Can I buy a prepaid cell phone in Europe?

Question

I have a cell phone provided by my work, but I am going to be changing jobs soon, and would like to buy a prepaid cell phone. I will be mostly in Switzerland, but will also spend time in Germany and England. Are there prepaid phones here, and where can I buy one? It´s not like the States where you can go buy one in Wal-Mart, and I don´t know anything about cell phones here.

Answer 1

It is like in the states; just ask for a mobile phone in the U.K. or a "handy" in Germany, that's how they call them here.

Answer 2

Just like the other two contributors said, getting a mobile is just as easy over here. You can go to one of the many mobile phone shops (some owned by networks, others sell a range of phones/networks) and if your phone works over here, you can just buy the SIM card.

These you can get from most newsagents even, so you don't have to go anywhere near a phone shop if your phone is compatible, and not tied to your home network. Topping up credit is easy in the UK. You can top up at cash machines(ATMs) and most newsagents and all supermarkets. Or you can just call the network operator with your card details, of course.

Answer 3

Any phone shop in germany will sell you one. Ask for a tri-band cell phone (handy over here) so you can also use it in the states.