Our local phone company here in Mexico is called TelMex. It is owned by a guy named Carlos Slim who is soooo rich, that he has nothing better to do than think up ways to make something simple (like dialing a phone number) into something difficult, confusing and quite frankly, lacking completely in common sense (see Golden Rules above). Here's your crash course... learn well and you won't keep getting that Spanish recording telling you that you screwed up!
Land Lines (yup, cell phones are different): Our local area code here in Los Cabos is "624". This includes all numbers in Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo & Los Barriles. To dial landline-to-landline within the "624" area code, you'll just need to dial the seven digit number. (ie- Dialing from my home phone to the Caligas office phone, I'd dial: 143 3800)
Long Distance Calling (from a landline): Dialing long distance from your home phone here in Los Cabos is similar to dialing long distance from your phone back home. Only difference is, you'll dial "01" instead of just "1" (ie- 01 624 143 3800). The area code for La Paz and Todos Santos is "612". Hence, if you were calling the Hotel California in Todos Santos from your home phone here in Los Cabos, you'd dial "01 612 145 0525". If you were dialing the Hotel California in Todos Santos from a land line IN Todos Santos, you'd just dial "145 0525". See? Not so hard... yet.
Calling from outside the country to a Los Cabos LANDLINE: Okay, you're back home (in Canada or the US) and want to call me here in Cabo. If you're dialing a land line (like my house, a hotel or a restaurant) you'll dial "011 52 624 XXX XXXX". The "011" is to get an overseas connection. The "52" is Mexico's country code, and the rest is just the area code and phone number.

Cellular Phones: Here comes the fun stuff! Dialing cellular to cellular is easy. To dial from cellular to cellular (regardless of the area code), just dial the area code and the seven digit number. Now try mixing in landlines and woohoo, Golden Rules here we come! If you're trying to dial a cellular phone from your landline you'll need to add "044" and "624" (the area code) to the number (ie- If you are trying to call my cellular phone from your home phone here in Los Cabos, you'll dial "044 624 157 3548").
Long Distance Calling (from landline to cellular phone): If you are trying to call long distance to a cellular phone from your landline you'll need to add "045" and the area code to the number (ie- If you are trying to call that cute girl you met in La Paz from your home phone, you'll dial "045 612 XXX XXXX).
Calling from outside the country to a Los Cabos CELLULAR PHONE: Pretty much the same as dialing a landline, except that you'll add an extra "1". Why you may ask... again, see Golden Rules above. Here's what you'll dial when trying to reach my Los Cabos cellular phone from Canada or the US "011 52 1 624 157 3548". The extra "1" when dialing fits in between the "52" (country code) and the "624" (area code). Simple right?

Toll Free Numbers: Whew, you made it to the last section... way to hang in there! Dialing US or Canadian toll free numbers isn't impossible. Why is it so frustrating then? Well, quite simply, the phone company can't get its cash out of these calls so they block the numbers. Low and behold, there IS a way! It isn't easy, but it IS possible! Next time you cheap out on a tip and the waiter uses your credit card for a lapdance (or so you told your wife)... use this prefix cheat sheet to get a hold of your credit card company to dispute the charge!
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For 800 numbers, dial "001 880", then the number
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For 866 numbers, dial "001 883", then the number
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For 877 numbers, dial "001 882", then the number
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For 888 numbers, dial "001 881", then the number
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