Yet more SIM/cell questions.Please help!
 

Received unlock code from Cingular.Travel in Germany to Czech Rep. and back to Germany. Can we exchange cards in phone as needed.Also,do we wait to unlock in Germany. Would like to see if phone actually unlocks before leaving, but will it continue to work? When we leave Europe do we put our original SIM back in and will it work as usual? One more, if one has an international or country specific calling card and uses the cell to make a call will it also use the cell phone minutes. Sorry for such questions, but have to learn from the experts. Thanks Fodorites!!!

There are VERY frequent discussions of cell phones/sim cards for use in Europe -- over on the Europe forum. You will likely get more detailed responses if you re-post over there

Thanks Janisj. I just noticed I posted on the US site. I think I need to get some
sleep. Will repost.

Unlock your phone NOW! It will not affect your use of the cell phone in the meantime. Once you unlock it, find a friend with an international SIM and test it, or go to a Cingular store and ask them to test it.

If you wait till you are in Germany and the unlock does not work, you're stuck buying another phone or only using the intl roaming which is very expensive.

Inserting a German SIM is like turning your phone into a whole different phone. It will have no affect on your usa minutes.

Agree with lcuy about unlocking the phone now and trying it with another SIM. You should be shown/figure out where and how to put the SIM in anyway. I don't think you need an international SIM to test it either. You just need to make sure it works on a network other than Cingular/ATT.

The last poster is right about testing it - find someone who has a T-Mobile SIM and try it out. If it works with T-Mobile, it means it was successfully unlocked and will work with any SIM. (We keep an old unlocked phone just for travel to foreign countries - it's been used in Australia, Italy, the Dominican Republic, Uganda, France, etc.)

Thanks to all for your help.