Hi!
We will be in Italy for 2 weeks in july. We want to get a plan for my unlocked cell phone. We need internet ( map, reservations, Facebook, trip advisor, this forum) and minutes that alows us to make calls to Canada.
Idealy we would be able to pick it un FCO when we arrive. I know Tim got a plan for travellerw, but can we Found better and/or cheaper ?
Roaming would cost us 100cdn$
Thanks !
TIM and Vodafone have similar plans for travelers.
One is called TIM FOR VISITORS the other VODAFONE HOLIDAY. Details are linked below.
They both cost 30€ for the month. With TIM you get more data less international voice and SMS text messages. With Vodafone you get less data but more international voice and SMS texts
http://www.vodafone.it/portal/Privati/Tariffe-e-Prodotti/Tariffe/Estero/Vodafone-Holiday-English
https://www.tim.it/tim-visitors-en
There are also plans that are probably less expensive for people who live in Italy. Those offers vary from time to time. The problem is they are generally for people who live there, so although the monthly fee is super low, however there is an initial fee, so it doesn’t pay for just a month. Secondly they may not have international calls deals, so it would be cheap if you use data only, but if you make calls to Canada your credit is gone quickly and you must add money constantly. In any case check if they have something else available now. I generally get Vodafone because I have a country house where Tim doesn’t pick up a strong signal. But I travel with a mini IPad so I also buy a SIM for the iPad for 20€ and get huge amount of data and I can use it anywhere, I don’t need to look for a free WiFi hot spot.
TIM has a store in Terminal 3 at FCO. Very easy to get their TIM for Visitors card (€30) and have your phone switched over even before you leave the airport. It includes 100 minutes. Consider using one of the apps to make free calls if you plan to call home a lot. Simplest thing to do is pay for the card online and just present the voucher at the TIM desk.
Hunting for a cheaper card will take time, might be confusing to activate and could provide bad service.
If you have to make long calls to phones in Canada, another option is to buy some Skype or Google Hangouts credit ($10 in a block) then just use Skype or Hangouts to call phones. This will use data from the SIM unless you are on WiFi.
Thanks a lot for those answers ! I recall reading somewhere that the Tim at FCO is not a real Tim and that its sometimes hard to get them accept the voucher. And they sometimes add a fee over the voucher.
And a Skype block is a good idea..but I still need data
Well, we've had recent reports of people successfully using the TIM voucher at the airport store, so I wouldn't worry so much about that. Personally, I'd be more worried about having to wait at a TIM store in line (if there is one) - and I just hate to wait, especially if I've just arrived from a long flight. I want to get going. I'd hate to have this TIM voucher in my hand and be stuck using it when I might get a Vodafone SIM instead or something.
Yes, I would highly recommend a SIM with data. The Skype idea was in addition to that, in case you can buy a SIM without international calling minutes (or not many minutes). To me, if you have to pay say 10 euros more for a SIM with international calling minutes in addition to data, it would make more sense to buy the cheaper SIM with data and buy the Skype credit - because you can keep it after your trip and use it in the future, if you don't use it on this trip. But your SIM minutes will be gone in a month whether you use them or not.
Thanks once again ! Does Vodafone or Tim have a data only SIM card ?
Not sure - you can read more here, but sometimes the data-only SIMs, if they have them, will work only in tablets not in phones.
I’ve exchanged my voucher at FCO at the TIM Store on 2 separate occasions and never had a problem. It is a company owned and run location. Very quick transaction. The clerks know exactly what you want, remove your old sim, install the new one and get you on your way in less than 15 minutes. Considering how much a trip to Europe costs, the expense of purchasing a SIM is minimal. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to save a couple of Loonies!
