iPhone in Italy

Get your unlock code from your carrier and then buy a sim card in Italy. Read more about it here.... http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Italy

AT&T is my carrier, and I used their Passport plan on a recent trip to Italy. You still have to keep an eye on your data usage though. Basically, it's $30 for 120 MB of data or $60 for 300MB of data, with unlimited texting and $0.50 per minute for calls. The plan expires automatically after 30 days, and so you don't have to remember to cancel it when you get home. I used MapsWithMe, an offline mapping app that really cuts down on data usage, and I took advantage of WiFi in hotels in the evenings. During the day, I used the cellular connection for email, Wikipedia and a few other websites. On a three week trip, I think I wound up using about 100 MB of my 300MB allotment. All in all, I was happy with it, although I am sure I paid a bit of a premium for not having to fool with SIM cards and such.

First of all, could you clarify who I'm addressing - Andy or John???

Regarding your questions, more specific information would be helpful. For example......

• Which iPhone model are you using?
• Is the iPhone unlocked?
• Which U.S. network are you with?
• Will you also need voice & text capability when in Italy?
• Do you need to be accessible via phone from home while you're travelling?

GPS use may require data access, depending on which App's you're using. Data can be expensive, so that's an important consideration. Accessing E-mail is easily done via Wi-Fi when in hotels.

Is it unlocked?
If it's locked you need to get it unlocked by your carrier, if it's paid for fully. If not paid fully, your stuck with your carrier.
If unlocked, you can buy a SIM card with an Italian carrier (Tim, Vodafone, etc).
It costs about 25 euro for a monthly plan including 1 Gb of data. It's cheap.