Yeah Hank, I deal with this all the time. Will be heading back to Europe next Wed night, in fact.
I've got an account with a mobile phone company in the UK. I simply swap SIM cards in my iPhone from the Verizon one to the Mobal one. Changes my phone over to a UK number and all calls, texts, ect are charged on a per use/minute basis. All my Contacts remain in the phone.
No monthly service costs.
http://www.mobal.com/international-gsm-sim-card/
Works well...been doing this for years even while traveling outside the US when I worked. Mobal bills my Debit card.