What is the best cell phone plan for international calls to Eastern Europe?

I'm so happy someone asked this. Sometimes I feel like I know some secret. I have family in Switzerland and France. It isn't Eastern Europe but I think what I am to share will work there as well.

Purchase a pre paid cell phone. I purchased Virgin Mobile AudioVox 8600. You can call Europe for the same price as you call anywhere else in the US and Canada. The plan I have with them is a monthly; where it's .60 cents a day, you get a "inner Circle", calls free after 7 p.m. with any mobile phone, if you call before 7 p.m., it's 10 cents a minute. What my family has done is use Virgin Mobile Inner Circle, and we call each other free anytime, there are exceptions to this 'rule', but we play it safe.

If you chose not to get any sort of plan, and want to try the Virgin go ahead, it will be 25 cents for first 10 minutes and then 10 cents a min after that. Still wayyyyy cheaper than using other mobile providers.

I purchased my Virgin Mobile at Wal Mart at the time for 80 bucks, I recently saw there were some even better Virgin mobile phones available at Wally world for 29 bucks. You will get some airtime, but you be better to buy a card, 20 bucks will do you. And this can be just for your family/friends in Europe and you don't have to worry about carrying a contract.

Good luck, enjoy chatting !!