Cell phones

kat, It would help to know whether you currently have a Cell phone, and if so which network you're with. Also, are you planning to use this sparingly or on a regular basis and which countries will you be travelling in? If you want something that's "ready to go" when you step off the plane, you might have a look at the "travel phone" firms such as Roam Simple, Call In Europe, Cellular Abroad, Telestial or Mobal". They can provide Cell phones (or a SIM card for those with a Euro compatible phone), with consistent rates in various countries usually on a "post paid" basis with calls charged to a credit card. If you could provide more information, it would be easier to offer more specific advice. Cheers!

Thanks, Ken. I have a bottom of the line cell phone through AT&T, but would upgrade if I need to. I do not plan on using it frequently and only in the countries I'll be in (France, Italy, Germany). I don't anticipate calling the USA unless there is an emergency. Are these phone companies you speak of located in airports or nearby? I've thought about getting an iPhone, so I'd have a GPS and a computer to make contact w/ hotels and airlines. Any info you have would be appreciated.

Data usage, like for the GPS and computer functions you mention, can be very costly abroad. Be very sure that you understand your carrier's charges for such before your trip.

kat, The "travel phone" firms I mentioned are web-based, but delivery is usually very quick. Since you're already using AT&T, the easiest and simplest option would be to perhaps upgrade your phone. You'll need a quad-band model for travel in Europe. Make sure you verify that, as I've encountered travellers from the U.S. who were perplexed that their phones wouldn't work in Europe. After all, the AT&T CS rep. told them it was a "GSM phone" and therefore it would work just fine in Europe. What the ignorant CS rep. failed to do was check which frequency bands the phone was equipped with! That will allow basic voice and text functions. It' NOT a good idea to buy an iPhone in order to have internet capabilities in Europe!!! You might want to read my other thread in this section about "travelling with Smart Phones". Data roaming is horrendously expensive! Given your anticipated and limited uses, I'd suggest getting a basic phone, along with voice & text travel pack with AT&T. I believe you can cancel the travel pack when you return home. Voice calls will be about 99¢ a minute (probably both incoming and outgoing) and sent texts very cheap (I didn't check on the cost). Received texts are usually FREE. Check with AT&T for the details. Are you travelling with a Netbook? That will allow computer use at locations that have Wi-Fi. For very limited use, you could also use an iPod Touch. They work reasonably well but the small screen and keyboard are a bit awkward for heavy use. Cheers!

A slight modification to Ken's advice: It does make sense to use a smartphone for Internet access in Europe IF (and this is a big IF) you use it on wifi only and disable its connection over the phone system. Disabling the phone's data connection can be done, but if you don't do it correctly, you may find a big bill waiting for you when you return home. You need to know what you are doing and on some phones it isn't always clear how to disable it. (Instructions on how to do that on an iPhone are in previous posts here.) If you buy a prepaid SIM in Europe, there are somewhat reasonable data packages you can purchase that are way more affordable than roaming on your U.S. carrier's account. I have found them in the U.K. and plan to purchase one on my next trip. (Do an Internet search to get to the foreign cell phone companies sites and you can see for yourself.) If you use your own phone, however, the phone must be unlocked. For an iPhone, that means it has to be "jailbroken," which involves another step beyond simply having it unlocked. As to where to buy phones, I probably wouldn't buy one at the airport. There are stores that sell them elsewhere with lower prices. You can buy them in shops that specialize in phones only or in some instances grocery stores or convenience stores sell them.

Kat, I have an unlocked "dumb" phone and AT&T is my carrier. When I went to Italy last year I bought a SIM card. The first problem I had was that the prompts were in Italian, so I couldn't figure out how to make a call. I eventually got someone to listen to the prompts and then instruct me on how the use the phone. Problem #2 - When I arrived in Germany I discovered the Italian chip wouldn't work. I had to buy one in Germany. I received a text, and discovered I couldn't text back. :-( I bought both chips at phone stores at train stations. For what I paid and how much I used my phone I think I would have spent less money just using my AT&T number. For my next trip (Spain/France) I haven't decided whether I will buy a card before I go that will work in any country, or just use my AT&T phone. I may get an Iphone before then, but I don't know if I would take it with me. I do have an iPod Touch, so I can have podcasts, etc. on that.