Best SIM card for Italy
 

I know we beat this subject to death, but since the companies change so frequently and my United Mobile bit the dust what do the phone experts recommend. We will
need a new card for September and will use it mostly to call from Italy to USA.
Thanks!!!!!

Have always used TIM. Have bought at a TIM store in Rome, and also on ebay.

I have also always used TIM; bought my phone in Florence several years ago, and have refilled the card a couple of time. However, since I got an iPhone last summer, I have turned the AT&T international plan on and used it for calls back to the states. I still use the euro phone for local calls.

Tim card is the way to go. Bought one here but would not hesitate to buy one when I arrive. Currently I changed to ATT and plan to use the card I have in my new phone after they give be instructions on how to unlock the phone. i canreplace the sim card with the Tim card. carry the sim for return trip.ThenI don't have to pay their fees andcan use the prepaid card. I found the TIM card people IM you (in Italian) and offer additional minutes for less.

About time to buy the TIM card. Is this still
the one I need for Italy or has something better
come along? Also,any suggestions on best website
to make purchase appreciated.
Thanks.

A few problems you need to know about with the TIM SIM cards. First, you can't buy them over here and activate them. They require you to be in Italy and make one phone call before the service becomes active. Also, if you get the TIM SIM when you arrive, try to get it at an actual TIM store if possible. Any non-official TIM seller must send the card info to TIM and it can take up to 3 days before the card will work to make that first call (this happened to me buying it in Rome). It MAY only take overnight, but don't count on it. Oh, you HAVE to bring your Passport to buy a SIM card in Italy. And you may want to get an unofficial codice fiscal (Italian ID#) beforehand at http://www.comuni.it/servizi/codfisc/ Some stores require it, some don't.

Then, if you are going to be calling back to the USA a lot on the phone, ask them when you buy it for the "Welcome Home" TIM SIM plan. This plan charges you 0.30 euro per min to call a land line number in Italy, and calls to US will cost 0.19 euro set-up fee plus 0.30 euro/min. Normal rate to the US is very expensive at around 2 euro/min (+ set-up fee). It can be much cheaper to buy a 10 or 20 euro Calling Card in Italy (ask any Tabacchi shop for a "prepagata internazionale per Stati Uniti" calling card. This will give you calls back home for ~0.10 euro/min plus the 0.30 euro/min for the cell phone to the calling card local number. Even cheaper is to have your friends in the US call you (or call you back) on your cell using a calling card from the US. Usually costs them ~$0.10/min and you get free incoming calls on TIM cell phone SIMs.

Sounds intimidating, but it's not that hard and it's nice to be able to call restaurants or hotels to make or check reservations, or your airline or bank when things go wrong. Oh, one last thing that I forgot to do. Before you leave Italy, buy a cheap 5 euro TIM refill card (a Ricaricard)at any Tabacchi shop, but don't use it. After you are home, your phone number will expire 12 months after your last refill, so if you haven't gone back to Italy, at 12 months you can use the pre-purchased Ricaricard to recharge your phone to keep the number for another 12 months for your next trip. You CAN'T buy a refill card from the US, they will NOT accept a US credit card. Then, to recharge from the US, send an SMS using your Italian TIM SIM to 4916 as follows:
RIC XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ,where XXX... = code number on your Ricaricard.

Actually, I have purchased already activited TIM cards on ebay here in the US.

intouchsmartcards.com has many different types of SIM cards. Their site also has lots of great info about international cell phones, calling and cards. They do sell a pre-activated TIM ( I think it's $20 extra.) Good customer service. I've used them myself.

Thanks to all. Ordered a TIM card.