Say Goodbye to the Phone Booth

July 13 -- — In lines and on buses throughout Europe, you can hear bits of euro-pop hits--it's the sound of cell phones ringing up and down the aisles.

Europeans love their phones, and it's easy to see why: "Mobile" phones (as they call them) keep people in touch--an especially important idea for travelers, too. You can call home anytime or even book a room in Madrid while you're on a train in Spain.

If you already have a cell phone, it probably won't work in Europe. But if it's "tri-band" and "unlocked" (confirm with the store or check the paperwork that came with the phone), you can call for pizza in Europe and have it delivered to your hotel.

When you buy a mobile phone, you're actually getting two separate things: the phone itself and the card that makes it work. European mobile phones use the GSM standard, which allows Europeans to use their phones from country to country with no additional roaming charges.

T-Mobile is the major manufacturer of GSM-enabled phones in the United States (www.tmobile.com). But you can also shop for all kinds of GSM-ready phones at www.world-import.com , www.telestial.com , and www.amazon.com.

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I find it simpler to buy a phone once in Europe. Try the ubiquitous corner phone marts or the mobile phone counters in big department stores. Ignoring the pricey tri-band phones, I got a simple phone that works only in Europe (you can even get cheapies that work just in the country where you buy it). Next, you need to buy a phone card (unless it comes with the phone). Phone cards store your digital "identity"--your phone number and account information--on a removable thumbnail-sized chip, called a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card. Think of the SIM card as your phone's driver's license.

Many SIM cards work best in the country where purchased. When you use the same card in another country, you can be charged for "roaming." If you want to use your phone in multiple countries, get a local SIM card for each, or find a European carrier that has "roaming agreements" in the places you'll be visiting.