With my US mobile phone (Siemens S46) I'm currently paying $0.99/minute (.77 Euros) to roam while I'm in Europe with Cingular (formerly AT&T Wireless). That's whether I call someone or they call me.

I have a 2nd unlocked GSM phone that works in Europe. I want to get rid of Cingular because Nextel is the only provider in my area that has gotten around the homeowner associations.

My understanding is that in Europe you don't pay for inbound calls. Most of my calls are inbound. My wife and I text message quite a bit.

Is there a European provider such as Orange or Vodafone for multiple countries that will offer a significantly cheaper alternative? For example, if I buy it in France, and get a French number, how much will they charge to roam in Germany? A U.K. number might be the best so that I can understand the voice mail prompts I'm in Europe around 4-5 weeks per year.