Phones

My trip is in a few weeks so this information is what I've read about the topic. I think it depends on what you need the phones for. Are you going to be calling within Italy to make reservations etc. Do you want to have multiple phones within your family so that you can call each other if you want to split up and go to different sites? For that purpose, it seems that it would best to purchase cheap prepaid cell phones in Italy or if you have an unlocked US cell phone that runs on a GSM network you can just buy a prepaid sim card and put it in your phone in Italy. Verizon's network is not GSM so most, if not all, their phones won't work in Italy. Now, if you have a phone from AT&T (which is GSM and should work), and you use it in Italy it is very expensive. About 3 dollars a minute and they may charge roaming charges on top of that. You'll need to look at your provider's website or call them. If you need to be in constant contact with the U.S. for business or something then you need to look further into the prepaid cell option to determine that is a good option for that.

joanne, To begin with, it would help to know whether you currently have a Cell phone, and which network you're with. To summarize briefly...... If you're currently using a quad band, unlocked GSM phone, you can use it either with your home cellular plan (an international roaming package will reduce the rates), use a SIM from one of the travel phone firms, or buy a SIM when you arrive in Europe. Regarding Verizon, I believe they offer "loaner" phones which can be used up to a month. The rates are not ideal, but for occasional use that's acceptable for some people. You'll have to contact their C.S. staff for the details. Which option to choose will depend to some extent on how you plan to use the phone while travelling (ie: lots of voice calls, mostly text messages, whether you need to receive calls from home, etc.) Good luck!

I've only been reading the Board for a short time and I have seen many many threads that discuss virtually all aspects of mobile communication in Italy. Those threads are very informative, and those folks (not me) put a lot of effort into contributing information. Searching the Board is not difficult, and the method is explained by the Webmaster in one of the pinned postings at the top of the Board.

Thank you but I wanted to know what other people use. Your information was taken in consideration.

And that is exactly what Zalophus was trying to tell you. Those postings will tell you what the other people are doing and using.

And the Travel Tips section here has a pretty comprehensive article on cellphones in Europe by the man himself.

Joanne, to continue the excellent advice posted above- I use Verizon as my regular service provider. There are a number of posts on this exact topic where the answers are still valid for your question. IF you already use Verizon, you can get a loaner phone that will work in Europe or anywhere ese in the world, and it is free except for the shipping. They turn on the global phone and turn off your everyday phone when you call to activate. It is not a fancy phone, may or may not not have a camera/music capabilities, will have adapters, and you have to return ALL the pieces when you get home. You get to keep your current phone number. See other threads for pros and cons on that. Verizon does sell global ready phones for one's regular everyday service, so if you need to renew your contract with them, you can pay for one you can use anywhere. The global ones seem to be discounted but never free. I priced the world Droid I'd like for $149, but I'm not sure I'll stay with Verizon if I can find a better family plan this summer.
I don't have experience with other companies, but the world service with Verizon has been adequate and acceptable. The call charges are around $1.00- 1.59 a minute.

Joanne, Below is a link to a video by an American woman explaining how to buy a prepaid phone and sim card and how to add money to the phone. It is very easy to follow and covers the basics if you don't know much about sim cards etc. If you are considering that route it is very helpful. http://www.italylogue.com/planning-a-trip/how-to-set-up-a-prepaid-cell-phone-in-italy.html

Thank you all for helping me.

I bought a motorola v190 on ebay for $17 delivered, then bought a sim card in Milan for 10 euros which included 5 euros, or 40 min of talk time. You'll need to go to a phone store that will sell you the sim card. It was easy. Only problem is you will not have a phone number until you buy the sim card. The down side of buying a verizon plan is $1.29 per min. AND you will be receiving your normal, this is not an emergency phone calls from friends....at $1.29 per min!!!!! OUCH!