Buy a Prepaid Phone in Europe

Method 1 of 4: Mobile Phone Rental Option

    1Rent a mobile phone with a European phone number.
        Rental phones can be purchased from any car rental company, hotel in Europe or from an Internet company that provides a mobile phone rental service.
        A list of the Internet companies are provided on the Slow Travel website, which is included in the Sources section of this article.
   
    2Learn about all your rental phone's features and fees.
        Ask about per-minute charges, emergency services and features such as voice mail.

    3Inform friends and family of your European phone number.
        Remind people who call you that they may pay additional fees since they are dialing a European long-distance number.

Method 2 of 4: Buy a European Prepaid Phone

    1Purchase an unlocked Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) phone when you arrive in Europe.
        You can buy GSM prepaid phones before you arrive or from the airport, a department store or corner phone mart when you arrive in Europe.

    2Learn from the mobile phone vendor about the phone's fees and coverage.
        Find out if a contract is required, learn the regions in Europe your phone will receive coverage in and methods to refill prepaid minutes.

Method 3 of 4: Use an Unlocked GSM Mobile Phone

    1Buy an unlocked GSM phone that is compatible with the frequencies in Europe of 900 and 1,800.
        Before you buy a particular mobile phone, refer to its manufacturer if you are not sure which frequency bands it supports.

    2Unlock the personal GSM mobile phone you already own.
        Contact your mobile phone provider or your phone's manufacturer for directions on how to unlock your mobile phone for use in Europe.

Method 4 of 4: Use a Prepaid SIM Card

    1Purchase a prepaid SIM card to use in your unlocked GSM mobile phone when you arrive in Europe.
        Look for a prepaid SIM card in the airport, a corner phone mart or a department store when you arrive in Europe.
        SIM cards are the small chips that contain your phone number and account information and are interchangeable between all GSM mobile phones.

    2Ask the prepaid SIM card vendor about the SIM card's fees and coverage.
        Learn about the prepaid SIM card's coverage areas in Europe, methods for refilling minutes, minute expiration dates and all rates and fees associated with the service.

    3Remove your North American SIM card from your mobile GSM phone.

    4Insert your prepaid European SIM card into the phone for the duration of your travels.