To answer the questions:

1. Some sim cards, like Orange, will work in UK, Ireland, and France, but won't be the cheapest. Others will only work in one country.

2. You have to check the rates for each card to determine what the charges are in which countries. You can find them online, or on the pile of papers they give you when you buy the cards.

3. Buy the phones here--but, with the exception of the Mobal card, buy the SIMs in Europe--you can get the cards there in convenience stores for the equivalent of $5-10 in convenience stores and gas stations, etc, (you then buy the time, the same way you do here) but if you buy, say, an Orange sim here in the US it will cost you $50 or more--


You have to shop around a bit to find the rate arrangement that works best for you.

In London, you can buy calling cards that allow you to call the US for very little--I bought a card that gave me 455 min for 5 pounds--I used it with a T-Mobile SIM that allowed me unlimited length calls after 7pm, but only charged me for the first 5 minutes--this little arrangement was pointed out to me by the clerk in a newstand--

A neighbor of mine thought I went to too much trouble, because she'd seen ads that said you could use your American Verizon phone in the UK --and you often can, but for $2.75 per minute.

Skype is also a possibility, but you have to have an internet connection--