IPAD for trip to France

Karen, do you have a 3G iPad or just WiFi? If it's 3G you may get charged to use it in France. See this NY times article http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/14/qa-taking-the-ipad-to-europe/ Also see AT&T site: http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/ipad-data-plans.jsp Call AT&T again (try the business customer service number, they are more familiar with overseas charges). You'll want to make sure you have a data plan that is logical for your use BEFORE you leave. As for Apps, if they don't require a WiFi connection, they will work just like at home. If they need to connect to the internet, you'll either need WiFi or 3G connection.

We have an iPad and an iPod Touch. The Touch goes on trips. We use it for a few apps such as translations, and to access our home email account. We send and receive emails from any where there is a WiFi transmitter, which is just about any place these days. Email use is just like as if you were home, and for us, it beats telephonic communications while overseas. There are people who can give you more definite information about apps specifically tailored for travel such as maps and guidebooks. The reason the Touch goes with us and not the Pad is because the Touch is much smaller and weighs less, and because it does what we need.

I've used my iPad (with WiFi only) in France and Spain and it's been great. WiFi is generally so readily available in most hotels now. Apps behave as per usual. No fees as long as you're not using 3G.

From what I've read and depending on when you are going...there is a new iOS coming in the fall that will allow texting from your iPad wherever there is wifi. I think this is better than relying on expensive calls home

Chris, There are apps for texting already. I use TextPlus.

Thanks Michael....didn't know that:)

We recently returned from a trip to Paris and London and took iPads with wi-fi only and they were very helpful. We would use the free wi-fi connection in the hotels to do research, check email, even pay bills online. Also used Skype on the iPad to call back to the States for .02 cents a minute.

We recently returned from a trip to Paris and London and took iPads with wi-fi only and they were very helpful. We would use the free wi-fi connection in the hotels to do research, check email, even pay bills online. Also used Skype on the iPad to call back to the States for .02 cents a minute.

I took my 3g Ipad to France and it worked fine when on wifi. If you buy the "Orange" 3g download to use it that way the download time runs out very quickly. I was only able to get onto a map site one time to get directions after my gps locked up and was almost out of time....I briefly used it only this time and one other. I don't think it's worth it, but the wifi is great and very available.