Your personal cell phone may work in Mexico and you can obtain that information by speaking to your service provider before you leave. You can also go to your service provider's website to see coverage maps of the areas in Mexico that you will get service and which areas will incur roaming charges. Of course, it all depends on your location and what kind of coverage is available, but your provider should have that information as well. If your cell phone doesn't provide that service, there are often cheap prepaid cell phones for sale once you arrive in Mexico. Good places to find those would be at the airport, your hotel's gift shop, or larger shopping areas at your destination.

Wherever you plan on going you should be able to easily and affordably keep in contact with the folks back home. The country of Mexico has kept up with the technology of communication as well as most developed nations and there won't be a major resort area that will fail to provide for you.