Originally Posted by Guy Betsy
Use your US phone for emergencies only. Do not switch phone on all the time but rather just turn it on once in a while to check for messages.
Get another phone in Europe that is not locked. Get local SIM card per country. Remember to bring passport when purchasing SIM cards.
Change SIM card as often as you travel to different countries. But do remember that most prepaid SIMs have expiry dates if you don't use them within a certain time.
This works very well for us. We bought a phone in Vietnam, and top off the minutes whenever we are there. They say they expire, but so far that hasn't actually happened. Then, when we were in London, I simply took the phone to a store and got another SIM for that area, and bought minutes somewhere else. I didn't end up using them, but it was nice to know we had access in an emergency. Also, I felt free to call the US and know how much I was spending, since I'd paid up front.
I plan to take the phone to Australia, too, and see if I can get a new card and buy minutes there.
Kate
Kate