Getting mobile phone numbers

We unlocked our AT&T cellphones before leaving the US. Unlocking would allow us to simply plug a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card from a German mobile carrier into our phones and we would have local mobile access. This saves us some € from the cost of new "handys" (as cell phones are called here).

We went to a local Vodafone store today and bought two pre-paid SIM phone card packages. Each one costs ~ €20, out of which €10 is usable airtime. At €1,50 per month maintenance fees and €0,29 per call, the credit will probably last us a couple of months unless Glenda and I call each other frequently.

It appears to be easier for foreigners to get a mobile phone in Germany than a few years ago. This is a great story on getting a mobile phone in Germany when a US family was settling in Karlsruhe for a one-year sabbatical (just like our family). At least we got our mobile access without first visiting the police (and we have yet to set up our local bank accounts)!