I purchased a Nokia phone in Italy a couple years ago with TIM minutes. I'm assuming they have expired and even perhaps my phone number (which I don't know either!) I've been searching the web to find out if there's a TIM store at Malpensa's terminal 1 -- without luck. It appears there's one at Linate, but not at Malpensa. Anyone know where I can update my phone at Malpensa? Grazie mille!
Posted by
Las Vegas, NV, USA
6 posts
I don't know about Malpensa but at Fiumicino the TIM store is in the departure area and inaccessible to arriving passengers. Finding that tidbit out cost me two hours of wandering and asking. My suggestion is to forget buying chips at the airport because TIM appears to not see profit in selling SIMs to tourists who will use them for a couple of weeks at most.
I found a neighborhood TIM store near my hotel and all was easy after that. The SIMs cost $10E and functioned flawlessly in my unlocked GSM phones (4 of them). TIM doesn't make it easy to find stores (there's no "Find a store" section of their webpage) but I did find this link to a store-finder:
http://www.privati.tim.it/pr/pr_risultati/1,,,00.html?pag=1&tuttoS=true. Remember to type in the Italian city name (e.g. "Roma", "Firenze").
I bought Sony T200 European phones years ago for $50 on the Internet and they work great, less cost than a rental. I used the "Recarica Famiglia" plan: four phones can talk and text for one week for $5 total. This is not advertised in English and not intended for tourists but they will sell it to you.
Beware of roaming on your existing GSM phone, the charges can give you a post-trip nightmare.
Posted by
Eugene, OR, USA
14 posts
The URL you provided is no longer valid. I know that there was a site like this, because I found it and used it several years ago. Can you find the current URL (or correct the one you gave) so that we can all link to it. Grazie mille!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Angela, do you realize that this thread is from 2 1/2 years ago?
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, United States
4 posts
Yes, it was an old post. Since then I've purchased an iPhone and it was a snap. I informed AT&T of my dates and set up the roaming, data etc, all pro-rated. Only problem was I forgot our 10 hr. layover in Rejkyavik and ran up a bill there ;- (