Wi-Fi transmitter in rental car

That’s a new on to me! When I go to Italy, I get a TIM Tourist sim for my phone (€30 for 30 days, free minutes, 18 gigs of data) and use any of the apps I use at home. GPS also works offline. You can download Google Maps for offline use.

FL doc, can you use your own phone in Italy? Does your cell phone provider have international roaming capability? Verizon and AT&T do and charge for it, but their charge may add up to a lot less than 20 euros/day. T-Mobile offers free international roaming data but not free calls.

And...yes, some people do buy Italian SIM cards - something else that would probably be a lot cheaper than 20 euros/day.

Either option would let you use your phone anywhere in Italy without being near your car.

Basically it is a hotspot, a box receiving a cell phone signal, then you connect using your phone/tablet via wi-fi. (could be satellite as well, but less likely). Not clear if by world wide calls they mean via an app, or direct calling like a phone.

If you have a cell phone with service and data, it would not be needed, otherwise, it's a steep costing, but handy to have if you won't have service.

Added: looks like they call it Travel Tab https://www.avis.com/en/offers/us-offers/reserve-a-travel-tab

20€/day for wifi in the car? I don't think so not for me. You will probably have wifi wherever you are staying. There are multiple free mapping options the that you can download. I am dubious about the transponder wifi quality. Much easier to use your phone.

Brad, I'd guess the WiFi quality would be excellent. Surely its just a WiFi hotspot with a SIM card just like your cell phone would have in it, using the same mobile networks. My phone's WiFi hotspot has worked great in Italy too. Basically the same thing.

Something has been lost in translation. "Calls to anywhere in world" -- those would surely be "calls" via an app (eg WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, etc.), not actual phone calls. Not for €20 per day.

I'm quite happy buying a local SIM for data connectivity and an occasional (actually pretty rare) voice call (usually to my spouse, who is less than a few blocks away). I'd pass on the in-car wifi in favor of better and cheaper options.

€20 a day? My WiFi hotspot costs €3 a day to use anywhere in the EU... That's quite a markup 😅.

Yeah, I thought the price was pretty steep as well. But I think Verizon and AT&T each charge $10 a day for international data, which as I understand it is often very slow. Who knows, If we end up getting suckered into it I will report back

The calling is probably similar to my Google Fi, when I am home or on Wi-Fi, my call goes via WiFi and internet, as opposed to a nearby cell phone tower...no app, I never know whether it is a cell or wifi call until I look. The transponder unit can manage up to 5 devices so it is probably doing some work and has options on the front end, not a simple connection.

Probably more designed for the family, to keep the kids quiet in back on their devices, but a solo or a couple with a data connection would not see value.

Don't you have an old phone? You could install an Italian sim and then use it for tethering while driving around. And pay 30 € a month.

I’ve got the Google maps downloaded and was planning on just doing the “free“ GPS without using data…
I wish I had an old phone now! my iPhone 13 pro max does not have a removable Sim card (or at least one that I know how to remove/replace). First world problems😉

With iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 mini, you can use Dual SIM with either two active eSIMs or a nano-SIM and an eSIM.

The slot is on the left side and can opened, as usual, with a sim tool or an old fashioned straightened paper clip.

Our Verizon International Plan is $10.00 a day.