cell phones

Cheaper & easier to just buy an international calling card...about 5 euros for 220 minutes.

Robert,

If you only want it for 10 days, you might consider a rental phone from firms such as Cellular Abroad or others. You could certainly buy one on arriving, but I've never heard of anyone buying one for just 10 days.

Cheers!

THANKS!

Karen,

Thanks for the clarification. If you're only going to be using the phone very sparingly, the "loaner" from Verizon might be a reasonable option. However, if the loaner includes your regular number, you'll have no control over those that will be calling you from North America (at very high cost!).

Good luck!

I also am interested in the question about renting or purchasing a cell phone for ten days in Italy.

How do you use the calling cards? You still need an instrument, right? What do you use?

How about receiving calls?

Robert & Karen,

One point for clarification - are either of you currently using Cell Phones in the U.S., and if so with which network?

You might also have a look at www.callineurope.com/Cell_phone_in_Europe.html as they rent phones. I've never used their service, but have heard good reports on it from others.

Cheers!

We have Verizon. I know they will ship us a loaner phone...but that is very expensive to use