Just remember that roaming charges will apply.

 

You might want to consider getting a local sim for each of your phones, so that you'll pay local rates to call to each other, and to area restaurants, tourist attractions, etc. This would mean that folks calling from the US will only reach your VM.

 

Now, if getting local SIMs is an option for you, you might want to sign up for a www.youmail.com  account, for voicemail, and then give that number to your friends and family. They can dial that number and go directly into voicemail, which you can pick up from any computer. You wouldn't even need to dial in (since roaming rates are expensive).

 

I'll be traveling to Germany in the fall, so am considering doing something like this. It would be especially helpful if I can get a local data plan, so that I can just download VMs directly to the phone to listen, when I get to a WiFi spot, which I hope the hotel will have.