We will only be traveling in Italy. Verizon has told me they have unlocked my phone for travel.
1. Any suggestions on where to purchase a sim card?
2. Do I buy it when I get there and assume that where I purchase it from will make sure it works or do I buy it now and hope it works when I get there?
3. What should they cost?
Any additional advice would really be helpful.
Thanks
You can buy a SIM card (with an Italian phone number) in any mobile phone store or authorized dealer of the 4 major mobile phone providers in Italy:
TIM
VODAFONE
WIND
3 (tre)
They are ubiquitous and the shop assistants will install everything for you. In major cities the staff speaks English (and sometimes in small towns too, provided they are young. Most young Italians speak English to some degree).
The basic cost is €10 (with €5 of available voice/text). The SIM cards are rechargeable at any store (tobacconist or newstand) displaying the provider logo. Tobacconists can recharge them for you online, all they need is the phone number and the provider (e.g. Tim, Vodafone etc).
Data plans for smart phones are for a minimum of one month and cost more. The price for one month only ranges depending on the volume of data you need (expressed in Gigabytes). Vodafone 4G plan for 15Gb is €35. TIM's 4G for 10Gb is €30. That's way more than you will need for the time you go there. There are also cheaper plans for a lower amount of Gb and it's as low as under €10 for up to 1Gb.
All the info you need is here:
http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Italy
My experience (with a dumb phone) has been just as Roberto describes.
Just came back from a 30 day trip to Italy. Did as Roberto said, got a SIM card on arrival and used it for the 30 days. Restaurant reservations, B&B contacts and an emergency (something left at a B&B) all were handled well. Oh, I also had a dumb phone.
Can i purchase them at the Rome Airport or the Rome train station?
Stores are both inside and near the Termini train station.
I think there is also a recently opened TIM store at the terminal 1 (domestic flights) of Fiumicino airport, but I don't remember if it's after the security check, which you can't enter unless you have a boarding pass. Also you will be arriving at terminal 3 and I don't remember if there are phone stores there at the arrival hall.
The TIM store in Fiumicino terminal 1 is AFTER security, so you can't use it unless you have a flight arriving or departing from there. There are stores for the other Italian providers nearby (also past security, but further into the B gates area; the TIM store is right before the entrance to the B gates).
Thank you all. This helps a lot.
