My phone won't work in europe.

[Bulls Beers]

I'm heading to Germany next month and my CDMA phone won't work over there. I guess there gonna send me a blackberry tour for the trip. The rates are ridiculous. What do you guys do? Do you just use a phone card over there or is there a way to get around these friggin rates? I knew I shouldn't have changed from an Iphone to an Incredible.

Texting rates are .50 to send and .5 to receive.

 

[Yooper]

Sorry to ask a stupid(?) question, but do you NEED a cellphone in Europe? I dunno, I guess I'm too old to appreciate the need for a phone that works everywhere, all the time. We have a cottage (right here in the US) where NO cellphone works, and we don't have cellphones anyway.

We manage to live ok, and travel widely throughout the Bahamas, Belize, the Carribean, Mexico, Alaska and the rest of the US. I lived in Europe (Germany, actually) for a few years. My family knew how to get a hold of me in emergencies, and I was able to check in occasionally.

I've never had to be yanked out of a tour of a cathedral due to a state emergency, and I've managed without a cellphone. Sometimes vacations are better if you can actually be on vacation.

 

[rrmiller]

I'm in the process of getting set up for 4 months in Switzerland, I've found the rates very widely, keep shopping. Apparently you can also rent a phone for short term trips right out of the airport. Let us know what you turn up!

Check this out too, might be helpful

 

[XXguy]

You could get an unlocked GSM phone off Ebay, and then just buy a local SIM card once you get to Germany. You can call anyone back here in the US who needs to contact you and give them your "vacation number".

Enjoy yourself.

 

[Bulls Beers]

Naw, it's cool yoop, but I'm heading over there without my family..My wife would like to be able to contact her drunkin husband once in a while..I also need to be somewhat available to some of my bigger acct's if there are any issues..Not that I'd be able to do much..

 

[lowlife]

I use skype from my computer and buy time so i can call regular phones. Its dirt cheap.

 

[BeerWars]

How do I get a job that will pay me to live in Europe? That sounds like a dream.

 

[TxBrew]

No clue what to do, but have fun in Germany!

 

[Randar]

As mentioned you can get a GSM or UMTS phone on ebay and then get a temporary SIM card when you're over there, or you can just rent one while you're over there. You can find these "rentals" at kiosks at the airport when you arrive. If you are gonna be drunken, you may want to go the route of an E-bay phone with a prepaid SIM so you won't owe a bunch of charges if you lose it or drop it in a boot of beer.