sim card options

I also have Verizon. Now that I travel more frequently and for longer periods, I wanted something more cost effective. I have used this SIM on multiple trips to Europe:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/vodafone-uk-sim-card-for-use-in-europe

That thread has all the details of the SIM I bought, the cost, setup, etc. I still keep the SIM active by sending a minimum of 1 text per 90 days (they say 180 days, but for 8p UK I don't wait that long.)

first off, ask yourself if you need a SIM. If you are renting a car then it's a good idea. You don't want to be stuck in rural Umbria with car trouble and no phone. But otherwise you may not need cell service. You can use skype or other wifi-enabled apps to make phone calls at low/no cost when at your hotel. I put $10 on skype credit 5 years ago and still have almost all sitting there (you need to make a call every few months to keep the account alive). Test the app out before you go of course.

If you do need a SIM, look at Google FI which is a no-contract service. You need a compatible unlocked phone (if you don't have one maybe you can borrow one from a friend) but their cost is $17/mos plus $10/GB in US or abroad, free texts here or abroad, and 20 cents/minute calling the US from abroad when using cell service (free on wifi). https://fi.google.com/about/plans/ Don't port your existing cell number, just let them give you a new one that you'll use.

If you have a recent vintage iPhone (11 or 12, possibly 10), it may support an eSIM. The GSM versions do, I don't know about Verizon. This also applies to recent higher end Androids, but even some mid-range Androids support eSIMs. An eSIM allows you to load a local provider SIM directly into the phone (I think they use a QR code). Note that I have not personally done this, but it is my plan for my next trip.

Previously, I have bought an international plan from AT&T, agree with OP they are pretty expensive. My son, OTOH, simply buys a local SIM.

OP may want to research "eSIM" for their particular phone.

thank you all for your replies! very helpful.

@cwsocial: love the link you provided! i will research every aspect in the thread.

@Jhon: ha! though i am not tethered to my phone like my students i do find 'maps' indispensable. also for transportation schedules, 'yelp' etc. i want to be able to call/text my airbnb host as i arrive in stopover cities/towns.

@alan: i just learned about 'esim' recently. i will definitely explore that. thanks!

I would recommend getting a local sim card for your phone, when you arrive.
An apartment we rented in Naples in 2019 would have been a disaster if one of us had not bought a local sim card.
No where on the booking site did it say that noone would be there to meet us on arrival at the apartment.
It was 35C degrees out, and we had no idea how to get in, no name on the bells outside, and no answer to any of the bells at all.
I had had many communications with the owner beforehand, and was not told this.
In the end we managed to get him on the phone, and he said he would open the door remotely for us and the keys were inside the apartment.
I've rented over 20 apartments in Italy, and that was the first time there was no one there at all to meet us.
We also had to call him the next day to tell him about a malfunctioning shower and drain.
So: get the local simcard!!
About 30 Euro at most, for Tim, Vodafone and others.
Make sure they give you a note with your new phone number on it!
You just never know when an actual phone will prove useful.

"verizon has a very expensive, $100 one-month plan with very little call, text, data allowance."

In addition, Verizon has a plan where for $10 a day (actually a 24 hour period), you can use the phone as you do at home (texts, calls, data). On days you do not use it, you are not charged. But be careful; I've read multiple reports of people who did not do anything that they thought constituted "usage," but something the phone did ended up triggering the $10 charge. So, if you are not planning to use the phone and don't want to be charged, be sure to put it in airplane mode.

The big advantage of doing this $10 per day plan is simplicity. You keep your number and don't have to do anything different from what you're used to. No need to swap SIM cards, give out a new number to friends and family, figure out how to dial from a foreign number, etc. The big disadvantage is cost. For a few days use, it can be worth it; for a longer trip, or one where you're using the phone every day, it can get very expensive.

@ harold: thank you for your suggestion. i will call verizon and find out more. this could be the best solution for me - to use the verizon plan just on the first day until i get the local sim card.

I’m in Italy now for the summer and purchased a SIM card from Vodafone when I arrived in Milan. Supposedly there are kiosks at the airport that sell SIM cards, but either because it was so early when we landed (7:00AM), or maybe they’re only in the other terminal, I waited until I got to Milano Centrale train station and got it there. It was very easy. There’s only one choice with Vodafone for tourists. I got 50Gbs of data, unlimited calls/texts to Italian phone numbers and I think 300 minutes of calls to foreign numbers. That cost €12. You have to pay for the card and initial fees, which brings it up to a total of €30, but for 30 days, I thought it was a good deal. I’m here for a few months, so when I refill it next week, I’ll pay €12 for another 50Gbs.

@bill: i am leaning more and more toward getting the sim card in italy. i'll look into vodaphone for tourists. thanks.