Using a cell phone in Italy

We cannot answer without knowing your provider. I use TMobile because their simple choice plan automatically and seamlessly works overseas. I pay only if I make an intl phone call. No fee for texting or internet.
If you have Verizon, I would plan on using wifi only and turn the cellular off.

We have AT&T for our carrier and elected to purchase international plans. As I understand it this is not the cheapest way to do it, but I was traveling with my twelve year old and, as the only adult on the trip, it was important to me to not have to mess around with figuring out how to make a SIM card work, etc. i am sure it is not hard--I just didn't need one more thing to figure out when we hit the ground in Italy.

I use Tmobile for the reasons above. I arrive and my phone just works. I should clarify that all calls....not just international ones...are 20 cents per minute. They're free if you call over wi-fi though.

A great and simple service. I used to spend hours setting up my communication plans...Skype, TextFree etc. It's so much easier now.

So who is your carrier?

Icolem,

It is my understanding that ALL iPhone v6 phones are GSM-compatible. Look for a small oval-shaped drawer on the right (?) side of your phone(s). There should be a small hole in the center of the oval...

It is also my understanding that ALL iPhones since v5s are factory "unlocked" with regards to foreign carrier SIM cards.

All that being said, you should be able to walk into a cell phone store in Europe and purchase a pay-as-you-go Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card for your phone. This is the component that interfaces your phone to the providers' (WIND, TIM, Vodofone, Tre (3), O2, etc.) and gives you a phone number. Yes, you will receive a new phone number and you "home" phone number will no longer be active on that device.

I used WIND on my last trip to Italy but was not really satisfied with the service. I heard TIM and Vodofone are better but I don't have personal experience with either...

Some things to consider...

You may need to add a country code to each phone number in your contacts list (I did) in order to call or text. The country code for the US is +1 (Italy is +39, UK is +44). Of course, you really only need to do this for the entries you plan to keep in contact with...

Take a small paperclip and a small plastic case (SD card case works well) for each phone you are converting to a local SIM. The paper clip is to open the SIM drawer and the case is to keep your 'home' SIM card safe (assuming you have T-Mobile or AT&T at home, otherwise disregard). If you have a Sprint or Verizon (CDMA network) phone, you MUST remove the foreign GSM SIM before the phone(s) will reconnect to your home network.

This may seem like a lot of hassle but it really wasn't. Having a fully-functional smart phone in Italy was well worth the hassle... BTW - many of the public WIFI hotspots in Italy require a functional phone number in order to access (anonymous WIFI access is against the law in Italy - or so I've been told). In most cities, you text a number and then receive an access code, via text, in order to join the free WIFI.

lc,

It would help to have some idea on your location and which cellular network you're using at home? Many of us prefer to include our home location in the forum profile, which makes it easier for others to provide more specific information.

Other information that would be helpful....

• How much time do you anticipate for communicating "person-to-person"?
• Will you also be using texts?
• Aside from using Google to find museum locations, will you need cellular data for other purposes, or can you wait until you're in a Wi-Fi area?

The easiest and simplest solution for limited use is simply to sign up for the international roaming plan with your home network, as the costs are usually quite reasonable. Buying a local SIM means you'll be on a PAYG basis (will have to top-up your minutes when depleted), will have a different number, and the terms of your calling plan will be different. I find that rather awkward and unnecessary. Note that you'll also have to register using your Passport and it could take a short time for service to become active.

Work2Travel,

"It is also my understanding that ALL iPhones since v5s are factory "unlocked" with regards to foreign carrier SIM cards."

That's not the case in Canada! If the phone is purchased on a contract with a subsidized purchase price, the network will NOT unlock the phone until it's paid in full. Again, it would help to have some idea on where the OP is located.