Phone use

If you have AT&T in the US, why not just use that while in Italy? I just got back and all I used was my AT&T. $10/month and everything worked great.

That doesn't include data though?? I see $10/day for international data. I miss t mobile...

I think the AT&T rate is $10/day, on the days you use it in Europe. That $10/month rate is a stateside add-on for long distance calling outside the US.

Happy to hear otherwise.

@ jimswms

This seems to be the most common explanation on the internet:

If you are a regular internet data user, it may be worth investing in a separate ‘internet data only’ SIM so you don’t unintentionally rack up a sky-high bill on your primary phone bill.

Dual-SIM devices allow users to switch between the two SIM cards depending on the task you’re up to. This means that you can you can switch from your primary phone line to the cheap data card if you fancy a bout of streaming.

Thanks @periscope

That is what I want to do. It doesn't appear to be clear in my phone, but I just setup my wife's iPhone, and they handle it a little better.

But still with this caveat, from Apple, correct:

Your iPhone can use one cellular data network at a time.
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"Just occasional calls. AT&T has wifi calling. No issue there."

Have you seen this AT&T support page with respect to WiFi calling?

Yeah. It seems pretty clear. To test, I turned my phone to airplane mode, turned wifi on, and calling worked. Hopefully, that will work in italy the same??

After messing with my Samsung and a couple iPhones, apple definitely makes allocating to random Sims much clearer.

Have you already checked apple’s instructions regarding dual SIM settings? I have not tried it myself so I can’t verify that this works.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209044

We have AT&T as our mobile carrier. We tried going the route of purchasing a SIM card once at our destination. Personally, we've had issues more than once making the SIM cards work. We've just started using the AT&T Int'l Day Pass plan with very good results. It's not the cheapest. But, it's simple and we chalk it up to the cost of travel and staying connected. I especially love that our mobile phone number stays the same. In our experience, we did not have to pay any extra for data used while traveling abroad. I recall when talking with an AT&T rep on the phone that your data plan stays intact with the Day Pass and you get whatever limit your plan has when in the US. I was warned that rates were higher for data exceeding your plan when abroad though. That has never been an issue for us.

I just got back from Italy and I have AT&T and I only used the international plan for $10/day and it definitely included data. It was no different than using my phone in the US. AT&T also tells you that you can't be charged more than $100 per billing cycle. It is definitely the easiest way to go.

"AT&T also tells you that you can't be charged more than $100 per billing cycle"

So if your trip overlaps 2 billing cycles, thats $200 - I'll pass and go with an 30-day in-country purchased SIM card for $30, complete with mega-data and, if needed, mega-minutes.

Yeah, weighing the ease vs cost, $10/day is robbery IMHO, but we need to do what is best for our situation. I had t mobile for awhile, but then moved somewhere rural where t mobile service is horrible. They include data in over 100 countries. Got to take advantage of that several times.

I think in the end, Holafly esim will work fine for data. My wife will just turn her att sim on to call her mother.

"My wife will just turn her att sim on to call her mother"

That's $10, each time the toggle is switched to AT&T - I just purchase Skype minutes, and I am able to call both cellular and landlines anywhere - Skype minutes are cheap and they work on the data side

Yeah. Her mom can barely handle a landline. That will never happen and is the real issue here!

"Her mom can barely handle a landline"

So how does her mom receive calls, if not on here home phone (landline) ?

Landline only! If she can find it:)

I'm telling you, Skype minutes are the way to go - been using them for years with a Data only SIM card.

I guess I should've clarified.
My inlaw can't even wrap her head around streaming. What time is (pick random tv show) on? Anytime, Bobbie. Anytime. It's too much. Skype? Way too complicated. What's app is the real solution to this issue, but that's waaay next level for this situation.

One last comment, and you'll likely be glad to hear that - the incoming call on the landline has zero to do with Skype (Skype IS NOT Facetime) - it's just another incomimg call - and it's a 15-second sign-in on the Skype App to make the call - once the 1st call is made the the number is there and it's a tap to put through the next call. Anyway, to eeach their own.

I simply refuse to pay the extortion fees charged by NA providers for overseas useage.

Or just go with T-Mobile. Likely cheaper than your AT&T, usage in Europe generally included. Did that this year, works great.

Periscope
I didn't know that. Thanks, I'll check into it. Wifi calling will likely be fine for this but nice to know

Does Mum-in-Law have a neighbour or other family member, that you could arrange with to use their devices and have her come over to use Skype or facetime with you?

Periscope answered the question. But just to be sure: You use the Skype app on your phone to call home to mother. You call her normal landline number. It rings like normal. Skype charges you for making a call over data to a US landline, but the cost is pennies a minute. You can make the call over a wifi connection or through the data on a foreign SIM card. Skype still charges you. It doesn't provide the data you use, but making a connection to a phone line from Skype costs it money so you incur a charge.

You load credit on your Skype account beforehand (and you can auto refill your credit with a credit card set on your account). If Mom wants to call her daughter, she calls her regular AT&T number. If daughter is on wifi (but still also in airplane mode), the call comes through. Otherwise mother has to leave a voicemail.

The only Skype calls that are free are connections from one data source to a another Skype user on a data connection. That is not what we are talking about here.

Google Voice and some other services work the same way.

Yeah, Skype works great to call any phone including landlines for a few cents per minute. You have to buy a block of credit like $10 at once.

Google Voice is similar except FREE to call any phone IN THE US including landlines and a few cents a minute to call non-US numbers. Google Voice also gives you a second US phone number that people can text and you can text back from for free and receive voicemails on, if you want to give it out as "message" phone number while you are traveling. Skype doesn't give you a regular phone number for free like Google does.

The person on the other end does not need to do anything to receive a regular phone call from Skype or Google Voice.

Both Skype and Google Voice work with just WiFi (if you want) and no actual SIM card or cell service.