Travelling to Europe in the fall, and would love to be able to take my cell phone with it's GPS with me.. i would assume roaming charges will probably make it too expensive, or is there a way to sub a SIM card once i'm there to use it as a "eurpoean" phone for the 5 weeks i'm there?
c.
Hi Craig - I pulled this information directly from RS's website. I also know that my cell phone carrier rents international cell phones - the prices arent' that bad. You may ask your carrier if they offer this program. Meanwhile check out the link.
Craig,
The only way to do it is to unlock your US phone. Call your provider and see if they do it. I am with Tmobile amd they unlocked my Treo 600 for free.
You're probably already aware but, just in case...remember that not all North American cell phone companies used GSM (the ones with SIM cards), the only kind that can be used in most of the rest of the world. If you've been with a particular carrier for some time, you should be able to contact them to ask them to "unlock" the phone for you, then pick up local SIM cards. If it's not unlocked, it won't work with any other SIM, and charges will be high. The GPS on those phones isn't really "GPS"...it works by triangulating off cell phone tower signals. There may be a software or hardware issue that may prevent them from being used outside your regular network. Contact your service provider....go as far up the ladder as you need to, to get an answer, since first-line responders may not know. Or maybe Andreas, Jona, Dave, Ron, or one of our other European residents may be able to comment on mobile phone GPS usage there.
craig, you didn't indicate which carrier you're with, or which handset you're using, so it's difficult to offer specific advice.
Regarding using the built-in GPS, have you verified that European maps are included?
If your phone is a quad-band GSM model and the handset is "unlocked", you can use a European SIM, however if you travel outside the country where the SIM was purchased, you'll again face roaming charges.
You might want to contact your carrier to determine what roaming options they offer and the costs. I always travel with my cell phone using roaming, but try to limit voice calls due to the cost. I normally use text to keep in touch with family back home.
Cheers!
