Cell phones in Europe for teen traveler?

[Brianna]

I'm going with a student group to Europe this summer and I want to take my cell phone. My parents say it's too expensive to take a cell phone. But I think I'll need one to keep track of where people are and stuff. Does anyone know how much it costs to use an American cellphone in Europe. Or can I order a cell phone that would be cheap to use in Europe? Thanks!

[terrier1]

For calls within Europe, you could switch out the SIM card in your cell phone for one purchased in Europe at an internet cafe or hotel. (Such cards are also sold at airports, but are more expensive there and those offer fewer minutes.) These SIM cards are prepaid and allow you to make local calls at local rates. You can also rent a cell phone abroad. If you need to call home, though, you will either need an international card or something like Skype.

[travelfanatic]

You'll definitely need one of those SIM cards, or your phone won't work at all in Europe. You should expect to pay at least $100 and usually they require a pre-paid package of minutes.

[graemebenstead]

I took my lovely new iphone to Paris last month, and ended up with HUGE bill for all the data it had automatically downloaded. I have since been told that you must turn on Data roaming to avoid that...

Otherwise i mainly just sent texts which didn't come to all that much...

[finchnyc]

I didn't know about the iPhone issue, that's great to know, thanks for the tip.

[larion88]

What I know for sure is that roaming services are very expensive for all users around the world, regardless of the mobile provider they use. That's why I've chosen CallinEurope, they achieve the same effect as international roaming with a major difference – they are much cheaper.