SIM card with Italy and US phone numbers?

Never heard of such a thing. Which SIM card was it that you bought before?

Interesting...

All the foreign SIM cards I’ve purchased only give me that country’s local phone number.

I don't remember the name of the card. I'll have to go trace my steps online. It was really nice because my USA family could call me using the number, which had a NY area code.

I've never come across such a thing - it sounds interesting.
My recent phones have all been dual sim card so that I can continue to use my UK number, plus a local Sim for data if travelling outside of Europe.

You can get a US Skype number. At least you could awhile back, I haven't done it in a couple of years.

TimW - I think my iPhone has dual SIM capability - but I don't know how that works. This is a stupid question - if I buy an Italian SIM card so I have access to a local number and data, do I need an international plan with ATT in case somebody calls me on the ATT SIM card?

There are no SIMS that would offer this ability, but in answer to your last question with respect to using the dual sim option - Yes, you could buy and use a local sim which would give you a local number and data access. To receive incoming calls and/or use your ATT number, you would need an international plan for your ATT account. Obviously once you have arrived and acquired a local sim and number - record a new voicemail on your ATT number with your Italian number so people can reach you without you having to rack up huge roaming charges for inbound calls.

Yes, there are companies that will sell you a SIM and preserve your Home phone number. Basically what they are doing is providing you a SIM with a local number and then set it up so that when someone calls your home number, they are forwarded to your new number. This is more expensive than just a SIM obviously, but handy, and you are receiving an additional service, plus you can get it before you travel.

I have no connection or interest in the following link, and have not used them, but offer it as an example, you would need to figure out if it works for you.
http://www.onesimcard.com/international-sim-card/

Added: Regarding Dual Sim Capability, I could be wrong, but last I looked a year or two ago, no phones sold in the US market had dual SIM capability, that may have changed, or if you purchased overseas, then you might have it. If anyone knows of dual SIM phones available in the US, would like to know.

The last couple of years I've traveled to Europe, I've had a Dutch Vodafone SIM that obviously gives me a Dutch phone number...and Google Hangouts, set to ring for incoming calls on my Google Voice US phone number. I had in effect what vojo is asking for (an Italian SIM would work too).

Google is ditching Hangouts by the end of this year, though, and the partial replacement is an expanded Google Voice app with VOIP capability. In other words, people can now call me on the Google Voice number even when I'm on WiFi only (phone in airplane mode with WiFi on). But, that works only if I have a valid SIM in the phone. With Hangouts, I can receive calls on a spare phone with no SIM card at all. The Google Voice app seems not to support incoming calls that way (but does work for making calls).

Will Google Voice work to receive incoming calls with my Vodafone SIM? Not sure - will find out next time I travel with it! At worst, I would get notified of missed calls and voicemails and just call the person back for free with Google Voice.

The suggestion above to get a Skype number was a good one, though. At worst, I think it's only $18 for three months for unlimited incoming calls. You could call out with Google Voice (or Hangouts til later this year).

Latest iPhones, Samsung, and a whole bunch of really cheep ones at Walmart all have dual SIM capability. Not really a selling point in the US since most phone companies don't promote multinational phone plans much.

I don't have that much interest in them, so far anyway, so not sure how they work or what costs would be involved with keeping your US SIM while in Europe and using a SIM from there for local calls.

I have used a service for years that gives me a local number for every country in Europe. Since I have SIM cards that I swap out for whatever European country I'm in I use the same GSM standard phone. When I call back to the US I am only using the seconds it takes to dial the local number. Last summer in Denmark and Sweden I called my husband daily, talked as long as I wanted for 3 weeks and spent around $30 USD.

This is the service I have used for years.
http://www.enjoyprepaid.com

I have used a service for years that gives me a local number for every country in Europe. Since I have SIM cards that I swap out for whatever European country I'm in I use the same GSM standard phone. When I call back to the US I am only using the seconds it takes to dial the local number. Last summer in Denmark and Sweden I called my husband daily, talked as long as I wanted for 3 weeks and spent around $30 USD.

If you had used Google Hangouts, it would have been free. (on WiFi, anyway)

Has to be a landline call for my husband. Does not use a computer and VIOP has to have a rock solid connection because he has hearing issues. Plus I like having a phone with SIM card for local calls anyway especially when I am walking on trails with no WIFI.

Has to be a landline call for my husband.

I've made lots of calls to landlines with Hangouts. Free, to US numbers. (Same with the new Google Voice app.) Your husband won't have any idea how you are calling him. You dial his number in Hangouts and he answers on the landline.

I would be willing to try those apps again but unless the WIFI is extremely robust the drop outs and/or lag time were very difficult with hearing issues. I use the what's app to call my friends in Mexico and the UK which in my experience has more clarity than Google hang outs .

Hangouts is far from perfect, but it has worked very well for me for long phone calls over the last year or two. WhatsApp and every other VOIP app will also need a good WiFi or mobile connection to work well.

Google Voice's VOIP capability (with which you can also call US landlines for free) seems to be an improvement over Hangouts for sure. Call quality is better. By this time next year, Hangouts is supposed to be retired, anyway.

Worth mentioning for others reading the thread, the various Apps are great for saving money and keeping in contact....as long as you can plan out calls and do them when you have Wi-Fi. For people trying to get a hold of you, or for calling others in your group while wandering, not so great, same with needing to use data for maps, looking things up, etc. I usually have two phones with me, one with a local SIM, and then my home phone, however will be switching to Google Fi soon, that will give me roaming voice and Data at no extra cost across Europe and allow me to ditch the extra phone.

Worth mentioning for others reading the thread, the various Apps are great for saving money and keeping in contact....as long as you can plan out calls and do them when you have Wi-Fi. For people trying to get a hold of you, or for calling others in your group while wandering, not so great

I'm not sure what you mean. I used Google Hangouts for a year or more for incoming calls on WiFi and mobile data (don't need to at the moment). It wasn't perfect, but then again, neither is regular cell service. On my cell phone now, I miss "real" calls occasionally anyway - doesn't everyone? My parents have regular Verizon service - usually their service is great, but occasionally they miss or drop calls too.

Unless you have an urgent need to be reached on your cell phone at the highest possible reliability while on vacation, then the free apps like Hangouts and Google Voice work great. People can email or text you too if you don't get the call. Or they can just call again and hope you get the call next time.

Obviously other people have a different junk calls to wanted calls ratio than I do -- our kids know to use WhatsApp or email, the alarm company and the dogsitter have their number for emergencies, and we get a rest from scam/hangup calls and unwanted texts by putting U.S. phones on vacation hold and using a European SIM.

I have a dual (dumb) sim phone that I use in Europe, so maybe you mean a dual sim phone with one Italian sim and an American sim.
I don’t know if iPhone offers that capability, mine (iphone8) does not. Other smartphones have dual sim capabilities. It is indeed very useful in Europe.

I have a OnePlus 5, which is a dual sim phone