Hi FlyerGold:

The following info is valid for Switzerland, I don't know about other countries.

Just dial the international access code (I think it is 00 or something like that), then dial 1-800-xxx-xxxx. The call will go through, but it will not be toll free - you will pay the normal long distance charges, as if it was a call to a non-800 number.

If you do get a cell phone, you can program it with the little + symbol to indicate that the phone should use the appropriate international access string for the country you are in. I have +1 programmed for all my North American numbers, +41 for my Swiss numbers, etc. The phone system will automatically ignore the country code when you are dialling within the same country (e.g. calling a Toronto number from Toronto).

As you can see from Dorian's suggestion, I am not exactly a tech whiz on phones, though.