Buying cell and data SIMS in Italy

[slidergirl]

Just in case someone is thinking about getting another phone service...

 

T-Mo just announced a new international phone/data pricing for it's Simple Choice Plan customers, starting Oct 20 for new and Oct 31 for existing customers. Free data and texting, with $.20/minute for calls. Wifi texting $.20 each. The data is only 2G speed, but for the casual usage one would do on a trip, it should be more than enough. I guess I won't have to think about getting SIMs for my phone anymore! I could live with this pricing for what I need when I travel abroad.

[goncruzn]

I have been trying to figure out the best solution for international calling and it has been so confusing. At first I was going to get a Mobal phone, but after reading the replies on this thread I decided to call Verizon and have them explain their plan to me. I just hung up with them and following is the information I received. For informational purposes I have a Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

Calling the US FROM Italy: $1.29/minute (no plan or contract needed-phone is global ready) OR

Verizon Value Plan: $4.99 per month (no contract); prorated if you don't use or need it for an entire month plus $.99/minute

 

The above information refers to VOICE ONLY.

 

Text messages are $.50 to send and $.05 to receive.

 

Data plan: $25/100mb and every 100mb after

Without data plan (pay as you go): $20.48/mb :eek:

 

These rates are Verizon's only and her advice was to stop in at a store (not an authorized reseller) and have them give your phone a look over if you are unsure of its capabilities.

 

I was very specific when asking about hidden fees, charges, etc and she assured me that what she gave me is all there is. She followed up with an e-mail of what the costs would be. She did reiterate that data MUST be turned off if you don't want costly charges billed to your account. Purchasing a data plan is an option, but can get costly if you use data a lot.

 

I'm thinking if all of the above is correct, I may just stick with Verizon's plan instead of trying to buy a SIM card and voice plan in Rome. I will only use my phone to let family know I've landed and when I board the ship. I plan on turning my data off completely and will use Skype, Facetime or other while on the ship and/or in Wifi area.

Edited October 15, 2013 by goncruzn

[Crusin6]

I have been trying to figure out the best solution for international calling and it has been so confusing. At first I was going to get a Mobal phone, but after reading the replies on this thread I decided to call Verizon and have them explain their plan to me. I just hung up with them and following is the information I received. For informational purposes I have a Samsung Galaxy S4.

 

Calling the US FROM Italy: $1.29/minute (no plan or contract needed-phone is global ready) OR

Verizon Value Plan: $4.99 per month (no contract); prorated if you don't use or need it for an entire month plus $.99/minute

 

The above information refers to VOICE ONLY.

 

Text messages are $.50 to send and $.05 to receive.

 

Data plan: $25/100mb and every 100mb after

Without data plan (pay as you go): $20.48/mb :eek:

 

These rates are Verizon's only and her advice was to stop in at a store (not an authorized reseller) and have them give your phone a look over if you are unsure of its capabilities.

 

I was very specific when asking about hidden fees, charges, etc and she assured me that what she gave me is all there is. She followed up with an e-mail of what the costs would be. She did reiterate that data MUST be turned off if you don't want costly charges billed to your account. Purchasing a data plan is an option, but can get costly if you use data a lot.

 

I'm thinking if all of the above is correct, I may just stick with Verizon's plan instead of trying to buy a SIM card and voice plan in Rome. I will only use my phone to let family know I've landed and when I board the ship. I plan on turning my data off completely and will use Skype, Facetime or other while on the

Edited October 17, 2013 by Crusin6

[Bobal]

My son has recently moved out to Salerno to study for a year. He had a new phone just before he went which O2 (in the UK) unlocked for free on request.

 

He bought a sim from Wind with an initial cost of 14 euros which includes a lot of texts and minutes (sorry can't remember how many) and 2GB of data. The sim lasts one calendar month and then a top up will cost 10 euros. He's coming to the end of his calendar month and is still within his data allowance and well within his call/text allowance.

[kmurph22]

Thanks for this informative thread. We are heading to Europe next summer including a cruise from Civitavecchia, and would like to have at least one if not 2 SIM cards as we found them very useful for data/skype without needing wifi.

 

I have a couple of questions.

 

a)Is there a TIM or other sim provider at FCO airport? We won't be going into the city when we arrive, but directly to Civitavecchia. Alternatively, is there a sim store in Civitavecchia?

 

b)I think I've seen this answered elsewhere, but just in case: will I be able to use my Italian SIM while in port in Spain and France? I don't care if there are extra fees, it would just be nice to only have one.

[ducklite]

FYI--If you are Verizon with a 4S they will need to ship you a new SIM before you leave. The one that came in the phone WILL NOT WORK in Europe.

 

Also call them the day before you leave to have the international calling turned on. They forgot to do mine (even after I chose the applicable plan and they sent me the SIM) causing some panic when we first arrived in Rome. My phone didn't work for anything except WiFi. I had to buy a prepaid calling card and call Verizon back in the States to get it rectified.

[slidergirl]

To be honest, I didn't notice any places in the arrivals hall at FCO. Other forums around talk about a dearth of SIM stores at FCO.

 

But, I did a little surfing on the TIM site and found that they have a store in Civi: CORSO CENTOCELLE 50 A/ CIVITAVECCHIA

 

I bought my SIM card at the TIM store on Via del Tritone in Rome. Easy to deal with TIM, my iPad was up and running in minutes! Just be sure to take your passport with you for the forms.

 

Until the EU finalized the law that will end intra-EU roaming charges, you will be paying more for those calls and data.

Edited November 18, 2013 by slidergirl

[farmaceerep]

Thank you for all of this great information. We will arrive into Venice. Our hotel is the Hilton Molino Stucky. Does anyone know of a TIM store near this area or in the vicinity of the airport? Thanks again.

[slidergirl]

Thank you for all of this great information. We will arrive into Venice. Our hotel is the Hilton Molino Stucky. Does anyone know of a TIM store near this area or in the vicinity of the airport? Thanks again.

 

I haven't been to Marco Polo airport, so I can't comment specifically on the availability of TIM SIMS there. But, I did searching around the TIM website and did not see one there. But, the website does show a few TIM stores on Venice island itself. Go to http://www.tim.it/home for the main TIM page. Click on the "trova subito" line in the "Trova Negozio" section to go to the store locator. Under "Provencia", click on "Venezia". Click on the map to enlarge and look at just Venice island. The Blue "pins" are TIM stores, the Red "pins" are authorized agents…

 

You can do this for any area in Italy that you want to find a place to buy a TIM SIM.

[farmaceerep]

Thank you for your help. This is new information for me. I had thought we would use our cell phones which have international calling. However, this sounds like we would save money by purchasing the SIM card.

[ducklite]

Thank you for your help. This is new information for me. I had thought we would use our cell phones which have international calling. However, this sounds like we would save money by purchasing the SIM card.

 

If you are on Verizon, they will give you the SIM for free. Just call them. No reason to buy one.

 

 

Autocorrect responsible for most typos...

[Photojunkie_I_am]

If one has a locked smart phone (iphone 5s), I am guessing that using local Sim cards are not an option, am I correct? So purchasing an international calling plan for Europe from At&T would be our best bet. We will need data on both of our phones but voice on only one. We use data to navigate our way around while traveling.

[slidergirl]

If one has a locked smart phone (iphone 5s), I am guessing that using local Sim cards are not an option, am I correct? So purchasing an international calling plan for Europe from At&T would be our best bet. We will need data on both of our phones but voice on only one. We use data to navigate our way around while traveling.

 

Yep, you need the phone unlocked :( You are stuck with AT&T, in that case.

[Photojunkie_I_am]

Thanks slidergirl,

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[slidergirl]

Thanks slidergirl,

I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

You can always ask AT&T to unlock the phone. They may, they may not. But, it wouldn't hurt to ask...

[-Lew-]

 

If one has a locked smart phone (iphone 5s), I am guessing that using local Sim cards are not an option, am I correct?

Correct with AT&T...not Verizon. Beginning with the iPhone 5 Verizon's iPhones are unlocked.

 

So purchasing an international calling plan for Europe from At&T would be our best bet. We will need data on both of our phones but voice on only one. We use data to navigate our way around while traveling.

If you need to make an occasional call home, I find the Skype and magicJack apps work quite well.

 

For navigation using your iPhone, there are GPS apps that contain all the map data you might need so a data connection is not necessary. Leaving Location Services ON does not use cellular data. I have used the Navigon Europe app for a number of years and it's fantastic! It's not cheap, but it works!

 

Incidentally, AT&T will unlock your phone once your contract is up. The entire process is done through their website.

 

Lew

[spuds]

We are travelling to Italy in a couple of weeks - I have an IPhone 4S (GSM and Unlocked). I want to purchase a SIM card when we get there... mostly for phone usage for places in Italy and the occasional call back to Canada and for our elderly parents to call us when we are in Italy (they like to be able to get a hold of us and are not great with e-mail). It would be a bonus if we could get data also as we will be driving in Italy and I would like to benefit from some navigation apps.

 

Slidergirl - you had mentioned in a previous post that you purchased a SIM card at a TIM store for 10 Euros... Do you remember what the phone/text credit was and what the calling rates are? Also, you mentioned you paid 25 Euros for the 42.2 package... which I am totally OK with - when I looked up this package on-line it said it was 25 Euros/Month. Did you just purchase it for one month? or are you committed to a longer contract?

 

Appreciate any advise you can give.

[spuds]

After furthering surfing I found this site - which I thought was pretty good. Any thoughts??

 

http://www.international.tim.it/en/tim-welcome

[slidergirl]

We are travelling to Italy in a couple of weeks - I have an IPhone 4S (GSM and Unlocked). I want to purchase a SIM card when we get there... mostly for phone usage for places in Italy and the occasional call back to Canada and for our elderly parents to call us when we are in Italy (they like to be able to get a hold of us and are not great with e-mail). It would be a bonus if we could get data also as we will be driving in Italy and I would like to benefit from some navigation apps.

 

Slidergirl - you had mentioned in a previous post that you purchased a SIM card at a TIM store for 10 Euros... Do you remember what the phone/text credit was and what the calling rates are? Also, you mentioned you paid 25 Euros for the 42.2 package... which I am totally OK with - when I looked up this package on-line it said it was 25 Euros/Month. Did you just purchase it for one month? or are you committed to a longer contract?

 

Appreciate any advise you can give.

 

I just purchased it for the 1 month. Since I wasn't using the phone/test feature (I had an iPad Mini), I didn't pay attention to that. I was just getting familiar with my Mini, and I had a blast using it all day long for stuff. It was invaluable as my GPS/driving directions assistant when I drove between Rome and Florence!

On your post where you found the "welcome" package, that sounds like a good deal. I wonder if that is something new - I hadn't seen that. It's a good deal.

[spuds]

Hi Slidergirl - thanks for responding so quickly... it does look like a good deal but I do not see anywhere on the site that mentions incoming calls... it says the 200 minutes is for outgoing calls only... not sure if that means incoming calls are free - ?? I think they are anyway on a regular SIM card so it might be - ?? I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks... I will go to the store to find out which plan/package will be best for us.

 

Thanks again!

[agadora]

Spuds, thanks for posting that link! That's exactly what I'm looking to get for my cruise and travels in Italy in June.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[lisiamc]

Hi Slidergirl - thanks for responding so quickly... it does look like a good deal but I do not see anywhere on the site that mentions incoming calls... it says the 200 minutes is for outgoing calls only... not sure if that means incoming calls are free - ?? I think they are anyway on a regular SIM card so it might be - ?? I guess I will find out in a couple of weeks... I will go to the store to find out which plan/package will be best for us.

 

Thanks again!

 

Spuds, I have an Italian SIM card, and incoming calls from Italian phone numbers are free. I'm not sure about calls from numbers outside Italy.

[spuds]

I just read a recent blog on the Rick Steves site about this TIM Welcome package. The person had just gotten back from Italy. He said that that incoming calls/texts are free with this plan. You do also have to pay for the actual SIM card (10 Euros)... so the total plan is just 30 Euros for the SIM card, 200 minutes of calling Italy (and the countries mentioned) plus 2GB of data.

 

Agadora, not sure where you cruise going... ours is mostly Italy ports (we are just a couple of days in Malta). Then we are doing a 2 1/2 week driving trip up to Lake Como/Milan after so a "just in Italy SIM card" will work for us. If you are going outside of Italy you might want to check how it will work and what the rates might be outside of Italy.

[slidergirl]

I just read a recent blog on the Rick Steves site about this TIM Welcome package. The person had just gotten back from Italy. He said that that incoming calls/texts are free with this plan. You do also have to pay for the actual SIM card (10 Euros)... so the total plan is just 30 Euros for the SIM card, 200 minutes of calling Italy (and the countries mentioned) plus 2GB of data.

 

Agadora, not sure where you cruise going... ours is mostly Italy ports (we are just a couple of days in Malta). Then we are doing a 2 1/2 week driving trip up to Lake Como/Milan after so a "just in Italy SIM card" will work for us. If you are going outside of Italy you might want to check how it will work and what the rates might be outside of Italy.

 

Sounds like TIM decided to make it easier for us tourists :D One thing: when I got my plan, my Mini uses a Nano SIM. The packages for the plan come with a Micro SIM. The very nice agent pulled a Nano SIM card from a drawer and gave it to me. Now, it may have changed since this was exactly a year ago. But, be sure to know which kind of SIM you need and be sure you get it from the agent. You won't be charged twice, but in my case, the girl gave me both SIMS...

[spuds]

Hi Slidergirl - thanks for the tip!

 

My phone does take a MicroSim so I should be OK. I think I am going to try to get this done at the TIM store at FCO as we land Saturday late afternoon at Terminal 1. When I looked up a couple of the TIM stores in Rome they were closed on Sundays and I would like done as soon as possible. I'm hoping since it's a airport location that staff there will speak some English.

 

I will send an update on my experience.