Travel Technology - Some basic cell phone questions

I've only had a cell phoe once that the company provided. It's handy, but I have no real desire to get wrapped up in them. I don't want to be one of those doofuses who wander the aisles at the super market asking, "Should I get Skippy or Peter Pan?".

Anyhow, over the weekend I inherited some phones. Three of them look relatively modern (one Sanyo (?) from AT&T) and a couple of Motorola NexTel phones. They all have SIM cards. (The fourth one is an old Motorola StarTrac, which I think is just too old to be of much use).

My projected use would be a couple of calls a week, maybe the same in as out. I have zero interest in texting, Web surfing, etc. My life is simple (by design) and I don't need the hassle.

So ...

I have been told that I can activate them by purchasing phone cards. True? Or do I have to sign up for someone's basic service or what?

The AT&T phone is listed as "dual band". Does this mean it will be usable in Europe?

Is there any kind of Cell Phones for Dummies I can refer to, or just ask the nearest 14-year old?

* Give us the model name/numbers.
* Yes, a pre-paid plan sounds like something for you. If you go the pre-paid route, you have to make sure the phone is unlocked.
* If the phone is locked, check the SIM to see which carrier the phone "belongs" to. Conversely, plug in the model number + unlock in Google and see if there is a way to do it easily.
* You can buy a T-Mobile ToGo pre-paid SIM card for under $10 on ebay. It usually comes with about $10-30 in credits already on there. Once you have accumulated $100 in refills, you qualify for gold status (15% more minutes per refill, and the minutes don't expire for 1 year--even if you only add $10 a year thereafter).

You might just be better off buying a bare bones basic T-Mobile pre-paid GSM phone at Target for $20. You'll spend more time trying to figure out if these inherited phones will work. Just my $.02.

I have been told that I can activate them by purchasing phone cards. True? Or do I have to sign up for someone's basic service or what?

The AT&T phone is listed as "dual band". Does this mean it will be usable in Europe?

Is there any kind of Cell Phones for Dummies I can refer to, or just ask the nearest 14-year old?

I assume you are in the US, your profile doesn't show a location.

1) If the phones have a SIM card, they are GSM (primaily AT&T coverage)...

2) Dual band GSM will refer to GSM 850 and GSM 1900, both North American only frequency bands. A full world wide phone would be quad band, and include GSM 900 and GSM 1800 bands, so no to additional coverage.

As noted, look at plans for a new phone, verses buying a prepaid card.... You decide if you want to get locked into a contract..... Phones are REALLY cheap now, ever for prepaid accounts.....

T-Mobile will sell you a very snazzy Motorola V195 quad-band (US/Europe) for $40 with $25 airtime included. I would recommend this package without reservation - but their coverage may not suit your needs. I think there's a fee for activation.

AT&T offers a more basic Motorola C168i GoPhone with $10 airtime on the SIM. You can get it any time at Wal-Mart for $20, frequently on sale (right now) at Fry's Electronics for $15. On Black Friday, Radio Shack's price was $0. They have one PAYG plan that costs 10¢/min plus $1 per day that the phone is used. Calls to other AT&T customers are free. I activated one without paying a fee.

T-Mobile will sell you a very snazzy Motorola V195 quad-band (US/Europe) for $40 with $25 airtime included. I would recommend this package without reservation - but their coverage may not suit your needs. I think there's a fee for activation.

The T-Mobile To Go prepaid plans in the US do not have an additional activation fee after you buy the prepaid kit including phone and SIM card. The prepaid kit with Motorola V195 is currently on T-Mobile's web site for $40 with the bonus $25 refill card (that bonus card seems to come and go).

While the Motorola V195 has all four GSM bands, you need to get it unlocked to use it in Europe with local SIM cards, since T-Mobile To Go only has international roaming for Canada and Mexico.

While the Motorola V195 has all four GSM bands, you need to get it unlocked to use it in Europe with local SIM cards, since T-Mobile To Go only has international roaming for Canada and Mexico.
I'm not convinced that's true. If you go to Prepaid Plans (http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/default.aspx?plancategory=4) and click on the last item under Other Services, you get the International Services page, where it says in a box at the right that you can "Make calls in 192 countries" and you can pull down a country menu to find out what minutes cost in those countries.

But you certainly can get much better rates with local SIMs than T-Mo's 99¢/min. I like http://www.smobil.com, who offer .01€ between customers.

...I have zero interest in texting, Web surfing, etc.

Before I was converted from my Luddite ways by a Treo 650, I got lots of good advice on this thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=435636).