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To keep track of friends while in Europe, I bought an unlocked GSM triband cellphone before leaving the States and then got a Lebara SIM card in NL. The SIM card was 10EUR and included 7,50EUR in free talk time, so really only 2,50EUR. The best part was that I could text my friends for 12 cents or call them for 35 cents/min. Even better, I could make calls direct from my cellphone back to the states for 12 cents/min (3x cheaper than making a call within Holland, no strings attached, and the quality was better than when I make a call locally in LA!)
Anyway, if you have (or can get) an unlocked phone and can find a good SIM card like this (they're only cheap when used in the country issued, otherwise you'll spend a fortune), I think it's worth it. I lost my Dutch friend 4 times at Sensation White, but we found each other within 5 minutes each time by texting each other! Also good for safety when traveling, most creepy strangers will think you're a local when talking on a cellphone...whenever I picked mine up and started talking, they went the other way. If that doesn't work, then yell Polizei! into the phone or better yet, actually call them!
I think either T-Mobile or Cingular (maybe both?) will unlock your regular cell phone for something like 10 bucks. If you have Sprint, like me, then you're screwed because it's CDMA, not GSM, so you'd have to buy a GSM unlocked phone.
Most European SIM cards expire after 9 mos or a year, but for 2,50EUR, who cares? The Orange SIM card in NL supposedly never expires, so that's one way to get a long-term Dutch phone number that can be used again. Oh, and in NL getting a SIM card is easy as waving 10EUR and walking out the door with it. In Germany, you must show your passport and register your info., including German address (hotel should work) in a database. Any questions, let me know!

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