iphone usage in Prague, Budapest and Italy

I don't know about iphones. In the past I purchased a cheap phone and a sim card from these folks http://www.telestial.com/sim_regional.php?ID=EU and while it worked it wasn't worth the effort, and we go to Europe 2 or 3 times a year. I use my Samsung SII with T-mobile when I have to call a cab in town and it might cost a dollar, otherwise I use the free wifi all over every town and in most hotel rooms these days. To call the kids I use the wifi calling feature on the phone. I carry a tablet too and its convenient but again I only use it with wifi. My daughter is off to Italy for a month and I'm having her do it the same way.

Since I stay with a friend who has no wifi in Rome, I know that wifi is hard to come by. You have to get a password to use it and they need to text a password to an italian phone (or SIM card). This has to do with anti-terrorism laws in Italy. You have to show a passport when buying a SIM card so you are traceable. Your daughter will probably buy or rent a phone while studying in ROme. Or she may get by with BBM if she has a blackberry.
I have been checking up on Boing, whichs seems to have agreements with hotels around rome. You pay a fee and they let you know where the wifi is as ou travel. I'm not sure exactly how it works in Italy, but the maps show that it is available in Rome.

>>ATT is not very helpful.<< That's because they want you to use them while you are traveling, at potentially very high rates. The SIM is the "brain" of the phone. It sets the phone number and the provider. You currently have an AT&T SIM in your phone, so it's an "AT&T phone." If you buy a SIM in Prague, it will be with a Czech provider. Once you put that in, you have a "Czech phone," at their rates. If you take this Czech SIM to Budapest, it will work but you will be roaming, at higher rates. The rates are capped within the EU, so they are not exorbitant. You can't buy refill cards outside of the country of origin, and it can be hard to refill online. So, what many do is just buy a new SIM when the first one runs out. You then get a new provider and phone number. If your main interest is making calls, it's not an issue. If you want to receive calls or texts from home, you can e-mail or text your new number to them. There are also international SIM cards, which would let you buy one in advance. Their rates are higher than using a SIM in its country of origin, but you get one number, which you can keep across multiple trips. continued..

continued.. Renting a phone is rarely a good deal these days. If you can unlock your iPhone, just bring it with you. If it ends up not working, you can buy a cheap basic phone in Europe (you may have to pay to get it unlocked). This phone, once unlocked, will then be good for all your European trips (with, of course, the appropriate SIM). SIM's often expire when they are not used within a certain time, not refilled within a certain time, or some combination thereof. Unless you go to a place more than once a year, you usually have to buy a new SIM each time. Yes, there are data plans for iPads in Europe. For more details (and I mean DETAILS) about your options for voice and data, look at http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/operators.php for domestic SIMs in individual countries, and http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/international.php for international SIMS. The Forums on Prepaid GSM (tab on top of page) are a great place to get more information, but be aware they can get very technical, so don't be afraid to ask for clarification.

Lynne, You have three basic options if you get your iPhone 4 unlocked..... 1.) Buy a SIM card in the first country you visit, and use it for the duration of your trip. Rates will be cheapest in the country of purchase and higher in the other countries since you'll be "roaming". You likely won't be able to get a card with data, and topping-up outside the country of purchase may be an issue. 2.) Buy a SIM card in each country you visit. The number will change each time you change cards, as will your costs and features. You may not be able to buy a SIM card in Italy unless you have a Codice Fiscale and register with your Passport. Again, you may not be able to get 3g data. 3.) Use a SIM card from one of the "travel phone" firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial, Mobal, EuroBuzz, Max Roam, One SIM or Cello Mobile (there are others). This would provide consistent rates and features across all the countries you'll be visiting, and charges will likely be on a post-paid basis (calls charged to a credit card) so no need to top-up. You'll have to check their respective websites for details on costs, etc. Some of them offer an option to renew the service each year, sometimes for a small charge, so you can keep the plan and number indefinitely. Some also offer a "local number" option so your contacts can simply dial a local number in your home area (rather than dialing international long distance) and the call will be routed to your phone, wherever it is. At least some of these firms also offer a data option, but you'll have to decide whether you're willing to pay for it. If you DON'T want data, BE SURE to switch OFF the cellular data on your phone and ONLY use Wi-Fi. Hsppy travels!

Free WiFi all over Budapest if that helps any. And here is a list for wifi in Rome that does not require the Italian phone
http://www.buzzinrome.com/2011/01/04/need-free-wifi-check-out-our-favorite-places-in-rome/