ipad apps for Italy

Do not attempt to use your 4G. I turned my data off and strictly used wifi. Get the Skype app. IChat works too, or you can use FaceTime. I didn't have my iPad for Italy, but did have it in Spain & France. If you are a picture taker, get the adaptor to download your photos to your iPad. Instant gratification! I did that every couple of days. I don't know about other apps that can help you. Maybe do a search in the app store to see if there are apps for the places you are going. I was able to find apps for Barcelona and Paris.

Apps to check out: postagram, gate guru, flight view, noise box, wundermap (weather), kindle Data use in Italy is cheap through a local provider, so you don't have to rely solely on wifi. This trip advisor Rome forum post is informative http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k4835167-IPad_in_Italy-Rome_Lazio.html#36070721 Tried to set that up as a link but it didn't work. Edit: here's the link http://tinyurl.com/c7r5oxv

As others have said, don't use the 4G. Rely on internet. You have Facetime on the iPad, if others have apple devises with this, it's fantastic to use! Other wise, you'll have to use Skype. I used Facetime to talk to my kids from France last fall, it was fantastic. They both have iphone with Facetime, so that's how we talked, and it didnt' cost any of us any money. It's been a few years since our last trip to Italy, but in France each night we had access to the internet. In Italy 3 years ago, it was spotty at the hotels, but we did manage to connect a few times (before my ipad, I traveled with my iphone and surfed the web and checked email with that) As far as apps go a currency converter and/or units converter is nice to have. Make sure you have photos from home to share and lots of music if you'd like. I'd totally recommend downloading a movie or two before you go..you can rent them from the iTunes store. We really enjoyed kicking back in our hotel room one night late in the trip and watching a movie in English! Not that we didn't love France, but it was nice to watch something beside the BBC! I downloaded in France and it took longer than it took to watch the movie..that's why I recommend doing it before you leave and have a few ready to watch...if not in the hotel, then on a train, or even on your flights over / back.

> Google translate, if you don't speak the language in the country you're visiting. > Of course, Rick Steves Audio Europe ... but download the walking tours/tracks before you go or use WiFi.

iTreni is the new App that I have just downloaded based on a tip from a earlier post. It is a front-end view of Train Italia's train schedule and price. It seems useful enough that I will bring it with me.

We used the TripAdvisor app. When you're on wi-fi, it can find your location and show locations and links for TripAdvisor reviews for nearby restaurants. It works great!

A couple of posters above have suggested that you not use your 4G in Europe. But, they didn't tell you why. When using your 4G in Europe, you are roaming. The roaming charges will be frightful. There's a person out of my Verizon store that used his 4G a lot on a business trip to China. His bill approached $4,000. I can't predict the impact in Europe but Roaming is Roaming wherever you are. Use your wi-fit whereever you can.

Anne, I love the Tripit App. I used it a few years ago & am using it again for our upcoming trip. It's a centralized place to put all your itinerary details (flights, hotel reservations, hotel ph#'s/addresses, tour details, miscellaneous information, etc.). You can input as much or as little information as you want. You can print it out & leave a copy with someone so they know your whereabouts. You can e-mail Tripit all of your details & they can input it for you but I prefer to do it myself. This replaced my old system of using a spreadsheet to track everything. When I used it in 2009 I was able to access my itinerary offline without having to use wifi...I'm hoping this hasn't changed. You can access your itinerary from a computer or via the app. I use the free version & it's really handy.

Once again, for all the people that say not to use 4G in Italy, data is cheap in Italy through a local provider. In fact it is cheaper than the US month to month plans offered by AT&T and Verizon. Please click the link in my above post for the information.

If you have AT&T service for your 4G iPad, there is an International Data Plan for this. It is VERY expensive, but you get a certain amount of prepaid data for a fixed fee. I used my iPad in France and Italy last September and never had to turn on 4G as I was able to get WiFi at all of our accommodations. Now, if you intend to use your iPad on the go, you will need this 4G coverage, but use it sparingly.

I was listening to a technical discussion on my way home last night that stated, quite authoritively - it was Which? tech forum, the British equivalent to Consumer Reports - that the 4G as sold will never work on 4G in the UK and parts of Europe. The built in frequencies do not match the carriers here. There was discussion that Apple may be required to change the name used here because it will only work on the US version of 4G, which is actually closer to 3.5G. When 4G is widely released here next year it will use 3 different frequencies and be much faster, starting at over 10 and going up from there. FWIW

I have read the same thing, though some articles say 4G in Europe is spotty now and further down the road in most places. Perhaps it's coming quicker to the UK. I haven't read anything to indicate that US-sold iPads won't work when it does happen, only that 4G won't be available but that 3G (and slower) will.

Thanks everyone for such helpful replies - I am going to rely on wi-fi which is available in the hotels I've booked. I'd like to be able to download maps and travel guides - any recommendations? so far the maps I've found do not seem optimized for the new ipad and the resolution is poor

A couple of map apps for you to look at- Off Maps has maps of Venice, Florence and Bologna. They also download Wikipedia articles on major points of interest. Maps 2Go is a more highly rated series - as in Venice2Go if your searching in the app store. I didn't find Bologna or Florence. I have the Rome version of both of these and they both offer very clear and detailed maps. The big feature is once downloaded they work without any internet connection. They use the devices own built in GPS to show you where you are on the map. Happy travels

My iPad came factory unlocked, so I picked up a TIM data SIM card in Venice and used it with great success for our 2 1/2 week trip in 2010-they had a 3GB/month option for about €30 at that time. I believe all iPads come unlocked, so you do not have to use the expensive AT&T roaming data service-this was true for France as well. Just take your iPad to a local TIM or Vodafone store and ask them to sell you a data microSIM for your iPad-the TIM store in Cannaregio set mine up while I waited so I could verify that it worked before I left the store.

My iPad came factory unlocked, so I picked up a TIM data SIM card in Venice and used it with great success for our 2 1/2 week trip in 2010-they had a 3GB/month option for about €30 at that time. I believe all iPads come unlocked, so you do not have to use the expensive AT&T roaming data service-this was true for France as well. Just take your iPad to a local TIM or Vodafone store and ask them to sell you a data microSIM for your iPad-the TIM store in Cannaregio set mine up while I waited so I could verify that it worked before I left the store.