I am traveling to Ireland in August and will be going to Russia with a group of students in September. The Ireland trip is just for fun, but we are renting a car so as a nervous American I immediately think of cell phones.
My co-chaperone and I were thinking of renting a mobile phone while in Russia, so that in case of emergency we could contact parents, authorities, what have you. The one issue with this is that we won't be able to tell parents the phone number in advance.
Has anyone used a mobile phone in both of these countries? Would the same SIM card work in both? Are the systems at least similar? Would it be adventageous to buy a phone before the Ireland trip- or is it not worth it? Is it better to buy a phone there?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

We purchased a Vodafone (at their store) on Grafton Street. This worked very well. You can topoff or add minutes just about anywhere. Since we purchased a phone we have used it on previous trips to Ireland. Our daugher from her computer in the states could text message us at no charge.
I am not sure about Russia. Ask the Vodafone folks or go to their website. Maybe you just need another SIM card.
Hope this helped.

I bought a Mobal $49 phone...I just looked at the site and it looks like it would also work for you..check it out and/or call them...
www.mobal.com

We give all of our full-service clients visiting Russia a local cell phone; it is very convenient should you be lost (you can call your hotel or host) or if you are unable to find a particular place you are looking for (many of the small museums, for instance, don’t have clearly marked entrances).

If you get an “unlocked” cell phone in Ireland, it will work with the major networks in Russia (“locked” means that it could only be used on one provider’s network-unlocked phones cost more, but are worth the difference in price should you be using it in more than one country). It is probably not worth using the same SIM card in Ireland as you would in Russia, as the calling rates would be very high (local Russian SIMs will be from $.10-.40/minute, foreign $.99-9.99/minute). Companies such as Mobal provide a useful service in allowing ease of use across borders, although their pricing is often very high.

Note that you might have some difficulty getting a SIM card on your own in Russia. Many providers will not sell a Russian SIM card to a non-resident-you might want to ask one of your Russian guides for assistance.

The Travel Insider presents a clearly articulated explanation of various international cell phone options:

http://www.thetravelinsider.com/info...adwarriors.htm

Thanks for the responses! From what I can tell, Vodafone isn't in Russia yet, but I will check with my friends before I go. According to the Mobal website, they may be better, but once again, I will run it by "my Russians"! (They, of course, just want me to use their phones all the time, but that can get pricey for them!!)

MDM- as far as selling me a SIM card, does it matter that I speak fluent Russian? I do have a bit of a Ukrainian accent, but most people never question my being Russian. Will I have to show my passport to buy the SIM card? My friends will (I'm sure) be willing to help where they can, but if I can go myself, it will save them the hassle. Thanks!

Vodaphone will be able to roam in Russia (I think they use Beeline), but it will be very, very expensive. You would have to show your passport and visa registration (and Russian citizens would have to show their internal passports). It's far easier to get a Russian resident to do this than doing it yourself.

Check out Riing Mobile. One SIM card will work in most all countries. 39 cents (euro cents) per minute outgoing and free incoming calls. I would buy an unlocked tri-band phone which will be cheaper for you than renting. I would be concerned about the rental phone being locked to a specific carrier and the rates will definately be higher.

Here's a good link on the subject: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/pho...lriiingsim.htm

This part deals with Riing specifically, but go back to the first 6 parts of the artical for GSM in general.

I am also looking into rent/buy a phone for use during our upcoming trip, try this website: http://www.rentaphone-ireland.com/

> 39 cents (euro cents) per minute outgoing

99 cents (euro cents) per minute outgoing in Russia - 25ct setup fee

<b>A follow up from the OP:</b>

I was able to use my unlocked phone with a Vodafone SIM card in Ireland, and then switch the SIM to a BeeLine card in Russia. Absolutely no hassles, and they did accept my US Passport for both.

For US use, I have a TMobile SIM card now. I have another US cell phone, but sometimes its nice to have a back up.

Thanks again to everyone for your help!