GSM cell phones in Europe

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Posted by Jim on Aug 8, 2008 61 views

Our family is taking our last trip this summer, this time to Europe. Given that we will use the phone only to track down tour guides or stray members of the 7 of us going, anyone have any tips to avoid getting a huge surprise on our family plan phone bill when we get back home? Below is what I have done already, for a casual family trip, using the Tilts as backup camera’s and music players while on long tour drives, am I missing anything?

International calling – I added international calling to all the phones, but did not add any international calling plans. Step #1 – making sure the phones will actually work outside the US 

Incoming calls – I understand that if the phone is on and it rings, it is cheaper to answer it rather than let it go to voice mail because then we would be charged twice, for the incoming call being forwarded back internationally to my voice mail. So keep the phones off all the time seems a good practice.

Outgoing calls – We won’t be using the phones much, so it seems easier to just turn the phones on and pay the local rate charges of $1.00 or more per minute.

Data – from the rates, it seems not worth it to use the phone for data or tethered, and just use the hotel or cruise ship Internet connections.
I have already called AT&T Wireless and put a block starting the day we leave so the phones can’t get online by accident and sync up at some astronomical data rate pulling down email. Our oldest has an iPhone, so I am interested in the Internet rumblings I read about these things being costly to turn on overseas.