Cell Phone Options in Europe

[jolinar of malkshor]

My wife and I will be in Europe for 3 weeks this summer. England, France and Italy. Does anyone know about getting a sim card over in Europe on a Euro plan so I am not charged 1.5 billion dollars to make a phone call and a few internet searches on my iphone?

What are the prices? Does it include data?

Any help would be great.

[4X4]

1. Buy a phone in Europe (they're all unlocked)(you can even use it here in NA with any company that uses sim cards)
2. Buy a new sim card in each country you go to and reload it as necessary (accomplished at most convenience stores)
3. Use internet cafes for internet (very cheap)
4. Buy international phone cards and use the phone booths at internet cafes to call home

[Canada 02]

bought one (a SIM card) at LHR and another at a TESCOs in Bristol. Same thing at Athens airport. Cheap for calling within that country (Cost about 10 cents per minute); i used a long distance calling card for calling North America (cost pennies per minute plus the cell phone minutes used). Don't know about data

[3 Justin 3]

I bought one in France and used it for the rest of me Eurotrip, they're super cheap and unlocked.

[Berger_4_]

Yeah, I bought a cheap Motorola for I think about 40 bucks...then about the same, maybe less for an international calling card. It was a little tricky trying to figure out German instructions on the phone though haha.

[Daradon]

Yeah, I was going to say get the phone in Europe too. Cheaper with more options for price and billing and such.

Only if your a constant world traveler would you want to get a World Blackberry here or the equivalent from other brands.

[frege64]

Why would you suggest he buy a phone in Europe? You can easily find an unlocked quad-band GSM here for $50 or less. Buy a sim card when you arrive and bob's your uncle. You might even consider getting your iPhone unlocked- this is an incredibly more complicated process than, say, unlocked a Motorola (alien sim card, 4 digit unlock code you can get online for $10 or less, and boom, unlocked phone), but it's cheaper than a a new phone.

I have no idea about data but would suggest you save it for hotspots with your iPhone. There are TONS of cybercafes in European cities. TONS.