I am completely in the dark as to whether or not I can use my iPhone X in Italy. I contacted Verizon and found that they have an International package which I can use. However, can I use my Iphone as I do in the states to call or must I purchase a SIM card for it to operate correctly?
I will be traveling with my son and we will be using our phones mainly to keep in touch with each other in Rome via text.
I am not concerned about calling back to the States as I can use email.
Without an international plan your costs will skyrocket!
We get the $70 per month for my husband's iPhone. I get an Italian SIM card for my iPhone for local calls, restaurant reservations, contact for hotels, landlords, making restaurant reservations, and use Google maps, etc.
We used my husband's phone a significant amount last fall when I became ill and had to change our international flights, talk to doctors in US and change our airport pick up service in US. It was a god send. Plus you can easily and cheaply send and receive texts from the International $70 plan which we do with our family back home.
Verizon also has a $10 per day for usage like you have in the US and only charges if you use it, day by day charges. If you want your phone to work exactly as it does in the US, then pay $10 per day for your whole trip.
Yes, the phone will work fine in Italy with Verizon's international roaming service, if you pay for it. (Your phone already has a Verizon SIM card in it.) Verizon's $70/month plan seems very limited to me - only 500MB of data. I use maps on my phone constantly when I travel and easily use 100MB a day, so 500MB wouldn't last me long. The $10/day plan would be a better deal in my view if your trip is short - 7 days or less - and you don't get charged on the days you use it.
You can buy a TIM or Vodafone SIM card in Rome (go to a TIM or Vodafone store, like you would go to a Verizon store at home) to replace your Verizon SIM card while you are traveling, to get a lot more data for a lot less money - especially if you won't need to call/text home with your Verizon number while you travel. (Be careful not to lose your tiny Verizon SIM card! Maybe bring a tiny plastic case to put it in so you can't lose it.) Bring a paperclip with you to pop out the SIM card - the agent at the TIM or Vodafone store can do it for you, but you'll want to be able to swap SIM cards back again after you leave.
If your iPhone is brand new and purchased from Verizon, it MIGHT be locked - but after 60 days, Verizon claims they automatically unlock their new phones...
Thank you for your help and replies.
Verizon's $70/month plan seems very limited to me - only 500GB of data. I use maps on my phone constantly when I travel and easily use 100GB a day, so 500GB wouldn't last me long.
That doesn't sound limited to me and I struggle to see how you use 100GB a DAY when I barely make a dent in my monthly 12GB, do you mean MB? If so then I agree, 500MB a month is very measly and wouldn't be much use for travelling.
That doesn't sound limited to me and I struggle to see how you use 100GB a DAY when I barely make a dent in my monthly 12GB, do you mean MB? If so then I agree, 500MB a month is very measly and wouldn't be much use for travelling.
Yes, of course I meant 500MB per month and 100MB a day - fixed the typos, thanks!
Carol B, what sometimes is not taken into account when buying a foreign SIM, is that you would no longer be a Verizon customer, and you would have an Italian phone number. Anyone calling or texting you from home would need your new number and your calls to home would be international calls.
