cheap cell phone in Europe

[amalia]

Can anyone suggest where to purchase a cheap cell phone to use while we're in Europe. Or, any information about using calling cards while there?
We just need some way to make emergency calls while on the road in Spain and Portugal...nothing more.

[Juggledude]

Amalia,

Do you have a cell phone here? It may just work there as well... I went to Europe in September of '05 and my good old trusty Nokia GSM from At&t (Cingular) worked just fine in Belgium and France. It is a "tri band" phone, which is purported to work well abroad. Just watch out for the roaming charges, at that time, $1.75/min !

Royce


Can anyone suggest where to purchase a cheap cell phone to use while we're in Europe. Or, any information about using calling cards while there?
We just need some way to make emergency calls while on the road in Spain and Portugal...nothing more.

[LADYWITHART]

If you have access to computer the best thing is SYKPE. It costs nothing to call my son in Paris. If he wants to talk to me he calls then I call him back.
I know in Paris you have to buy a phone card to even make local calls as the pay phones don't take coins. I think the cheapest is $10.00 euros and it may be similar where you are going.
Rainbows, Suzanne:hello: :2cents:

[gypsey]

According to my world-traveller friends you need to secure a cell phone esp. for european travel, so tlak to your travel agent. It's not expensive. If you're not using an agent, try google.
Can anyone suggest where to purchase a cheap cell phone to use while we're in Europe. Or, any information about using calling cards while there?
We just need some way to make emergency calls while on the road in Spain and Portugal...nothing more.

[Debujo]

You can buy a phone service in Spain, they'll sell you a little sim card you install in the phone (they'll do it for you). you need a GSM 4 channel phone and it has to be "unlocked". That way you can fit the card into your phone when you get to Spain.

You can buy an "unlocked" phone on ebay, but beware because not all sellers are honest. Read the reviews and REALLY believe the complaints. Read through all the negatives, even if they have a rating of above 90% it can be sad. The RAZR is a 4 channel phone for example. GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900. Others are Siemens a70, a75, AF51, Motorola c3, L6, W375, v557, Nokia 6600, Sony Ericsson z5201.....etc. The company we used was Movistar (most well known, located everywhere). Of course you can use this phone all over the world, including here in the USA after you return--just install the provider's sim card into your phone, even a pay as you go phone card fits in.

You can go on line and buy ahead of time in English, a phone and sim card from various companies. It's easier, costs more.

[Holly B]

If you're just looking for emergency use, you might want to purchase a phone card when you get there. I just returned from Italy where I got a card with 250 minutes for 5 euros, which was way less expensive than I expected.

[Digger]

MCI calling card works all over the world. Very cheap also.
available at costco or online. they also have the rates online if you want to compare. from ireland to us it was .17 cents a minute.
good luck.