We just arrived in Nice and the SIM I bought in Italy for my iPhone 6s won't work. My phone shows a good connection to Orange and states that it is unlocked but I can't call or text. Cellular data is on and I've tried with data roaming on and off. Under carrier it shows Orange is the carrier I'm on. I received a text from TIM when we crossed into France which might explain this but I can't read it. Anyone have an answer?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16894 posts
Last year, when using my T-Mobile service in France, which connected me to Orange, I had good service everywhere, including rural Provence, and then suddenly had zero service for two days in Avignon and Nimes. Using Wi-Fi, I surfed around and found something about ID/sign-up issues. I don't remember the exact solution, but starting with Apple support couldn't hurt.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1212 posts
I had a TIM sim last year. IIRC, you have to activate the roaming feature called "viaggio" (sp?) before the SIM can work outside of Italy. Also, you have to preload enough credits to cover the daily roaming charge. I could be wrong, but i think you need to do all of this before you leave Italy. Check the TIM wbsite. Depending on how long you are in France, it may be cheaper to get a separate French SIM.
Posted by
Firenze, Italy
1534 posts
You usually receive a SMS when you cross a border, explaining the fees in the new country and possible customer service numbers - receiving it means the roaming is working. Are you sure you have enough credit on the SIM or roaming is active on your phone?