Rome Italy- Airport have TIM store?

Terminal 5 is a international departure check in area with no stores. Terminal 3 has the shops but no idea of a TIM card is available.

Although this was written almost two years ago, here is Ron In Rome's very thorough answer: http://www.roninrome.com/transportation/purchasing-a-phone-or-sim-at-fco-airport

Patrice, If you're heading into Rome, there are Cell shops at Termini station in the shopping mall one floor down from track level. As I recall, that includes a TIM store.

Yep, Termini station has a TIM store: http://tinyurl.com/oha8zbg

As I recall, when you arrive at Terminal 3 (which is where you would arrive for a direct flight from the States to Rome that does not first go through another EU city), you go straight to passport control/baggage claim, and then you exit to the non-secured/public arrivals area, where, as Ron in Rome points out, the options are limited. If you will be arriving on a flight from another European City -- for example, let's say you have a stop in Paris or Amsterdam before getting to Rome -- then you will probably arrive at Terminal 1, and there is a TIM store there inside the secured area, before you exit for baggage claim. I was just there recently. But you can always wait until you get to Termini, as Ken said, or stop at one of the many TIM locations in Rome after you arrive, if the airport does not work out.

I appreciate all you advise. I will be staying near the Termini. I also see you can order TIM on line and activate when you get to Italy...thus avoiding a trip to the TIM store, but I notice there is alot of registration that would have to be done by fax or email. Is it better to wait and pick up phone and TIM at Termini once you get to Italy or should I try and order vis internet? Is there a lag time once you activate TIM before you can use phone? Thanks again for your assistance.

I would do everything in person. The phone will work right away.

Unless you are fluent in Italian, I vote for doing it in person at the store. That way, someone who knows Italian will get it installed and deal with any recorded messages in getting it going. I used a European SIM card on one trip and found the hassle of installing and tracking time to be such a headache I've just used the Verizon intl plan since then and paid the difference. (I only know English well, and with a European SIM card, the messages and verbal installation instructions aren't... not surprisingly... in English.)

I would also vote for doing this in person at the store. When we travel to Italy I sign up for an international plan on my Verizon phone ($4.99/mo. and then $.99/minute, turn the data off and then use the free wi-fi at places we stay) but also purchase an Italian sim for an unlocked phone we bring along or for an Italian phone we purchased on a previous trip as it is much cheaper per minute. We have purchased mostly Vodafone sims while in Italy but on the last two trips we got Tim sim cards. It all depends on what store we pass first. Both companies have always been very helpful and put the sim card in and the phone is ready to use when you leave. I always ask them the rates on calls within Italy, calls to the U.S., texts within Italy, texts to the U.S, etc. I also find it convenient to just "top up" when purchasing the card as that saves time later on. My card this past July was 10 Euros but included 5 Euros of credit so I just added more right then to save a future stop. TIM sent me a text after each call I made with the remaining Euros.