Irma

thanks upsy daisy, but I don't feel this info is very helpful for me, since Im not from USA and I'm not from Europe. I wanted to use my own cel phone and use it in USA but since they don't do this I have to rent a phone right there in NYC, I'll check the sites they mentioned above anyway, thanks a lot upsy-daisy!

Tony Hughes

I bought the tri-band Motorola about a year ago (I'm in Scotland). Worked fine in Canada and *certain* parts of USA although it's freakin' expensive, I had an enormous pelican-sized bill when I got back. <BR> <BR>To be used sparingly.

Jim

Well, Rex, I guess you're a monkey's uncle. At least around here (Washington, D.C.) every single wireless provider offers a prepaid option. You can even buy prepaid PHONES, not just the cards, at 7-11. Don't you listen to the radio, watch TV, or read newspapers or magazines? There are ads EVERYWHERE for prepaid phones. And they're often touted for people with bad credit who can't get a regular phone plan. I haven't tried them myself, but I've heard they work really well as emergency phones.

KingKong

<BR> <BR>Pre paid phones are very popular among the teenage crowd. money runs out, no canuse the phone.

Rex

If these exist - - with any degree of popularity in Ohio, I cannot believe it.

Paul

Having rented one in the fall of 1999, I received an Ericsson I-888 World Phone for Christmas last year. This is a dual-band GSM phone, and it works perfectly both here (USA) and Europe. It is simplicity itself - you only have to turn it on. It will find a carrier for you, based on which country you are in. Of course, it has more features, such as being able to select your carrier - useful in countries with multiple carriers and different rates! My carrier in the US is VoiceStream (it was Omnipoint), and I have a standard plan here (flat rate for 400 minutes). Their web site tells you by country and by carrier the rates when you use the phone overseas.

Jim

Well, Rex, you didn't say that you lived in the armpit of the nation. Do you even have cellular phones of any kind in Ohio yet? Do you still not have to get your car inspected there? <BR> <BR>I spent many a happy hour in Ohio as a teenager, as the drinking age was lower than in PA. Every 3rd car in Ohio has huge rust holes in the side, no floorboards, and a piece of rope holding the trunk down.

Anne, Australia

ur family of four is going to Italy at the end of this year. There are three mobiles in the house and we have just had Telstra add 'Global Roaming' to the mobiles. But we have been warned that charges are very expensive in Italy and judging by the information Telstra have e-mailed - they are right, very expensive. We will also be travelling to Singapore and I am happy to say that the charges there are considerably cheaper.

Prue

Anne, this is just to let you know we have used a Mobile phone on two recent trips to Europe without any hassles at all. We, too, were rather taken aback by the Telstra list of charges but found that even though we used it quite often to talk to our son back home, the bill when it came was not as bad as we anticipated!!

Kerry

To Prue and Anne and any other Aussies. Yes, our phones work fine in Europe. Just have to get provider to switch on <BR>"International Roaming". Although the call prices were horrendous we used SMS messages and they were still the same 20 cents from no matter where we were in Europe. Don't know if Telstra/Optus etc will catch on and increase the price for SMS messages from overseas but we had daily communication with our adult kids just to make sure they fed the dog, watered the garden and didn't burn the house down. Same from their phone to us - just 20 cents. Get in while the going is good.

Prue

Kerry, what a great idea I had not thought of using the phone that way. <BR>Will make enquiries.

Rex

to the top for Daria - - see the post from Sjoerd. <BR>

donna

I just found this on NExtel's website. A worldwide phone with daily weekly monthly rentals available. <BR> <BR>Has anyone tried it?? <BR> <BR>http://www.nextel.com/products/servi...de/index.shtml <BR> <BR>

Sue

I see that AutoEurope is offering a free Nokia GSM cellphone with car rental ($30 connect fee; $2/min to US, $1/min in Europe, $1 incoming). Otherwise it costs $59/week, $168/mo.

claudia

For $135.00 you can BUY a telephone in most parts of Europe and get a prepaid card to activate it.

Michael

I have rented from Record Phone International 732-617-2100. It was $20.00 per week plus air time. If you use it sparingly, it's not expensive at all and it worked great. I'd give them a call. They fed-ex the phone to you and pay for the return. Check them out at <BR>www.overseascell.com.