Title: Buying the Right GSM Cellular Phone for Europe
Headings: How to Buy a Cell Phone in Europe and Avoid Roaming Charges
How to Buy a Cell Phone in Europe and Avoid Roaming Charges
Unlocked GSM Phones and SIM Cards
Buying Ahead of Time
Where to Get Them

Content: The countries of Europe use the dual-band frequencies of 900 to 1800 while America primarily uses 850 to 1900. When shopping for an unlocked GSM phone, you'll want a tri-band 900/1800/1900 (or 850/1800/1900) or a quad-band 850-900-1800-1900 if you intend to use it in the U.S. as well as in Europe. You may use a tri-band 850-1800-1900 unlocked cell phone in Europe, but you'll be giving up coverage in the 900 band, which is the most common band for international cell phone communications. Many companies in the US sell locked cell phones which provide only one SIM card option for use with each phone linked to one particular carrier, which means you won't be able to use these abroad. Unlocked cell phones, on the other hand, are what you need as they allow the use of any SIM card, as long as the frequency capabilities are correct. Buying Ahead of Time
It's important to remember when traveling internationally that you should take care of all your phone-related needs before you leave U.S. soil, especially if you plan to keep your same carrier and use the same service abroad. You can check your U.S. carrier to see what roaming costs will apply, but with the low cost of cell phones and international SIM cards, you might be better off just buying an unlocked cell phone like the LG Optimus L5, and you can also request that your carrier unlock your currently locked phone. The postage stamp sized SIM card is the heart and brains of the cell phone and will need to be purchased from your carrier for the country you'll be traveling to before you depart. The SIM card will determine the phone's number and allow access to the services that particular SIM card supports. Prices vary with country and services, and with a prepaid card, you'll probably receive unlimited incoming calls from anywhere in the world, some free calling time, and fairly reasonable long-distance rates (around half a Euro per minute).