Cell phone service

Scott, I also use Rogers and ALWAYS travel with my Cell phone. If your phone is a quad-band model, you'll be able to roam in Italy with no problems. However, the aspect of "breaking the bank" must be considered as the charges can add up quickly. You might check the "roaming" section of Rogers website for current charges. As I recall, outgoing calls "in country" are 0.99/minute, incoming calls are 1.99/minute and outgoing to North America 1.99/minute. Text messages sent are 0.60 each. These prices are Cdn. funds, plus applicable taxes of course.

If your phone is unlocked, you have the option of buying a PAYG SIM card in Italy, but of course your number will change, so you'd have to notify family back home of the new number (they would pay long distance charges to call you). You didn't specify which brand of Phone you're using, but one other point to check is to make sure the Charger can operate on 230 VAC electrical systems (I use a Motorola phone, and the Charger is configured for "world" operation). A Plug Adapter will be required though (Euro style - two round pins).

I normally use roaming with Rogers, but try to limit voice calls as much as possible. I usually keep in touch with family back home via text / SMS.

Hope this answers your questions. Post another note if you need any further details.

Cheers!

Yes, I believe my phone does give me the capability of usingit overseas - but I was trying to weigh the difference between using it at our CDN roaming prices vs. buying something there. Do you subscribe to the overseas plan with Rogers ($7.00/month) when you travel with your phone?

Scott, I haven't bothered with the overseas plan so far. I try to use the phone only for essential voice calls, and use mostly text messages to keep in touch with family. I've just received the bill after my trip last month, and the texts can add up if one uses them a lot!

You'll have to decide how much you plan on using the phone. Buying a phone in Italy is certainly one option, but I'm not sure it will save that much vs. using your Rogers phone for occasional calls.

The other option of course would be to have your phone unlocked and just buy a SIM when you arrive in Italy.

If you do take your Rogers phone, you might want to give them a call to tell them you'll be traveling. I don't think it's mandatory, but I usually do just so they know I'll travelling abroad (also a good idea to call your Bank / CC firms).

Cheers!

About the longest phone conversation I ever have when vacationing abroad is, "We got here fine. See you in 3 weeks. Bye." (Well, it's not THAT short, but you get the idea.)

Everybody on the travel board jumps on people asking about laptops, telling them, "You're on vacation in Italy for goodness sakes! Leave the laptop at home!" I take a similar attitude with mobile phones.

My own way of not breaking the bank: I think an awful lot of unnecessary phone yakking can be put on hold for the duration of one's vacation. My own thinking is that one should limit calls to 2 minutes or less in a once-a-week check-in call. Speak only of essentials, and leave the day-by-day, minute-by-minute trip reports to your journal, which people can read when you get home. Just call mom. Then ask her to call the others in the family and let them know you're OK.

It's not just about saving phone money. It's also about making vacation time special.

I used to call home on a regular basis.This meant calls to each of my three children. Now I send a email to all three at one time.This takes only a few minutes.When traveling with friends we send one message to all our children.A simple we are here and going there.If I have something important to tell to one of them I send a separate message.For a few euros we can send message every few days in a internet cafe while taking a break.

For those high tech folks out there, if you already have Vonage - get a Vonage V-Phone. It looks like a USB memory stick and plugs into any computer. You can use Vonage almost anywhere in the world... so head to your nearest Internet Cafe and call away. We also use Skype at internet cafes but more often the person on the other end has to be on a computer as I do not want to pay the Skype by-the-minute fee.

For expats - and many travelers I meet, Vonage (or similar VOIP services) have become their vehicle to communicate. Yes, you will need access to a PC but once you have one, you can call anywhere. We have had Vonage for about 4 years and it has been a lifesaver in Italy. We have a (404) US based phone number and thus we can call folks from Italy to the States and vice versa for free (Well, I pay $14.95 a month for unlimited calls). It's just like having a phone # in Atlanta, GA... our previous home - In fact, we have the SAME number as we did when we lived in ATL! It's our lifeline to the States for friends and family - Our kids can call us at no cost to them. Many of our friends here will head to our house to make that "long-duration" call to the US.

If you already have a VOIP service, check out their "portable" systems and you may be surprised to find that you too could have international access for a small amount.

Ciao,
Ron

so do the computers in the internet cafes have web-cams so that you can video skype the folks back home?

Yes many do (espcially the "chains" or newer ones) and those also have have Skype loaded up! We've carried a "headset with built-in boom mike" and just plugged in! Good luck!

Ron

If you phone is unlocked, your best bet is to buy an Italian SIM card. You will get an Italian phone number. Cost is €10 with €5 credit (Italy calls about 0.15- 0.30 per minute and calls to US/Canada about 0.50. SIMs can be recharged at any tabacchi shop.