Disappointed with Vodafone Italy

TIM for Tourists is 30 Euros for 15 Gig of data and 200 minutes of talk time. Ditch the Vodafone SIM card and buy the TIM counterpart. Easy Peasy.

Chiara , what kind of phone do you have? Make/model? Yes, it can make a difference.

I've used my Dutch Vodafone SIM in Italy twice now. Not surprisingly, it roams on the Vodafone IT network. And, I've had excellent reception almost everywhere, even on trains. I've used it in Genoa on both trips (though once was a day trip, the others were train changes). I was extremely happy with my Vodafone reception. The speed was usually fine; I used it quite a lot to tether my laptop when WiFi wasn't available (e.g. trains) and am sensitive to slow connections. (In Portugal last year, I tried to use my Sprint phone's free 2G roaming data but it was too slow so I had to use the Vodafone SIM there too.)

But, I was also aware of what frequencies my phone supported. This last May, I was using a newer Android phone with all the LTE frequencies Vodafone uses (I think), and I had LTE connections almost everywhere (on trains, often it would drop out or be 3G/2G as we moved between cities, not surprisingly). Two years ago, I used an international Android phone so had Italian LTE frequencies.

That's why I ask what kind of phone you have. I have had phones that would have worked only on 2G "Edge" connections in Italy and been extremely slow.

Andrew, I'm using an iPhone 6 with whatever the latest iOS is -- Sometimes I would get 4G speeds, but sometimes I didn't. And, when I made my previous post I had no service, now I have 1 bar. Oh, no, now it's gone again.

waited in case it was just Padua, but now I see it's not. (I was in Venice for half a day and now that I think about it, it wasn't good there either). Sadly, I'll just have to spend more and get another - easy, but it hurts to toss out that money.

Have you tried totally turning off the phone and restarting.?

First close all your apps. Hold down the lock screen button and a message will show on the screen asking if you want to power down. Slide the slider to turn the phone off. Wait about a minute then hold the lock button to turn your phone back on. About once a year or so I get a no service or sluggish service at a time and place where it shouldn’t happen. Following the outlined procedure clears up the problem.

Sorry, Chiara, I don't know much about iPhone settings or specs. I've always assumed Apple phones have "better specs" than your average cheap Android, but not sure.

It's a shame you aren't getting the great Vodafone reception I had in May. (I used my phone all over Venice; the only phone issues I had were GPS accuracy down amount those buildings in the narrow streets!) Maybe you should just try the TIM card instead and see if it works better for you. I'd guess they use the same frequencies that Vodafone uses, more or less, and would be surprised if you get noticeably better reception vs. with Vodafone, but who knows?

Chiara,
Sorry you're having trouble with your Vodafone SIM card...

I've bought two Vofafone SIM cards on my last two trips to Italy, and have had excellent reception, all over (Lake Maggiore, Tuscany, Umbria, and also all over Sicily), even on trains, buses, and ferries. My phone is most likely older than yours, it's an iPhone 5s.

Hopefully your TIM card works better!

Enjoy the rest of your trip!

We had a similar issue on Ostini a few years ago. Mentioned it to the B&B owner. His explanation was that the thick stone walls of the building did not allow the phone signals to work properly. They had wifi but to make a call we had to go outside. This issue might be part of your problem.

Carol, you make a very good point. In Rome, the thick walls of my apartment prevented any meaningful cell signal, so I had to step out into the street for good coverage. We forget that most of Europe was constructed with stone, brick, mortar, all layered onto more stone, brick, and mortar. Dungeons have crappy cellular amenability, as well.

Carol, that might help explain a lot of what I've seen. At first I thought that it was the old stone building I was staying in (like the old one I'm staying in now), as you've said, but I noticed sometimes it would also happen outside. But I bet if I were to pay more attention, it would only be happening outside when I'm in narrow streets of the old city (surrounded by tall stone buildings) or under old porticos. That makes a lot of sense. My guide in Venice said "never rely on Google (maps) in Venice", and it's probably for the same reason - you'd gain and lose service depending on whether you were in a piazza or in an alley.

That would also explain why the guy living across the street from my apartment in Padua kept coming out to the balcony (which was about 6' from the open (but curtained) window to my bedroom) - I though it was to smoke, but I bet he brought his cigarette outside whenever he stepped out on his balcony to make a call.

No it's not normal or expected. Vodafone has excellent signal, my husband and I have Vodafone and it's very very rare the place that has no signal, especially outside! We always have LTE or 4G+ , never have I been on EDGE or even 3g. It had to be something in the configuration of your phone, have you animated the capacity to always prefer 4g?

I've been to Italy on many occaaions with my Android (and one and never again iPhone) phones, always on Three and never experienced signal issues.

I picked up a Vodaphone sim for my 5 year old Samsung a couple days ago in Kiev. 80 UAH for 12Gb. Really cheap by my standards. I'm routinely getting 4G outside and sometimes LTE in the apartment (standard Communist construction with 12” to 14” concrete walls judging by the window and balcony lintels).

Speed and connectivity are good all 'round. We're moving onto Lviv in 5 days, then onto Rome (Trastevere) after that and the Vodaphone guy told me it should be good in all those locations. We’ll see.

Peter, Vodafone is technically a different company in each European country. Most but not all of them are owned by the same parent company.

According to the info on the page below, the Ukrainian "Vodafone" SIM you have is really from a Russian company called MTS, who has a licensing agreement with Vodafone. They do offer cheap roaming in other countries that have Vodafone service (like Italy) but might not be free.

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Ukraine

Thanks Andrew. Very interesting. In the article, its mentioned that Vodaphone/MTS is one of the very few operators still providing limited service in the eastern part of Ukraine. That will work out well for us, as our taxi driver from Borispyl International is a part time war correspondent in the east and offered to get us access to the Donetsk and Luhansk areas. He recently facilitated access for a Swiss media crew. Sadly, I don't think we'll take advantage of his offer!

I am currently having good results with Vodafone UK SIM on iPhone 11 in Orvieto,then Sicily and now Rome. Usually 4G coverage and occasionally 3G. There were a few hiccups initially using PayGo but phone settings but rectified with online support. I used much less data than I thought I might. Never ran over on the 500MB per day plan.

Chiara,

Just wondering... Did you decide to get a TIM SIM card? Did you have better luck with it?

Hope you’re enjoying your trip!

I did not change to TIM (or anyone else) - based on what Carol said and thinking about it, I decided to wait until Florence........When I got to a bigger city where even the historical part is more wide open, with more piazzas and fewer narrow alleys and porticos, I found the service did dramatically improve. I still get very occasional drops in trattorias in old buildings, but much less often (and what I consider a manageable issue). It was frustrating in Genoa in particular - and a little in Padua - but it's not a problem in Florence. Hopefully it will likewise not be a problem in my next stops (Naples, Pompeii, and Rome).

An update from Naples, where I began having real problems again, staying in the old city........but I realized that lots of people around me had cell service and could use their phones without issue. On my 2nd day in Naples I went to a TIM store and got a new SIM card. Much, much better service.