Good day to all!
We are traveling to Italy at the end of August for the first time and first time for me, I decided I'd like to have a working smart phone on me. Generally for the use of Google maps and such, which I find very handy. Will be taking a GSM phone that accepts SIM cards, but not sure where to get the SIM card or exactly how it works. Please advise if this should be bought when there or if I should get one in advance? Thanks!
First of all you must make sure your smart phone is unlocked or you won't be able to load another SIM card. Contact your home mobile provider to see if you can unlock it. Generally you can do so after 2 years from subscribing the contract. To unlock it your mobile provider will give you a code which you must enter when you insert another SIM card.
When you arrive in Italy look for a phone store. The major mobile providers in Italy are Vodafone, TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) and also Wind. They have stores (or authorized dealers) everywhere, sometimes in some airports as well. I can help locate the closest for you if you tell me where you arrive.
Once at the store you can request them to load a SIM card with an Italian telephone number with a data plan. It requires no contract and you can purchase just one month. They come as cheap as €25 for the month, with several € of voice minutes and SMS messages included (also in Europe you pay only for outbound calls, not for receiving calls, therefore they are convenient if people want to reach you while you are there).
I've got a pretty good handle on everything (we'll see!) for our trip except the cell phone part.
So I'll do what you suggest Robert, and get a SIM card, probably at the airport. I'll need to give this Italian phone number to everyone back home who may need to contact me while I'm gone, right? (With a warning that it will be an international cell for them)
What happens to the voicemails and texts that go to my original number? I'll probably want to check them a couple times.... Do I put my original SIM card back in for a few moments to do this? That will be international calling then?
Thanks for your patience with me!
Peg
As another approach, you might check with your current cell phone carrier. I have Verizon, and I found their international plan, combined with wifi and Skype, to work well for me. I have an iPhone 5, and on my last trip $50 worth of data was more than enough to cover me for almost a month in Italy. Calls were less than a dollar a minute when I had to use their plan, rather than Wi-Fi.
A few trips ago, I bought a European cell phone and SIM card. However, I found it to be more of a hassle than I wanted to deal with. For obvious reasons, all the messages, alerts, and instructions for installing "time" are in Italian; I'm not particularly adept with technology or languages, so I had to find someone who spoke Italian to deal with the phone whenever those messages came up.
It's been much easier for me to use my US carrier and phone number.
I'll need to give this Italian phone number to everyone back home who may need to contact me while I'm gone, right? (With a warning that it will be an international cell for them)
Correct
All Italian cell numbers have a 3 digit area code starting with 3 (the 330's are assigned to TIM, while the 340's are assigned to Vodafone for example). The number must be preceded by Italy's code, which is 39. For example your Italian cell phone number might be something like:
+ 39 (333) 555 5555 (Tim)
+ 39 (347) 555 5555 (Vodafone)
The + is the international outbound code. From a cell phone you just need to dial a +, but from a land line in the US the + sign stands for 011, which must be dialed before the rest of the number.
The call from the US will be a call to an international cell phone, which is more expensive than calling an international land line (my long distance carrier charges me US$ 0.36 per minute to call an Italian cell phone from the US). Let your family be aware of that price when they call you, so that they don't stay on the phone too long. If you have a tablet or smart phone it is a good idea to use Skype while connected to the hotel wifi for talking to the US, that would be free.
What happens to the voicemails and texts that go to my original number? I'll probably want to check them a couple times.... Do I put my original SIM card back in for a few moments to do this?
Yes.
That will be international calling then?
No.
Since you are calling your voicemail (a US number) from your US cell number. However you will pay international roaming charges which range from US$ 0.99 to 1.29 per minute for most US carriers.
Note:
Using your Italian SIM card is simple, just ask the store to install for you. Also ask to explain how to access the voice messages left on your Italian number. Not sure if the voice message prompts come in Italian only or if you can change the language to English. In any case you just have to know two digits: the digit to press for "play the message" and the digit to press to "erase the message". The store can provide that for you and any Italian who uses the same carrier (for example Vodafone) can tell you anything you need, the prompts are the same if they have the same provider. For example I can never remember what I have to do with my Vodafone from one year to the next, but many of my relatives have Vodafone, so I just ask them. For example to know how much money you have left in your sim card before having to fill it again, just dial 904 and Vodafone will send you an SMS with the amount left.
Thanks very much for all the helpful info.
I am actually planning to use an unlocked phone that was previously used in the US for a month to month plan. So, I think the SIM card is the best way to go. Sounds like a reasonable deal. :)
Roberto -thank you so much for your help. By George, I think I've got it! ( and I'll be copying and pasting your info into my notes for next week when I "lose it " again!!!)
Sherry- thanks for the advice- I'll see what Sprint would charge me.
You all are the best!
Peg
