travel to paris

Who's the carrier?

Verizon

The Verizon Iphone 4S is global.

Do you have any idea if it is possible to turn off the internet activity? I know the constant internet activity while in Paris would cost me a fortune. I would rather turn it into a "call and text" phone and save the internet stuff for wifi areas. I assume my local verizon people can give me information, but those of you who have had REAL experience with it are usually a better source.

Turn cellular data off when you leave the US. Leave it that way until you come back. Leave wifi on. Don't touch the airplane mode switch. Don't screw with anything else.

Thank you so much for your help. Another worry taken care of.

OK, folks, here is another question. I am diabetic and need to take a glucometer and lancets with me on the plane. I don't need needles, but what documentation do I need to carry the lancets
to Paris and back? My layovers are in Detroit and Amsterdam.

Brenda,
I'm a physician and often my patients ask me this question. You will need to have your physician (Family Medicine or specialist) type out on his/her office letterhead your diagnosis and what medications you take and how often you take them and how often you take your blood sugar. Have your doctor sign the letter and make at least an extra copy to take along in case you lose the original. Have the letter in your hand as you go through security (assuming your only taking carry on luggage). Odds are they won't ask for it because they see many people everyday with medication and glucose meters but if they do just show them the letter and your good to go. Also, if you keep all your meds in their original bottle from the pharmacy that helps, but technically all you need is the letter. When I travel light I put my pills in little GOtubs and just take the letter and I have never had a problem. Hope this helps. Don

Thank you so much. That is extremely helpful. One other question though. My lancets come in a cardboard box on which the pharmacist sticks the label. Can I carry those in the cardboard box or do they need to be in some kind of hard container?

The cardboard box will be fine, when in Paris be sure to try Le Cafe du Marche, great food and inexpensive.

I will definitely try Le Cafe du Marche this time. I was in Paris in the summer of 2011 but only for 5 days. I stayed in the Rue Cler area and kept intending to go there, but never made it. This was definitely a whirlwind tour. That is why I need to go back, for 10 days this time. I hope to do a lot of those things I missed last time and have some time to just sit and enjoy being in Paris. This time I will be staying about half way between Rue Cler and the Eiffel Tower (my Rue Cler hotel was already booked). I should be close enough to spend a lot of time in the lovely Rue Cler district. Thanks again for all your help.

While roaming through this helpline, reading posts about Paris, I found some that said you need a special SIM card for using iphones and ipads in Europe. Is this true?

Brenda,
If you look at the bottom of this helpline homepage you will see a search the helpline option. Type in something like using iPhone in Europe. This topic is widely discussed. You will find a lot of posts with helpful information. If you do take your phone, here's the best advice. Go to settings > general > cellular > cellular data and turn it off before you leave the US. Dont turn it back on until you return to the US. Back when I got my first iphone 1, no one knew all the rules yet including at&t. I didnt follow that advice i just gave you because I didn't know. We got a $1500 data bill the next month! With a data plan, you can moderate that cost a lot. What you can do though for free is to use wifi when you have access. You can read all the ins and outs, but using your own iPhone comes down to one word expensive.

I travel with lancets amd other paraphernalia all the time and have never been asked about it, and I usually have a 3-month supply. Thanks, Donald, this time i'll take a letter just in case. By the way, if your prescription won't last through your trip you can get a vacation override for however many days you need.