Cell Phone Networks in Rome

Thanks for the reply from California.

I will be using an unlocked Motorola quad band that I keep just for Europe. I only mentioned T Mobil as it was recommended for our trip to Germany earlier this year and worked all through the entire country.

So TIM is a network in Rome that has worked for you? That is what I was looking for.

Emil,

I've used "roaming" in many parts of Europe with my home cell network (Rogers) and never had any issues with coverage anywhere, including Rome. One of the advantages of using this method rather than purchasing a SIM in Europe, is that my phone selects the strongest signal regardless of which network it is. If you're going to be roaming with T-Mobile, you'll probably find that your service operates the same way. When you return home, you'll receive an itemized account of the calls you made or received on each network in Europe.

When you arrive in Italy and turn your phone on, you'll probably receive a "Welcome" text message if you're roaming with T-Mobile.

It's great that you have a quad-band phone, as you'll get the best coverage with that. Three of the four networks in Italy (TIM, Vodaphone, Wind) provide service on both the 900 & 1800 Mhz bands in addition to the 2100 Mhz "3G" band. However I believe that only one frequency or the other may be used in some areas, so having both will provide the best coverage.

Happy travels!

I am a frequent traveler to Italy and this past summer was the first time I took a cell phone with me. I used my Verizon phone with their sim card and it worked after 5 days to interface. I just bought an unlocked quad band gsm phone on ebay, which I plan to use next summer in Italy. It was convenient to have a phone with me, but it is also nice to be away from those things. After all, isn't a vacation about getting away from the every day...

Buon viaggio,

RB

Thanks RB. Actually their is a lot to what you say about dumping the communication fix while on vacation. On a recent trip to Germany we were driving around and phoning ahead for reservations, etc. No one from the US ever called, they probably didn't want to bug us while we were on vacation. But in Rome we are going to plant ourselves in a pre booked hotel for a week and just take a day at a time. A cellphone is probably not so important for that kind of stay.
Different style of vacation, different needs? What do you think?

Emil,

Having the cell phone made contact between my family and friends there easier for both. This last trip was trip number 12 and the first with a phone. I guess I have mixed feelings about this subject. I made all of my hotel reservations with email prior to our departure, so that was not a significant factor.

What really assisted us this year was the Garmin Nuvi 260w gps that we brought with us. My neighbor let us stay at his house in a small, remote town on top of a mountain outside or Napoli and we needed the gps to find the place. We also used it to find restaurants and different points of interest without too much confusion.

All in all, I did buy the unlocked cell phone on ebay, so I can, at least, lower the cost of using it while there. I suppose this is progress...

Buon viaggio,

RB