Get a Phone

Not a lot happened today, so there is not a lot to blog about. I moved out of my room at DU today, and I went home to Breckenridge for the week. One week left before I leave, and it should be a crazy one.

However, my dad did buy me a world phone which brings me to today's "Thing to Do."

Figure out the phone situation. Today's "Thing to Do" is more of a practical tip. Figuring out the cell phone situation can be a nightmare. If you have a cell phone that takes SIM cards (especially T-Mobile), then you might want to just bring your own phone over. However, don't forget to get it unlocked before you go over. Once it is unlocked, you can get a SIM card that works in Vienna, which is great for calling other people in the group.

If you're like me and have Verizon, you can't bring your phone over and put an Austrian SIM card in it. You can bring over one of their world phones or a Blackberry, but this can get really expensive. If you do choose this method, I highly recommend opening a new phone line that you only give out the number to select individuals. It could get very expensive very quickly if you keep your usual number and your friends and contacts call/text you all the time while you're abroad.

Last year when I was traveling, I ran into a problem. I used SIM card method, which worked great in Vienna. However, the Vienna SIM cards were more expensive and less reliable outside of Austria (if I was traveling). This year, I am bringing two phones over: a T-Mobile SIM card phone and a Verizon world phone. Hopefully between the two, I am covered no matter where I go.

It doesn't really matter what method you use, but the important part is to have a plan before you go over. It is kind of a pain to figure out in Vienna that you have to unlock your phone to make a SIM card work or discontinue your service because you're getting too many calls from the States... I guess this entry is partly a "What Not to Do IN Vienna."