Need solutions for international travel. Use Sprint currently.

[fuzzybabybunny]

I've got a Sprint Samsung Epic 4G but I plan on doing some international travel next year (2012, and I don't know where yet). I've never had to figure out the phone situation before.

I have a business to run so I'll need voice, text, and data for checking email.

Is it easier just to buy an unlocked GSM Android-based phone and do the SIM swapping thing from country to country? How do I go about unlocking a phone? Will I be able to keep my old number? Or do I just go for an international phone that can do both GSM and CDMA?

Any recommendations?

*sigh*

If the GSM providers in the US weren't so crappy I wouldn't be having such a hard time, heh.