Do you get upset at the outrageous surcharge most hotels add onto the phone calls made from your room?

Hotels even charge surcharges on toll-free numbers!

Here are some steps on how to avoid elaborate phone charges and save a dollar or two the next time you visit a hotel.

Some long distance phone companies offer a callback service which allows you to receive a phone call and then dial direct through your company at a rate comparable to what you are already paying for the normal long distance. If you are a frequent traveler, it is suggested that you try to negotiate hotel charges before you make them, and here is how:

when making a reservation, inquire about the hotel policy on phone charges, and make an offer to pay, for example, $10 more a night if the hotel is willing to waive access charges.

For an even better way to cut down on the charges, and if you travel with a lap top computer, try using email as opposed to using the phone. Finding a local access number to log in on is easy and most hotels offer a line in the room specifically for Internet access. By doing this, one can save between $70 and $100 in long distance phone charges!

These options won't save you all of your money, but it will cut down the surcharges and when you receive that phone bill under your door, maybe it won't be such a shock.