Disposable cell phone

Donna, I assume you're referring to a low cost, basic Cell phone, and that you're not planning to throw the phone in the trash when you get home? "I'm not comfortable with buying a SIM card" I'm not entirely clear on that part of your question. Buying a SIM card by itself won't solve the problem, as it won't work in your GoPhone. You can certainly buy phones in Rome, but I'm not sure which side of security the Cell shops are located at in the airport. If you can wait until you reach Termini station, there are several Cell shops in the shopping mall there, which is one floor down from track level. I've heard that purchase of cell phones in Italy now requires a Codice Fiscale and a you'll need to "register" by presenting your Passport. An easier option would be to buy a phone from one of the travel phone firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial, Mobal, EuroBuzz, MaxRoam or OneSIM (there are others). That way you'd have a working phone as soon as you step off the plane, and no worries about topping-up. Check their respective websites for costs and details. Happy travels!

Here's Ron In Rome's discussion of buying phones in Fiumicino Airport: http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/purchasing-a-phone-or-sim-at-fco-airport. Unless your GoPhone is both unlocked and quad band, you can't buy an Italian SIM for it and have it work in Italy. For more discussion of phone options, here's Rick's excellent primer (read the grey box on the right first): http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/cell-phone-europe.htm And yes, using the term "disposable phone" gets some people on this Helpline upset. But I like the response of one poster: "they're also known as 'burner phones,' and that doesn't mean one has to set them on fire." (sorry Ken)

Thanks Ken and Harold for responding. Really appreciated it! Donna