MXP ... cell phone booths?

Would it kill you to write Milan instead of MXP? It's only two more letters, after all.

not at all, I was addressing seasoned travelers who know exactly what MXP is. For those not ..Milan Italy. airport outside the city of Milan, Italy but actually located in Malpensa... .airport code MXP... about a 50km drive ....that better?

Sorry, Jim. It looked like code to me. I hope you get the answer you seek.

my apology for looking like it was code. I as asking about a cell provider at the airport who may provide a TIM ( Italian cell phone provider) a SIM card to enable my unlocked Galaxy S5 internet access. I guess my nomenclature was not correct for this subject.

When we landed at MXP last May (2014) there were no TIM stores outside security. We got our SIM card in the Milan Centrale train station.

Jim was asking a question specifically to one of the airports that serves Milan. It would have taken more than two letters to write "Milan Malpensa." His use of "MXP" was concise, and in the context of a travel forum geared towards Europe, I don't understand why this would cause any angst.

just make sure your phone is compatible with a GSM network. Otherwise you're out of luck.

ok Bob. No TIM stores. I'm driving from MXP ( Malpensa Airport) and will have to find a store elsewhere. Yes, my phone is GSM compatible.

Norma, no more caffeine for you. (^_^)

Jim,

Unfortunately I don't believe there are any TIM stores at Malpensa. There's a WIND store and a Dixon's electronics, but they're both inside security AFAIK. Where are you going after you land? You shouldn't have any trouble finding a shop in most towns.

The other option would be to use a travel SIM, as that would provide a working phone as soon as you step off the plane.

Ken, I'm driving to a apartment outside Florence. Travel SIM?

Jim,

There are many firms that provide cell phone service for travellers, either with a cell phone and SIM or just the SIM if customers have a compatible phone. Many of these use phone numbers based in the U.K., but they provide consistent rates throughout most countries in Europe. Billing is often on a post-paid basis so no worries about topping up, and some of these can be renewed from year-to-year for use on subsequent trips.

Have a look at the websites for Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Telestial, Mobal, Eurobuzz, One SIM or Max Roam for details on the plans and the pricing. I've been using one of these firms for several years and it's worked well. When I was using a basic Motorola flip phone the costs were very reasonable, but I'm using an iPhone now and adding data can increase the costs substantially.

The advantage is that I have a working phone as soon as I step off the plane, don't have to looking for the nearest cell shop, I don't have to bother with top-ups and the rates are the same for most countries. The rates are grouped in "zones" and most countries in western Europe is Zone 1, but Switzerland is not in that group. The websites have all the details.

Ken,

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out.