Cell Phones for Italy
Aug 29th, 2007 | 08:49 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 149
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Cell Phones for Italy
I know this topic has been visited a lot, but I just want to see if what I am finding is the best bet for us.
We are going to be in Italy for 8 days. With kids at home, I would feel a lot more comfortable if I can be reached easily. We will also need it for some calls within Italy, too.
What I am looking at is Cellular Abroad, which will be about $70 to rent for 8 days and then there is a $49 SIM card purchase in addition to that. That will give me about 250 min within Italy or about 60 min. to the US. Incoming calls are free.
I looked into buying a triband phone at Costco for about $30. Having it unlocked, and then buying a SIM card. They are $39 for the card (with $7 worth of minutes included) and then you have to buy additional time. Works out about the same, maybe a bit more for purchasing the phone. As I don't have any future Europe travel plans at this time, I am thinking that I should go with the rental. (Although, we are taking a Caribbean Cruise next year, maybe it can used there?)
Any thoughts/other ideas???
We are going to be in Italy for 8 days. With kids at home, I would feel a lot more comfortable if I can be reached easily. We will also need it for some calls within Italy, too.
What I am looking at is Cellular Abroad, which will be about $70 to rent for 8 days and then there is a $49 SIM card purchase in addition to that. That will give me about 250 min within Italy or about 60 min. to the US. Incoming calls are free.
I looked into buying a triband phone at Costco for about $30. Having it unlocked, and then buying a SIM card. They are $39 for the card (with $7 worth of minutes included) and then you have to buy additional time. Works out about the same, maybe a bit more for purchasing the phone. As I don't have any future Europe travel plans at this time, I am thinking that I should go with the rental. (Although, we are taking a Caribbean Cruise next year, maybe it can used there?)
Any thoughts/other ideas???
Aug 29th, 2007 | 08:52 AM
#2
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
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Hi D,
Last time I went, I decided to buy a tri-band cell phone (unlocked) that I could use when I returned to the US.
I bought mine from Telestial, a company in San Diego. You can find them through a link on the Slowtrav.com web site, under trip planning.
It will come with an Italian plug for recharging, so you can get a US adapter at Radio Shack when you return.
I felt it was a toss up cost wise.
Buon viaggio!
Last time I went, I decided to buy a tri-band cell phone (unlocked) that I could use when I returned to the US.
I bought mine from Telestial, a company in San Diego. You can find them through a link on the Slowtrav.com web site, under trip planning.
It will come with an Italian plug for recharging, so you can get a US adapter at Radio Shack when you return.
I felt it was a toss up cost wise.
Buon viaggio!
Aug 29th, 2007 | 08:55 AM
#3
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152
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I am just researching this myself, and have found this to be of interest: http://www.mobalrental.com/
Not sure if it meets your needs or is the best buy (as I said, I'm new at this!), but figured I'd throw it out there.
Good luck!
Not sure if it meets your needs or is the best buy (as I said, I'm new at this!), but figured I'd throw it out there.
Good luck!
Aug 29th, 2007 | 09:25 AM
#4
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 510
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If you go to
http://www.telestial.com/
you'll see a phone plus sim combination for $49.00, which includes $20 of calling time. The phone works in Europe but not in the US, and calls made using this sim cost $0.99/minute (outgoing) and $0.00 (incoming). You can buy extra minutes by calling from the phone, or, assuming the phone is unlocked (check on this by calling Telestial), you can buy a local Italian sim from TIM or WIND if you need more than 20 minutes calling time. This is the least expensive way I know of to get a cell phone plus sim for calling in Europe, particularly because you can keep the phone and use it on your next trip to Europe. I swear, Scout's Honor, that I'm not connected with Telestial.
http://www.telestial.com/
you'll see a phone plus sim combination for $49.00, which includes $20 of calling time. The phone works in Europe but not in the US, and calls made using this sim cost $0.99/minute (outgoing) and $0.00 (incoming). You can buy extra minutes by calling from the phone, or, assuming the phone is unlocked (check on this by calling Telestial), you can buy a local Italian sim from TIM or WIND if you need more than 20 minutes calling time. This is the least expensive way I know of to get a cell phone plus sim for calling in Europe, particularly because you can keep the phone and use it on your next trip to Europe. I swear, Scout's Honor, that I'm not connected with Telestial.
Aug 29th, 2007 | 11:06 AM
#6
Joined: Oct 2003
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Re Moto v190 and United Mobile, I have a v190 phone in which the old United Mobile sim (with the +423 number) doesn't work. A phone that does work well with United Mobile and most other sims is the Nokia 6610. This is a European triband - it works for all European service providers and for T Mobile in the US. Used, unlocked Nokia 6610's are available on Ebay for between $40 and $60, shipping included.
Aug 29th, 2007 | 02:18 PM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 149
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Thanks for all your help!
kagoo: I did look at the mobal phone, but it looks like the rates are higher, like $1.25/min both outgoing and incoming. It looks interesting, but it looks like you purchase the phone and it has a UK SIM card so that is probably why the rates are higher. It might be good if you do a lot of international travel, but at this point we aren't
The Cellular Abroad has cheaper rates and free incoming. I think I am going to check the Telestial site next. Keep your ideas coming.
kagoo: I did look at the mobal phone, but it looks like the rates are higher, like $1.25/min both outgoing and incoming. It looks interesting, but it looks like you purchase the phone and it has a UK SIM card so that is probably why the rates are higher. It might be good if you do a lot of international travel, but at this point we aren't
The Cellular Abroad has cheaper rates and free incoming. I think I am going to check the Telestial site next. Keep your ideas coming.
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Aug 29th, 2007 | 02:29 PM
#8
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,000
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The Telestial phone is unlocked, if their web page is to be believed:
https://www.telestial.com/gsm_phones.php
https://www.telestial.com/gsm_phones.php
Aug 30th, 2007 | 04:21 AM
#9
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 750
Likes: 0
Thank you for this thread...
Telestial was a slam dunk and for $49, we got a package with phone, $20 of calling and FREE incoming calls from USA, also a free Int'l calling card to use from land lines.
That was a slam dunk and ordering it was a snap.
Grazie...
Telestial was a slam dunk and for $49, we got a package with phone, $20 of calling and FREE incoming calls from USA, also a free Int'l calling card to use from land lines.
That was a slam dunk and ordering it was a snap.
Grazie...
Aug 30th, 2007 | 04:39 AM
#10
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 750
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Question....(We're in the same dilemma as the OP as we have a young child staying w/ grandparents for over 2 weeks and need to be in contact frequently.)
Since my GSM cell phone's incoming calls are FREE, what is the most economical way for our family to call us from the USA? Int'l calling cards? If so, which company?
Thank you.
Since my GSM cell phone's incoming calls are FREE, what is the most economical way for our family to call us from the USA? Int'l calling cards? If so, which company?
Thank you.
Aug 30th, 2007 | 04:54 AM
#11
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
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I assume when you say you have a local or international sim card with free reception of calls...to better answer your question, I would really have to know what country the sim card is from and you are using.
One of the problems remains that the whole concept of mobile phones in Europe is different from cell phones in the USA and Canada. The gsm phones in Europe operate on the principle caller pays so, using the UK which I know best as an example, mobile numbers have a special numbering systems...all mobile numbers in the UK start with a 7, there is no city code. Calls to mobile numbers from landlines are surcharged so the caller pays not only the cost to his landline but also the surcharge is what he or she pays to the mobile company. Same sort of thing if you on a UK mobile call a mobile on a different network, the charge for the call is very very high.
That is the reason if you look at a rate sheet (assuming you are in the USA) of any ld carrier you will see stuff like calls to the UK are 2¢/minute but calls to UK cell (mobile) numbers are 32¢/minute...the extra 30¢, called I believe a termination fee being the price the caller pays to the mobile company of the recipient of the call allowing the recipient the benetit of "free" incoming....each country has different rates listed....one of the problem th einternational cards issued in Estonia, Liechtenstein or Iceland run into are these very high termination fees wbhich while you get free reception of calls throughout Western Europe the caller pays a ton...sometimes as much as $1/minute with some ld carriers.
In the USA, on our cell phone plans, we get astronomically high number of minutes but the minutes count whether we are calling or receiving...also there are no special prefixes for cell phones the numbers are regular numbers with an area code and a number...NYC once upon a time as this developed used the area code 917 for cell phones, pagers and the line but a court ruled this illegal...now a NYC 917 number might be a cell phone but it might be a landline also. So folks from Europe calling USA cell phones do not get surcharged for a call to a cell phone (and in this era of number porting you might take your landline number and have it ported to your cell phone when you turn in your landline)..
So a long winded explanation which I'm prone to do but there are ways to make it easier for the people who you wish to have call you.
You can open up an account with voicestick which will give you a local number in just about any area code you desire and set up call forwarding that is a person ringing that number will have the call forwarded to your mobile phone in Europe...their rates vary by country and even in some cases by company...you can fund the account with as little as $5...but again the rate to forward to the big 3 international cards is astronomically high....the newest craze among international cards is the use of UK country code +44...for several years some companies have had such a deal using numbers on the Isle of Man...calls into were billed as UK mobile calls much cheaper than Estonia, Liechtenstein and Iceland...now the big player in this game, United Mobile, having discovered ridiculously high termination fees for calls to Liechtenstein is joining in using a +44 country code with a number located in Jersey...
So the answer to your question is I don't know until you tell me what gsm company you are using in what country and then I might be able to make suggestions.....
One of the problems remains that the whole concept of mobile phones in Europe is different from cell phones in the USA and Canada. The gsm phones in Europe operate on the principle caller pays so, using the UK which I know best as an example, mobile numbers have a special numbering systems...all mobile numbers in the UK start with a 7, there is no city code. Calls to mobile numbers from landlines are surcharged so the caller pays not only the cost to his landline but also the surcharge is what he or she pays to the mobile company. Same sort of thing if you on a UK mobile call a mobile on a different network, the charge for the call is very very high.
That is the reason if you look at a rate sheet (assuming you are in the USA) of any ld carrier you will see stuff like calls to the UK are 2¢/minute but calls to UK cell (mobile) numbers are 32¢/minute...the extra 30¢, called I believe a termination fee being the price the caller pays to the mobile company of the recipient of the call allowing the recipient the benetit of "free" incoming....each country has different rates listed....one of the problem th einternational cards issued in Estonia, Liechtenstein or Iceland run into are these very high termination fees wbhich while you get free reception of calls throughout Western Europe the caller pays a ton...sometimes as much as $1/minute with some ld carriers.
In the USA, on our cell phone plans, we get astronomically high number of minutes but the minutes count whether we are calling or receiving...also there are no special prefixes for cell phones the numbers are regular numbers with an area code and a number...NYC once upon a time as this developed used the area code 917 for cell phones, pagers and the line but a court ruled this illegal...now a NYC 917 number might be a cell phone but it might be a landline also. So folks from Europe calling USA cell phones do not get surcharged for a call to a cell phone (and in this era of number porting you might take your landline number and have it ported to your cell phone when you turn in your landline)..
So a long winded explanation which I'm prone to do but there are ways to make it easier for the people who you wish to have call you.
You can open up an account with voicestick which will give you a local number in just about any area code you desire and set up call forwarding that is a person ringing that number will have the call forwarded to your mobile phone in Europe...their rates vary by country and even in some cases by company...you can fund the account with as little as $5...but again the rate to forward to the big 3 international cards is astronomically high....the newest craze among international cards is the use of UK country code +44...for several years some companies have had such a deal using numbers on the Isle of Man...calls into were billed as UK mobile calls much cheaper than Estonia, Liechtenstein and Iceland...now the big player in this game, United Mobile, having discovered ridiculously high termination fees for calls to Liechtenstein is joining in using a +44 country code with a number located in Jersey...
So the answer to your question is I don't know until you tell me what gsm company you are using in what country and then I might be able to make suggestions.....
Aug 30th, 2007 | 05:15 AM
#12
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 510
Likes: 0
Your family can call you by using PennyTalk,
www.pennytalk.com/
The charge is around 25 cents/minute for calling cell phones with a United Kingdom or Italian sim and much less than that for calling an Italian land line.
www.pennytalk.com/
The charge is around 25 cents/minute for calling cell phones with a United Kingdom or Italian sim and much less than that for calling an Italian land line.
Aug 30th, 2007 | 05:40 AM
#13
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 184
Likes: 0
xyz:
I didn't realize that calling a cell phone would cost the caller more than calling a land line.
I just ordered the telestial $49, and get 45 minds of free incoming calls, then there is a .49 min charge per min to use their "toll-free" number, so i just thought my kids would dial direct to our +44 number and pay .05/min, like when I call England.
Sounds like I'm wrong. I live in Canada, so if you-or anybody else!- have suggestions/knowledge on the best bet for me. I'd appreciate it
Thanks.
PS: I'll be in Italy, France, Spain and England
I didn't realize that calling a cell phone would cost the caller more than calling a land line.
I just ordered the telestial $49, and get 45 minds of free incoming calls, then there is a .49 min charge per min to use their "toll-free" number, so i just thought my kids would dial direct to our +44 number and pay .05/min, like when I call England.
Sounds like I'm wrong. I live in Canada, so if you-or anybody else!- have suggestions/knowledge on the best bet for me. I'd appreciate it
Thanks.
PS: I'll be in Italy, France, Spain and England
Aug 30th, 2007 | 05:51 AM
#14
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,271
Likes: 0
tropicalkerry...
If Canada works anything like the US inthis regard, different ld carriers will all have different policies...you have to check each individual carrier for its rates to the UK and then its rates to UK mobiles.....
If Canada works anything like the US inthis regard, different ld carriers will all have different policies...you have to check each individual carrier for its rates to the UK and then its rates to UK mobiles.....
Aug 30th, 2007 | 06:03 AM
#16
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
dhswor -- Thanks for starting this thread, and thanks to everyone who answered. Sounds as if the Telestial will be perfect for us. (We just want the phone for emergencies -- e.g., to call ahead to our lodgings if we're running late -- stuff like that. No calls to/from home required.) So, thanks to Fodorites once again!
