Cell phones or phone cards?
 

We are taking a Tauck river cruise starting in Strasbourg, France, then by river through Germany, ending in Prague. Should we take our cell phone with us and contact AT&T about making or receiving calls while in Europe, or are we better off to buy a phone card or throwaway cell phone after we get there?

It always comes up this way....my opinion is throwaway cell phone (whatever that means) all the way...AT&T charges an absurd amount to make and receive calls while roaming in Europe...there are not always public phones available to use a phone card (although calls are very very cheap but what about receiving?)...there are lots of cell phone solutions that arent all that expensive including getting a local USA number to receive calls for far less than AT&T charges and to make calls at any time for somewhat more than a phone card but far less than AT&T roaming rates. Go to the forum at www.prepaidgsm.net for some ideas of what's available.

due to AT&T's exorbitant rates, I carry my iPhone to Europe only as an emergency phone, and for date uses when wifi is available.
I have purchased pre-paid telephone cards in the USA (MCI, for one) and, say, a $20 one, provides for as many calls back to the US as I have ever needed. They can also be re-loaded once back at home, by calling their number and providing a credit card. While traveling, each European country has its own local access number for these calls; a little folder comes with the card. It's a toll-free number within the country, you dial some extra numbers, and next thing you know, you're calling someone in the USA (or Canada).

sorry, that should have been "data" uses

If your boat has wifi, you can use that to make calls. I have an iphone and use Skype mobile to make calls from anywhere to anywhere for less than 10 cents a minute. It works from everywhere you can access a WiFi spot. On our river cruise, we were able to use this most of the time as I paid for wifi access for the duration (15E for the week). It also worked from hotspots in port.

I also carry a pre paid calling card and use whichever is best at the time.

We both bought a cheap phone in Germany (Tchibo) and used an existing GSM phone with a Lebara SIM. The Tchibo phone (19,95) turned out to be locked to the Tchibo network, and the calls were moderately expensive. Lebara turned out to be really fabulous for cheap overseas phone calls, although if you don't use the SIM for 90 days it expires, which means you can't use it again unless you return within the 90-day period. Lebara also allows you to speak to English-language operators. I recommend them highly. We also made a few phone calls from an internet and telephone shop where we got the Lebara SIM - dirt cheap, would recommend this anytime but for the convenience of having your own phone for incoming calls.

Lavandula

I was really burned on this issue on a recent trip to Italy. I bought a phone card through Speedypin which advertises great rates for international land lines and cell phones. I then got a Verizon international phone before I left. I ended getting charged double: having paid for those minutes with the phone card and then Verizon charged me not only those minutes off my plan (which I expected) but also international rates. Be very careful.

favandula....here's a little trick that allows you to keep sim cards alive which require use every 90 days...assuming you're from North America, they allow roaming in North America. Simply send yourself a text message...cheap enough and counts as use and starts the 90 days (or 180 days or whatever) coounting again!

I took my old T-Mobile GSM phone to Europe last fall - unlocked it first and made sure it would work on European frequencies. Then I bought a new prepaid SIM card for it in Italy. Worked like a charm especially for making local calls. (How to make cheap calls to/from the US with such a phone is another topic.)

I've used my AT&T world phone in Europe the last two trips. Turn it on after getting off the plane and use it to confirm reservation and transportation. Pay international roaming rates which are pricey but the convenience is great. No SIM cards to change and no fussing. Average extra cost is $50.
Well worth it.
Have a T Mobile smart phone now and expect it to work as well.

@ xyz123,

I will try that trick if I can find the SIM card and will report here if it worked. I live in Australia but am pretty sure I could do that here. Thanks for the tip, that's really good thinking!

Lavandual

Believe it or not, if I were traveling to Europe tomorrow I'd do the same thing as I've done the past 4 trips...no phone at all. That's right...no phone. Communication to and from the USA is done via good "old fashion" email. While on vacation, I don't want to be in touch with my non-vacation life. That may sound absurd to most folks but it works for me and my husband.

I'm tempted to do that next time, ash. I've done that in the past and this is the first time I tried to stay in touch.... I was not paranoid enough of the potential pitfalls.

On another thread, there was a link to what to know about cell phones in europe by rick steves..... you can accrue charges without even answering your phone! Scary.