You can get an all in one Sim system from Hobby King that will work with most Simulators.
Then you can either plug into the All in one by the cable supplied .... or you can buy a cheap HK rx to connect wirelessly....
If you are pretty Computer savy, you can use PPJOY or PROPOSMART software and a stereo cable (3.5mm) male to male jack.... and sim it that way .....
There are lots of solutions ..... depending on budget..... and skill level..... the more skilled you are ... the less money you have to spend.
There are many sims out there and some are free ... some are not ... however, just like helis... you really do... Get ... what you pay for.
Some good PAID Sims are
PHOENIXRC - my personal favourite and REALFLIGHT 6.5 (with the heli Mega Pack)
have a look in the paid sim section of the forum and you will see which sims are more active .... most of them you can get online and we often get on there and have fun ... also some os us teach the newbies how to hover, get orientations and some more advanced stuff like inverted autos .... Piro Flips etc....
take a look and post any questions about he sim directly in there....
I personally like to use my own flight Tx on the sim as I then get used to the dials and switches and get a real feel for the Sticks.
Well that is my ten cents worth!