Cell Phone Use in Ireland

Deborah, Your AT&T Cell phone should work fine in Ireland, however you'll need to ensure that it's a quad-band model. I've encountered travellers from the U.S. in the past that had dual-band (US only) phones and couldn't understand why their phones wouldn't work in Europe. You'll also have to check that the Phone Charger is designed for "world operation" from 100-240 VAC, and if that's the case you'll also need a UK-model Plug Adapter. Check the "Input Voltage" ratings on the Charger. If you're only going to be making occasional calls and perhaps sending texts, the AT&T roaming plans that you mentioned are fairly cost effective. You could also use your phone with a SIM purchased in Ireland, however your phone would have to be unlocked for that to work. If your phone IS equipped with the two Euro frequency bands, and you decide to travel with AT&T roaming, you may have to do a "network search" when you land. Some phones will do this automatically, while others have to be "forced" to find a new network. To answer your last question, YES, AT&T Cell phones DO get decent access in Ireland (and throughout Europe) as they're operating on European networks, which are extensive. You won't be accessing AT&T towers in Ireland, but rather "roaming" on a partner network (O2, Orange, Vodaphone, etc.). You may find that your roaming network changes as you move around the country (that's been my experience). When you return home, you'll receive a nicely itemized bill form AT&T. One further question - are you using a Smartphone such as an iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, etc.??? If so, you'll have to be VERY careful to avoid expensive data roaming charges. Happy travels!

The answer to the question as to the best and/or cheapest way to go depends on your usage. Sticking with your home plan is the easiest and may be cheapest as well if your usage will be small. I'd go with your home plan if you need the phone just for emergencies or an occasional call or two. Ken is right about the data danger: Do not use your phone for data access without researching the risks first. Although calls are relatively expensive, the surprise bills for thousands and thousands of dollars are almost always the result of data usage, including usage the customer didn't even know was taking place. Follow Ken's advice. To determine for yourself if your phone has the necessary frequencies for use in Europe, go to a web site for phone information and search for the specs on your phone. I think phonescoop.com is easy to use. What you are looking for is whether your phone has the 900/1800 frequencies. In the U.S. we use 850/1900. (With 3G and 4G we actually use some more frequencies, too, but those four are the key ones for calling.)

Finally, just to be thorough, the cheapest way to call is likely with some computer-based VOIP service such as Skype or MagicJack. This approach is not the easiest, however, because it requires some additional set-up and equipment. Alternatively, you can buy a prepaid calling card from the Irish equivalent of a convenience store and call from a pay phone. Still pretty cheap. (You can buy a calling card over here, too, but it isn't as cheap, but still pretty cheap.) Finding a pay phone is a bit more of an issue, though. Buying a local SIM card (and local prepaid phone if yours lacks the right frequencies) is another fairly low cost option. For 2 weeks it may not be worth it if your current phone will work and you won't be making lots of calls. The same may be true for one of the travel phone companies, such as Mobal. One caution: You may want to forward all incoming calls to voicemail to avoid calls in the middle of the night. You may also want to do this if your incoming call volume is high and you may get lots of calls from people who don't know you are several time zones away. Incoming calls will ding you for some cost even if you let them roll over to voicemail. Your callers only pay (if at all) for a local call. In my experience with T-Mobile, my European calls don't show up on my statement for a month or two. Don't know if that is true with AT&T, but don't think you've avoided being hit for the charges until you've gotten a few months worth of bills.

I have used AT and T in both Ireland and the UK and would suggest that you leave the international plan on your phone for 90 days after you return as the roaming partners have this long to bill you.

If you'll be traveling with a laptop, iPad or iPod touch, I would use Skype. You can get some fairly inexpensive headphones with a mic to use, and as long as you have an internet connection, you can call. There are plans that you can sign up for, or if the other person has Skype as well, you can chat for free. I have also used the MagicJack in Ireland and it worked really well. I connected it through my netbook with a standard telephone set and was able to call home easily as a local call.