Cell Service & Audio Walking tours Paris/Venice

I can't answer any of your Republic questions - they aren't here.

If your phone can play MP3 files, that's all the Rick Steves walking tours are. Put them in your phone's memory and off you go. Your phone can play music, it can lay the walking tours. No wifi or phone signal required once they are downloaded.

And depending on how many walking tours you want to do, and the amount of memory your phone holds, you don't have to download all of them before you leave home. As long as you have WiFi (like at your hotel), you can delete tours after you've done them, then download new ones. No cell service or WiFi required in order to play them.

There are times that I am a solo traveler too.

I have more memory on my iPad so I have downloaded his walking tour podcasts on the iPad instead of my phone and have gotten great use and value from those podcasts. On whatever device you download them, you will NOT need to be online so no cell or wifi coverage required. They are 100% available off line. So you do NOT need to be the most tech-savvy person!! :-)

Are you planning on having cell service while in Europe, or just use the Audio tours? If you'd like to have cell service at least for calls and texting, you'll have to ask Republic whether....

• the phone is unlocked (ie: will work with SIM cards from another network).
• whether the phone has the frequency bands for use on European networks.

I checked briefly and the Moto G5 Plus is capable of use on GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE systems. However, in some cases individual cell networks can have phones specially configured for use on their networks. You'd have to check with Republic on whether their phones are simply an "off-the-shelf" model, or whether they've been configured differently.

If you'd like to have cell service, a couple of methods you can consider.....

• buy a local SIM when you arrive in Paris. It will also work in Italy, but you'll need to ensure that the card can be topped up easily once you've left the country where it was purchased.
• buy a travel SIM from a company such as Cellular Abroad. With that option, you'd be able to get the SIM prior to leaving home, and you'd have a working phone as soon as you step off the plane. Check their website for costs and other details, to see if that might work for you.
• I'm not thoroughly familiar with US cellular plans, but one thing that's been suggested here in the past is to sign up for a plan with T-Mobile, as they provide reasonably priced travel options, including 2G data.

You'll also have to check that the Charger is designed for operation from 100-240 VAC (that will be listed somewhere on the Charger). Of course, a Euro Plug Adaptor will be required.

I suggest you buy a SIM card in Paris or Venice, after you get there, from a mobile store like TIM or Vodafone or Orange. I have found using Google Maps especially helpful in European cities on foot and by public transportation - very helpful at getting from place to place efficiently. (In Venice, it directs you to vaporetto stops, making a day pass much more useful.) Because the EU has done away with roaming fees within the EU, a SIM you buy in Paris or Venice should work (data especially) in the other country, too. Double check when you buy the SIM - have them set it up for you in mobile store. (Take your passport to the mobile store - you'll need it to buy the SIM.)

However, note that when you remove your Republic Wireless SIM, you won't be able to make/receive US phone calls or texts anymore (on WiFi) until you put the Republic Wireless SIM back in. (Make sure you put the tiny Republic Wireless SIM in a safe place, so you don't lose it!) If you need to call people in the US while you have a European SIM in the phone (which will give the phone a French or Italian phone number), install the Google Hangouts and Hangouts Dialer apps on your G5plus (use the Google Play store) and then you can dial US phone numbers from Hangouts Dialer for fee (add a +1 in front for free).

Your phone should have plenty of storage for the Rick Steves audio walking tours. Just download the app if you haven't already and download the walking tours you need.

Someone upthread alluded to this, just want to emphasize any tours you store on your phone will take up space. If you don’t have a lot of space it can interfere with taking photos. As said above, delete tours when you’re done. And as someone else said, download tours there (with WiFi) as you go, don’t download them all at home. Takes up a lot of space. In fact, you should delete all apps you don’t need.

Her G5plus should have plenty of storage - it's a newer phone with great specs. I would however recommend buying a 128GB microSDXC card to increase the storage to the max if she plans to take lots of photos and videos, which eat up space quickly, especially videos.

You’re right Andrew, video takes up a lot of space.

My info wasn’t just for this OP but also for others who may not know this already.