Cell Phone

Susan, as the previous reply mentioned, your phone must be a quad-band model in order to operate in Europe. That means that it has both the two North American frequencies as well as the two European (and rest of the world) frequencies. If you plan on using it with SIM cards OTHER THAN T-Mobile, then the phone MUST be unlocked. It would be prudent to also check the Charger for the Phone to ensure it's designed for "world operation". The best place to start would be to check the specifications on your phone and then speak with the staff at T-Mobile. AFAIK, they have international roaming plans that will reduce your costs. If you're only planning on using the phone occasionally or for "emergencies", that's a reasonable option. Using text messaging is the least expensive way to keep in touch with family and friends back home. ONE IMPORTANT CAVEAT - if you DO decide to roam with your regular number, it's IMPORTANT to tell your friends and family that you'll be traveling and therefore they should minimize calls to you as they'll be expensive. Also (and perhaps more importantly) for those that do have to call you, tell them to CHECK THE TIME!!! There's nothing more annoying than being awakened at 3 AM by some moron that forgot to look at a clock and do a few simple mental calculations on the time difference. One way to avoid that situation would be to use a SIM from one of the travel phone firms, as that would give you a different number (often it will be a UK-based number). Anyone calling you would have to dial long distance, although sending texts won't be a problem. Have a look at Roam Simple, Call In Europe, Cellular Abroad, Telestial or Mobal for details. Happy Travels!

Assuming your cell phone is locked and you are in a contract with T-Mobile, you should look into the cost of using it with your current T-Mobile calling plan. Calls from Paris can easily cost a dollar a minute or more, even with a special international calling plan from your cell phone carrier. And, if yours is a smartphone that does email, Internet etc., it can be very expensive to use those features in Europe. If you really feel you need a cell phone and anticipate making a lot of calls, a better alternative would be rent a cheap phone at a phone store in Paris.

First of all, is it quad-band? It needs to be. Secondly, is it currently in use (ie, have a SIM card in use - in a contract)? Is it unlocked? How often are you planning on using it - often, or really just as an emergency contact phone and for calling hotels?

Definitely check with T-Mobile. I had an international option added to my plan a couple of years ago and used it while traveling through Germany, Italy, Cypress and Ireland (before moving to Germany) and the rates were reasonable.