CELL PHONE OR PHONE CARD?
 

Three families will gather in a Parker Company Tuscany villa in September. We will not be calling the US but may need service for emergencies or just to be in touch with our representative while there. Will phone card be sufficient? Cell phones seem too expensive for the little we expect to use one.We need some help making this decision. Thanks.

Sara

If that's all you need it for, I wouldn't bother with a cell phone. One more thing to lug around and worry about. I could envision scenarios in which a cell phone would be nice to have, but they are unlikely and don't justify the extra expense and trouble.

Not familiar with phone cards, but when doing a 2-wk self-drive thru France we rented a cellphone before departing the States - just in case of accident or got lost. Thankfully, we never had to use it.
The cost for a tri-band for 2-wks was About $75 incl. insurance, return shipping costs/packing. Do not remember what the cost to make calls back to the States, or incoming, but to me they were't expensive, especially if someone "had" to be "in touch"!

Is $25 each family too costly?

Hi!
..easy rent a tri band cell phone or if you have your own tri-band buy a cell phone card as soon as you get in italy it's not expensive at all.. phone cards are not the best thing beacuse it's really difficult to find a public phone in italy... everybody uses cell-phones there!

If you are renting a car through autoeurope, they will provide a cellphone. All you pay is the $35 shipping fee and for phone calls.

Sandi, You could have purchased a phone with a sim car for that price. Then you would have had it for all your European travel. We have one and you just have to buy a new sim card and time for each country. You have it forever. Just make sure it's unlocked.

Where do I rent a tri band? As you can tell, I have never used a cell phone, depending on a phone card exclusively - a good deal at 3.5 cents a minute. So I am out in left field when I hear talk of SIM cards, and TIM stores etc.