Woyzeck

I was wondering if anyone could give some current info on getting a cellphone (handy) in Germany nowadays.

I will be staying for over a year with my wife and we find a cell phone would be very convenient for the two of us.

Do they have shared plans (where my spouse and I get a phone but share a bill)?
How much can the phone cost?
What is the most efficient way of paying for minutes?

I figure we'll mostly just call each other or friends every now and then. We'll also receive calls from the US. Do incoming calls cost money as well?

Any tips would be great!

Huitres

My sister lives in Berlin and has been there for over 8 years. She and her husband purchased their "handies" from T-mobile in downtown Berlin (near the Ku'damm). They managed to get a plan that allows us to call them from the United States as well. They paid a set fee monthly for all incoming and outgoing calls and minutes and that has always been enough. They seem to have a great deal worked out, I would just go into a local T-mobile office and see what they could do for you.

Woyzeck

Yeah, I figured that would be my plan. I just don't know how the technology/industry has changed in the past 4 years (when I was there last).

Another issue is that we are on a student budget and this might not even work out for us financially at all...

Huitres

They got a great deal on their phones...they work for a German publishing company and are on a limited budget as well (with 2 kids to boot!) so they were very pleased with their plan. Sorry I don't have more specifics re: price, but I think you will be able to get a good rate, plus there might even be a student rate of sorts.

Anne27

I live in Germany now and I have what is called a "contract" with T-mobile. The only problem for you is that contracts are intially for two years. What I would suggest is to buy a "handy" and then just buy phone cards as you need them. This way you only buy what you need each time. I dont know you situation but you might be able to just buy a handy from someone who is leaving Europe when you get there. Where I am working lots of people come and go so newcomers will just buy handys from those departing as most European phones will not work in the States. You can purchase a basic handy for about 50 euros.And you dont pay for calls you receive, only when you call out. The down side of using a cell phone to call the states as opposed to a regular phone is that it is much more expensive. I only pay 4 cents a minute to call the States from my home phone but the charge on my handy is about 50 cents ( in euro cents).