Walkie-Talkies

American walkie-talkies are supposedly illegal to use in Italy because they operate on the same frequency as emergency services.

Send text messages from your cell phones to communicate (assuming you have phone models that work over there, and you've activated your international service).

I've heard the same thing about walkie-talkies, which these days are sold as "FRS" or "GMRS" radios, depending on which radio frequencies they use. They are illegal to use in Europe. Europe does have an equivalent, legal option called "PMR446" radios. You can buy them when you get there, or you can probably find online stores which sell them here.

But if you're only needing a device to work within a very short distance (like from one car to another), here's an off-the-wall option for you: use a couple Nintendo DS's. They come with a "PictoChat" utility that works within a range of about 60 feet. My kids have used this to send short text messages to one another when we're travelling down the road in separate cars.

WoW!! Thanks everyone...I had no idea they would be Illegal. Glad I found out, and didn't get thrown into the slammer!! I will look into the last 2 options...

Julia

Julia,

As the others have mentioned, "Walkie-Talkies" sold in North America are illegal in Europe, as some of the frequencies are used by emergency services there. While some may use them and "get away with it", it's still not a good idea.

You could buy Walkie-Talkies once you arrive in Europe, as they would configured for the correct frequencies. However (and more importantly) I doubt they'd be effective for the purposes you stated. The maximum range stated for these is usually "line of sight" under ideal conditions. If used inside a "metal box" (car) the range would be reduced, especially as this type of radio has limited power output. While they might work if the cars were fairly close together, if separated by traffic or whatever, I'm not sure the performance would be that good.

A better option would be to use Cell phones and communicate via text messages. If you're on AT&T or T-Mobile at home and have a quad-band GSM phone, you can "roam" with these in Europe. You could also purchase two inexpensive PAYG phones when you arrive in Italy.

NOTE that to drive in Italy, you must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. EACH driver must have an IDP and failure to produce one can result in fines on the spot! You can obtain these easily at any AAA office.

You may also want to read some of the posts about the "ZTL" zones that are becoming increasingly common in some towns in Italy (especially Florence). Driving through one of the automated Cameras results in expensive tickets, which you'll receive several months after returning home.

Happy travels!

Illegal.