First time traveling to Italy

You should carry your passport with you at all times. When you check in at hotels you will need to give the passports to the hotel for maybe 15 minutes (often less) as they are required to document all persons staying in their hotel (by law). Outside of the time when your hotel has your passport you should always carry it with you.

Wifi is generally easy to find in your hotel lobbies but can be spotty throughout the cities. Do you have the option to move your iphones to a T-Mobile plan which will have unlimited data usage in Italy?

In recent years I have never had issues finding accommodation with free wifi in Italy.

Regarding carrying a passport at all times, the short answer is you must. Many people don't bother though as evidenced by this discussion from 2011.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/carrying-a-passport

Well this is going to provoke the perpetual l discussion about whether you should carry your passport or not. There is no absolute requirement for either. There are two camps - carry and not carry. My personal opinion and what we have always done is to carry the passport very securely in a money belt unless I know I will need to access during the day. Then it is in a secure shirt pocket. The passport is only thing that proves you are legally in the country. In the past 20+ years we have been asked twice unexpectedly to produce the passport. We did. Some will argue that a copy is just as good but a copy is only good from proving that you once had a passport when you are trying to replace a stolen, or more likely, lost passport. Others will say that the officer requesting your passport will gladly follow you back to the hotel to get it. If you believe that, I have bridge for sale cheaply. So we always carry it. It is not a big deal.

What service provider is you iphone using? We have never had any problem finding wifi hot spots. Sometimes the connect is VERY slow. We tend to only use wifi at night in the hotel.

Lost,

I use the same method as Frank and prefer to keep my Passport with me.

Regarding your iPhones, they may or may not work in Europe, depending on which model(s) you're using and which U.S. network you're with. A few points to consider.....

• Verizon iPhone 4 models will not work in Europe, but 4S and later will. If your phones will work, you'll have to address the issue of data roaming which can be VERY expensive.
• If your home network offers a roaming package for Europe, that will likely be the easiest option.
• Keep in mind that if you travel with your home number, you'll be subject to receiving calls from the U.S. at unexpected times, including the "wee hours" of the morning. You'll be paying for EACH incoming call. Even if you tell your friends not to call you while you're travelling, you may still receive a few.
• Your phone chargers will be configured for use on 220 VAC electrical systems, however you WILL have to pack along some Plug Adaptors.
• Even when using Wi-Fi in hotels, you'll probably have to use a Password, which you can obtain from the front desk.
• There will be a charge for texts, often about 60¢ for each sent text, with received texts Free (however, that will depend on the terms of your cellular roaming plan).
• If you're using an App such as Viber, you can send texts for FREE via Wi-Fi and even make video calls to other Viber users. However one important caveat to mention - if you have the Use Cellular Data For tab switched "ON" for Viber, it may override the "cellular data off" switch and thus incur extra charges. I forgot to verify that on my last trip, but will try it on my next trip.

You need to present your passport not only when checking into a hotel, but also when leaving luggage at the baggage check room at a train station.

Years ago, I recall having to show my passport when I purchased tickets for the Colosseum in Rome.

I always carry my passport along with credit/debit cards & extra money in my money belt.

I always carry my passport. It once was stolen (poor placement on my part), and the U.S. Consulate replaced it in less than an hour. Bank and credit cards (except for Amex) were much more difficult (time to receive replacements).

It's the law. Someone on Trip Advisor asked "do you carry a copy of your drivers license at home, or the real deal....what's the chance you will be pulled over?" Same thing. I plan on carrying it in a money belt part of the time, I'm going to buy a small silky one for women, sometimes I'll carry it in my pacsafe purse, sometimes in a hidden neck wallet. I'm even considering buying one of the black tanks with the 2 hidden pockets on the side....will have to wear the tank under something. There's a T shirt like that fir men. It's going to be a pain!

As far as phones and texting, if you get pay for an international phone plan for a month, wouldn't that take care of all the roaming and individual fees?

The legal requirement is that everybody should have some official ID at all times. Italians bring with them their ID cards and they are routinely checked (for example, stores accepting credit cards may ask you to show an ID with the same name and a photo). Foregneirs should bring their passports and, if they are legal immigrants, their permesso di soggiorno as well.

If you are required to show an ID and you cannot, you can be brought to a police station for the time necessary to identify you - in other words, the officer won't gladly follow you, you will be the one following the officer (gladly or not), they will phone to the hotel to check, etc.

After 15 years of traveling in Europe I must be getting sloppy because we always secure our passports at the hotel, as we spend our day out and about site seeing we have never been asked to show a passport and I figure all we have to do is give our hotel info and get our passports if something happened. I don't want to loose my passport and figure if we get pick pocketed or bag stolen that would be worse, than an explanation. Now Europe is pretty civilized to tourists, not like we are touring in a communist country. When we went to China yes I had my passport and Visa with me at all times.

Dang, if you are living in Deerfield Florida you are definitely a Lost Angeleno. As Ken has advised check your carrier for your iPhones to be certain you can use them in Europe. Research, research, research.

Wifi is fairly prevalent through out Italy.

Lastly, use the money belt and carry the passport. Better safe than sorry in case something happens.

Oh and don't expect free wifi in Starbucks. Unless things have changed in the last five years there are no Starbucks in any of the cities you mentioned. There is wonderful brewed Italian coffee though. Bliss.

I'm in the not-carrying-my-passport-around camp. Leave it behind in the hotel safe instead. However, I do carry my drivers license around as form of ID. That one is also the one I hand over when I get an audio guide and need to leave ID with them for security. I wouldn't feel too bad if my DL vanishes, less hassle to replace than a passport.