Heading to Italy in less than a month. I will be staying for a bit under 40 days. I have gleaned so much from this forum. I am hoping for a bit more clarification in the cell phone/ipad arena. I am planning on renting a cellomobile phone (ease learned from here). I was also planning to bring my ipad to use when free wifi was available. However, I became more confused when my husband gave me an ipad mini with 3g wifi capabilities last week for my birthday. At first I thought it sounded great; smaller, able to access wifi anywhere. Then I started doing a bit more research. Last night verizon informed me of their overseas data plan. The woman said there was a $25 charge for each 100mg. She further explained that by saying basically that each time you were to google something or get on instagram, etc. there would be a $25 charge because these each took more than 100mg. So I am planning to return this latest gift and bring my archaic ipad2.
Any suggestions?
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23305 posts
First, I would thank your husband and take it back for wifi only and spend the savings on wine in Italy - butm just personal opinion since I think 3G on an ipad is overkill. But it is nice. JUST MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE 3G FUNCTION IS TURNED OFF or you will be paying for your Italy trip for the next five years. WIFI is everywhere and convenient especially in hotels, etc. so you function very well with the ipad on wifi. About the only reason to use 3G while moving about would be mapping functions.
Posted by
St Petersburg, Florida, US
6 posts
@Paige, I doubt your Verizon ipad will work in Italy, unless its an international version. In the states, VZ (and Sprint) works of a CDMA network. In Europe and most countries, GSM is the common network. In the states, AT&T and T-Mobile are the main GSM networks. Also, just "googling" something isn't going to be 100 megabytes, although you'll blow through a 100mb's pretty quickly if you leave the cellular radio on constantly.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16367 posts
It will work fine on wifi. Just do not activate the 3G.
Posted by
OP
Fredericksburg
35 posts
Thank you all so much for confirming my decision. As we "speak" the mini ipad is going back to apple. I will stick with my ipad2. I agree with that the expense of the "latest and greatest" is best spent on Italian wine etc.
Mille Grazie!
Posted by
Centennial, CO, USA
1883 posts
Works same as your phone. Turn off data roaming and just use wifi ( which is everywhere now in hotels for free. Remember to ask when you check in for the password...I'm on my iPad right now in Rome....
Posted by
Dallas
1021 posts
Not so fast. The mini 3G is neither locked nor limited to Verizon's service. It will work in Europe. Data service in Italy is cheap. Research Trip Advisor Rome forum for details.