Italy Trip, Variety of Questions

Posted by jpaz1007 on 06/01/22 04:59 AM

Hello Everyone,

This will be my first time posting here but after looking through a few posts it looks like you all have great experience and insight! I have some random questions for my honeymoon in Italy this September (2022) and was hoping to get some information from people. This will be my first time traveling to Europe.

Cities I will be traveling to if you're interested:
- Venice
- Lucca
-Florence
-Rome
-Pompeii/ Torre del Greco

My first question is have anyone here used the Italian Mobile Carrier Iliad, possibly when using an IPhone? Was it easy to get the internet working? From my research they are newer but have great reviews and prices. We arrive in Italy by plane into Venice, and I was planning on purchasing a SIM when arriving on the Island of Venice on the way to our AirBnB because I've read you shouldn't purchase a SIM card in the Venice airport due to it being a lot more expensive. Bonus points if you can tell me if you've purchased their sim in Venice/whole experience ;)

Second question is regarding the 72hr Rome metro pass. I know that the time starts on your first trip, and that you only need to validate it once, but do you still validate it at one of the validation stands, or can you just put it in the machine that lets you in? If i don't go the pass route and just buy singular tickets, if i am transferring from one line to another, does that require another ticket? For example, I am staying near the Vatican and would like to take the subway to the Colosseum. I know that the Metro pass is really only for people taking many trips, but its tempting to purchase for convenience.

Third, any experience getting your Covid test in Naples to come back to the US? We will be flying out of Naples.

I will probably think of more later, but the SIM card portion has been making me the most nervous so far as it will make finding and communicating with AirBnb hosts much easier.. Let me know if you all need clarification.

Thank you!
Julian

Posted by Roberto da Firenze ⚜

San Francisco Bay Area (USA)

06/01/22 07:05 AM

16168 posts

Any mobile carrier will do in your case. You are traveling primarily in urban areas where the signal should be ok with any. Since you are staying in Italy less than a month, the amount of savings involved will be insignificant. We are talking of just a few euro a month difference for comparable plans. That might make a difference to Italians who need it for 12 months, but for less than a month I wouldn’t fret over €5 or even €10 difference. I’ve never used Iliad (I am a Vodafone customer because it has good signal in my country house in Tuscany) but any company will do for you in the cities you are traveling. I don’t think there are any phone stores at the Venice airport. In the historical center you can find any. The store can switch your iPhone SIM card with the one you buy (the SIM card itself costs €10 on top of the monthly plan you choose). Be aware that people won’t be able to reach you to your American phone number since the SIM card will be out of the phone (any calls to your us number will go to voicemail, which you can retrieve later by switching back SIM cards. However even with the new Italian SIM card you will be able to use any of the apps installed in your iPhone. Make sure you have WhatsApp installed and become familiar with it, if you aren’t already. Italians use WhatsApp for everything, they rarely send regular SMS text messages. Actually make sure your contacts in the US have it too. You will be contacting your friends and family back in the US with WhatsApp as well. It’s free.

Rome
You can buy a BIT (Integrated Timed Ticket) ticket for €1.50. You validate it on the first means of transport (bus or subway) and it is valid for 100 minutes. As many transfers as you like within the 100 min however for the subway it is valid only for one entry through the turnstile (but still valid for 100 min for buses or trolley)
You can buy a carnet of 10 BIT tickets also.
Metrebus 24h for €7. Valid for 24h from the first stamp on any means of transport (bus or subway) as much as you like in any direction.
Metrebus 48h for €12.50, same as above but for 48 hours from the first stamp.
Metrebus 72h for €18, same as above for 72 hour from the first stamp.

Any pharmacy can give you a rapid test the day before your flights. Just inquire before in case you need an appointment, but in most cases you should be able to get it as a walk in. Italians pay €15 but I think foreigners not covered by the Italian National,Health service pay only €20 to €25.

Posted by Dario

Italy

06/01/22 09:44 AM

3812 posts

the validation stands, or can you just put it in the machine that lets you in

inside metro stations the "validation stands" and "the machine that lets you in" are the same thing. I think they are called turnstiles in British English?

anyone here used the Italian Mobile Carrier Iliad, possibly when using an IPhone?

I think Iliad is cheaper because they have no shops, only Sims printing machines in supermarkets and railway stations.

You can pick a plan with no texts included, like Tim's that has only talking time and tons of gigas. Before sliding the new SIM in your iPhone you MUST turn this option off.

Otherwise your iPhone could send texts to the USA and you could block the SIM by going negative. I have read some messages by people who were 100% that Tim was scamming them asking more money, in truth it was their iPhones who had been sending texts to US numbers for days.