Purchasing a cell phone at Vienna Airport?

Not sure about the availability of phones at your airport, but for the use you've described there is no need to get two phone numbers for each country you're visiting. You can buy one in your first country and keep using it in the second. You'll be roaming in the second country, but European roaming rates are bearable, especially for limited use. They are cheaper than just about every alternative.

Gary, "When we travel into Italy, the Austrian SIM card is useless" That's not true! The Austrian SIM card will work fine in Italy, but your "minutes" will be depleted faster as you'll be roaming in the other country. Another point to note - the phone number WILL change each time you change SIM cards. You might want to have a look at the "Travel Phone" firms, such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial or Mobal (there are others, but these are the ones I can remember). They can provide inexpensive phones with a European SIM (usually on a network based in the UK) which have the same number and consistent rates regardless of which country you're in. These usually operate on a "post paid" basis, with calls charged to a credit card. While the rates may be slightly higher with "Travel Phones" compared to an "in country" SIM, the post paid billing means you never run out of minutes in the middle of a call, and never have to "top up". Also, the phone is usable as soon as you step off the plane! I used one of these plans last year, and will likely use it again on my trip this year. I already have a quad-band unlocked GSM Phone, so only needed to obtain a SIM card. It worked well for me last year. Check the respective web sites of the firms listed above for full information and rates. Happy travels!

Thanks Paul, My understanding is that in Austria, I wll ave a SIM card for that country. When we travel into Italy, the Austrian SIM card is useless and we'd need and Italian SIM card. Hopefully the phne's phone number doesn't change with different SIM cards? What about a "international", multi-country SIM card?
Gary

Gary, Ken is correct. If you get a SIM card in Austria, it should work in Italy as well. Austria's phone companies apparently are Orange, 3, A1, and T-Mobile (i.e., Deutsche Telekom). I know that T-Mobile lets its customers roam in other countries. The rates are a bit more than in the native country that issued the SIM, but not a lot more. The EU caps rates that carriers can charge, so you can find out the maximum that would be charged if you look online. Other than using Skype or a calling card over a pay phone, using a local SIM, even when roaming, will give you the lowest calling rates.