Of course, you will need a contract. It will include GPRS access and they will help you with your email account as well. You lucky Europeans. Many networks in the US still switch to analog when you get more than 5 miles from an interstate. Forget GPRS and data.
I've been using the Orange GPRS with my Ericsson R520m for a couple of months now. It's a really good setup! At 4 Pounds a month for the connection and 0.5 MB it's the best deal in the UK. In fact it's the only Line Rental I pay for my mobile.
I love GPRS so much I've just ordered a T68i and the Bluetooth Jacket.