I'm going to Europe for 2 weeks and need to get a cell phone that will work over there. Can I buy one before

Question

I leave...that will work in Spain, France and Italy? Please direct me to the right place or website. Thanks!

Answer 1

I have t-Mobile and my phone has worked for YEARS in Europe. T-Mobile has the best rates out of all the cell phone companies in the states.

I've had 3 different phones with T-Mobile. I had a Sony Erricson (used that when I was in Italy) Then I had a Motorola 610 - Used that all last year when I was in Europe. Now I have upgraded to the Motorala Razor phone and that also works over there.

It's great! Because whenever someone calls my NYC mobile number - the don't know if I'm in NYC or Europe or Austrailia! It's great for when I'm in Europe and don't want anyone to know I'm over there. (Like my parents! They've called me while I was in Switzerland and I told them I was working on a movie set in NYC and had to go because we were about to start shooting. They were clueless and still don't know about that trip to this day!)

Also, I noticed my phone service works better over there than it does here in the states - I never have dropped calls, I swear the sound quality is better - even when people are calling me from the USA. And I NEVER, EVER had "dead zones" - 5 bars all the time! Always a strong signal - even when I was a the top of the Jungfrau in Switzerland (14,000ft) Also when I was driving through a tunnel under a mountain for several miles - I still had 5 bars of signal!!!!!!

So, if you don't already have T-mobile - switch to them - you can take your current cell phone number with you. And get one of those cool "razor" phones and you'll be all set.

It is exactly 99 cents a minute to use your phone over there - FLAT rate - no extra "roaming charges" or "airtime fees". It's 99 cents whether YOU call someone in Europe or the USA or if anyone from the USA or anywhere else in the world calls you - it's always 99 cents regardless. Which makes it easy to budget your calls.

You do NOT need to do anything special when you get to Europe. As soon as the plane lands, turn your phone on and you are ready to make and recieve phone calls just like you were in the USA. Pretty cool, huh?

Good Luck and happy travels.

P.S. VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you tell everyone you are going to Europe and remind them of the 6 hour time change - or else you might end up getting phone calls at 3 in the morning (9pm east coast time - when "free nights and weekends" kick in for people in the states) Make sure you let people what time (in the USA Time zone) they can call you until.

Answer 2

Well, I live in Germany and I am not so informed about the cellphone companies in Spain, France and Italy. If you have a multi-national (trialband) cellphone, it also might work in Europe as well as in the US & Canada. I don't know if you can rent a cellphone in these countries.
Maybe, someone from Spain, France or Italy might have an idea for you?
But, if I were you, I would buy prepaid telephone cards in these countries and make phone-calls from any other telephones there - that's much, much cheaper...and for 2 weeks without a cellphone also isn't that bad. Or, do you want to be disturbed by your boss all the time!?? ;-)))
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Edit: Maybe you can get an used cellphone at Ebay France or Ebay Spain (http://www.ebay.fr or at http://www.ebay.es or at http://www.ebay.it - Ebay in Italy). Good luck!

Answer 3

I went to France, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland for 3 weeks over the summer, with my cingular RAZR. You will have to buy a new phone if your current one isn't GSM tri- or quad band. Usually T-moblie and cingular phones will be able to work. You should check with the company and make sure that you ask them about turning on the overseas roaming, but it can get expensive... about $1.30.

Answer 4

IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE ALREADY , SEE IF ITS A QUAD BAND IF NIT GET ON FROM YOUR PROVIDER, I GOT MINE AT CINGULAR WIRELESS AND IT GOES AND WORKS WHERE EVER I GO..BEWARE OF THE MINUTES YOU USE (CAN YOU SAY SCAREY PH BILL?)