can I use my iphone in switzerland and germany as a gps device - without downloading anything extra? plus, what about using it as a phone or for email/ internet?
joanne,
You might want to do a Search on the HelpLine, as this topic has been discussed quite often lately.
To summarize briefly, your I-Phone will work in Europe however be very careful with data roaming uses such as E-mail and internet as they are VERY EXPENSIVE. You might want to check with AT&T regarding the current roaming rates for both voice and data, and the costs for their "world roaming" package (I can't remember the the exact name of the package) which reduces the costs slightly.
The AT&T rates for voice calls should be listed on their website. As I recall, voice calls "in country" are billed at about $1 / minute, calls back to North America are about $2 / minute and incoming calls about $2 / minute (as these are routed from North America).
Cheers!
thanks so much . as soon as I posted my question I found all the previous conversations on the travelers helpline. So sorry