flfig4

not cell phone savy, need advice. We do not have a cell phone that will work in Italy.We want to have a cell phone with us for our 2 week stay. Purpose will be to make reservations,and call ahead to hotels we have booked, in general to call within the country. Do you recommend renting a phone in the US before we go or renting a phone at the airport on arrival?

greg

A phone recommendation is something one needs to understand the usage model.

For little usage, renting "might" make sense. Using a phone card may fit your usage model. It costs only few Euros and you can even call home.

I did not like renting a phone for three reasons: I didn't want to spend time learning a new phone, I did not want get hit with a breathtaking charge if my usage was not casual, and I was planning to use the phone again in the future.

For my last trip, I used a combination of Skype with Skype out credit, unlocked quadband Motorola V195 using Italian Vodaphone SIM, and hotel phones in cases I could use local toll-free numbers. I planned most calls from my hotel using Skype. I used the Motorola v195 (which I knew how to use already) with local SIM card for occasions when I was meeting someone else outside the hotel.

Gianni

Rental could be expensive, it's not worth!

As soon as you are in Italy you can buy a gsm "basic" phone, average cost 50 - 60 us dollars (35 - 40 euro).

Ciao.
Gianni (Milan, Italy)

flfig4

ok, we get to Italy, will we be able to buy this simple GSM phone at the airport? Do we then purchase a SIM card for the minute usage? Our first 5 days are in Rome,an apartment with no phone. We would like to have it there and then for sure when we are driving through Sicily. Your continued help is appreciated.

justretired

These three sites have been recommended on Fodors:

http://www.brightroam.com

http://www.callineurope.com/

http://www.roamsimple.com/Default.aspx

My husband and I have used GSM phones for European trips over the past several years, but needed new ones and new SIM cards for an upcoming Italian trip. We just ordered (from Call in Europe.com) 2 $19 phones and 3 Italian SIM cards at $29 each- total was $137, including $12 shipping. For us, that arrangement worked the best. We will be able to give our number to family and friends before we leave and use it immediately upon arrival.

Good luck,

Margie

JulieAgain

I don't know anything about cell phones either, except the basics. But if you are not locked into a plan, can you just switch carriers? We use our Cingular/AT&T phone in Italy. Before going, we call AT&T & advise them to sign us up for the international plan - $5 or $10 month, I forget. When we get back, we wait couple of months for all bills to be in & then cancel the Int. plan - no fee for doing so.

If you can switch companies, you can usually get a free phone or one that doesn't cost much extra. Just be sure it is one that works internationally.

Our first trip, we didn't take a cell phone & our apartment did not have a phone. We had int. calling cards. it was a pain finding a public phone & figuring out how to use it & the calling card.

Julie

Robespierre

Telestial.com has a nice Europe phone for $40 that comes with some airtime. But your best bet is to use their phone with a prepaid SIM you buy from www.tim.it

dmlove

Understand that if you do what Julie suggests (and I did just that on a recent trip to Egypt, Madrid and London), you will be paying far more per minute for usage that you will if you get a local SIM. Therefore, the AT&T international roaming route is really only good/cost effective if you're going to use the phone on a very limited basis. Calls to and from Egypt were $2.49 per minute, calls to and from Spain and the UK, $1.29 per minute.

Robespierre

T-Mobile's international deal is better. Their per-minute charge is 99¢, and there's no monthly charge. Users can turn International Roaming on and off at my.t-mobile.com without going through CS hell.

BarbaraJ

Verizon will loan you a global phone for only $9.95 in shipping. You will keep your phone number. The cost is $1.29 for both incoming and outgoing, $.99 if you sign up for the international plan at $4.99/mo, which is prorated for only the time you have the phone activated.

We decided on this option as we don't intend to use the phone that much and our family will not have to remember a different number. We're only taking phones because my husband and I are traveling separately to Italy. Otherwise, we enjoy being out of reach of home, business, etc except for emergencies. It makes it seem like a real vacation!

Robespierre

We use T-Mobile International Roaming to keep our party in touch. We send a text for 35¢ that costs 0¢ to receive. "meet fouquets 1930" (I wish.)

To call the states, we use Skype.com for free if it's to family and friends or 2.4¢/min if it's not.

Gianni

Ciao,
don't rent or buy a cell phone at the airport.

Go to the town, also at Termini railway station (or nearby) you can find a phone shop. Mayor companies are TIM, Vodafone and Wind.
Gianni

Gianni

Sorry,
I have forgotten to insert some ratea info in my previous message.

This is related to calls from Italy to USA.
Example, TIM and prepaied SIM card:
with best rate plan (UNICA di TIM, UNICA 10 di TIM e ZerOScatti) 0,15 eurocents at the answer; 0,95 eurocent per second (0,50 eurocent per minute) of conversation.

Ciao.
Gianni P.

ps
If you have to call and you have access to a fixed line phone you can buy prepaied EUTELIA services at shop where tobacco / lotteries are sold (tabaccaio in Italia) and use it via a toll free number. The cost goes down to few eurocents per minute.