Cell phone bought in UK--can it be used in Europe?

It's not the SIM card that matters, it's the phone. In order for a phone to work anywhere in the world, it has to be GSM, or so called tri-band phone.
Even with a GSM phone it's needs to be unlocked to make it work with any SIM card.
I think majority of the phones in Europe are GSM, so you might not need to unlock it.
How does the UK plug look like?

1. Check the "bands" or "frequencies" under which the phone works. If its a quad band phone, you should be in good shape. Most of Europe uses the same frequencies.

2. If the phone is "locked" by the original carrier, then you either need to use that carrier's SIM card, or ask them to unlock the phone which they may do. There are also other methods to unlock a phone, but I've not tried them so I won't comment.

3. From the sound of it, you bought a "World" SIM card which presumably has reasonably decent rates for calls. The local Austrian phone company SIM card would likely have slightly better rates however, but you'll have to pay for that card, so depending on your proposed usage, you can decide which way works for you.

4. You'll need an adapter to go from the UK plug to the style used in Austria. Should be fairly simple to get either online or many local stores.

Pat, it's highly likely that the phone you bought has both of the Euro frequencies. It's not necessary to have a tri-band or quad-band phone if this will only be used in Europe (North America uses two different frequencies, so a quad-band phone is ideal for those that need cell coverage here and abroad).

The Mobile World SIM card will probably work in Europe, however you need to check the terms of service to determine if roaming charges will apply, and if so how much these will be in each country. As others mentioned, it will not be possible to use an Austrian (or other) SIM in the phone unless the handset is "unlocked".

The UK Charger will work just fine in Europe, as both areas use 220 V. electrical systems. However, a Plug Adapter (Euro style has 2 round pins) will be required. Depending on which countries he's visiting, other Plug Adpaters may be required.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

My Virgin Mobile phone I got in London worked at Munich, All over Italy and all over France. He can get the SIM easily and he can even get the charger on ebay to fit the phone.

Assuming the phone works in Europe, it has a London based number assigned to it. So will my friend be charged roaming when he makes or receives calls? Or does that depend on the SIM card? Perhaps it'd be cheaper to make his calls with a phone card, but have the cell so his family can get in touch with him. Is that a fair assessment?

Thanks.

Pat, you're correct that your SIM card is specific to the country you purchase it in - unless you buy a "world SIM" card that costs more per minute (not a good choice unless you travel worldwide often).

So if you are traveling outside that country you will be on roaming charges. In Italy we pay 12 cents a minute on our SIM's. Traveling outside of Italy, it depends on the country and can range from 65 cents to 1.75 a minute.

Ciao,
Ron

You would have to check the details about that specific SIM card, but if it is a "World" SIM card, presumably it would have the same or similarly inexpensive rates anywhere. Its likely that country specific SIM cards would have even less expensive rates, but you would have to buy each country's SIM card first.

I got the plan that charges me 6p per minute within the UK, and 12p outside the UK. Calling the US from any country is 6 p per minute.