International Cell Phones

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We often need to split up and then get back together during the day in order to accommodate naps, different needs of the kids, different interests, etc. It’s also reassuring to have a cell phone for emergency situations. Cell phones make this easy to do, but it can be expensive to use your home plan abroad.

One option is to rent a cell phone in your destination (typically at the airport). This saves money, and is easy to arrange, but you’ll need to return it before you go.

A second option is to have your cell phone unlocked before you go. Contact your cell phone service provider for information about unlocking your phone (or check out the references below) You can verify that your phone has been unlocked properly by popping in a friend's SIM card.

Once your phone is unlocked, you can purchase a new SIM card online or upon arrival at your destination. The seller will help you replace your existing card and tell you your new phone number.

In Europe, we've generally found that Vodaphone shops offer a reasonable (but not always the best) deal, have lots of locations, usually have well trained staff, and tend to offer easy ways to add money once the initial value of the card is used up. Rules and regulations governing local simm card purchase vary from country to country as do rates and services. In some countries, you will need a passport and are required to fill out government paperwork to get a simm card while in others only a credit card or cash is required. Typically you purchase a card with some dollar credit on it and have several different calling plan options, which the sales person will explain to you.

References:

Consumerist: How To Find the Cheapest Roaming Solution while Abroad
SlowTrav: Cell Phones in Europe