OK so I know a zillion other people have asked this but...
I have an unlocked cell from cingular.
what is the easiest and most efficient way of calling in Northern Italy (tuscany).
phone cards - get here or there
simm cards - get here or there
buy a throw away phone there?
leaving on the Sept 6th.
thanks

Buy a SIM card there.

Buon Viaggio,
BC

Yes, buy a TIM card there, but only if your phone is a tri- or quad-band phone that will work in Europe.

A guy I met on a recent trip did the same thing.

1. bought unlocked cell from cingular
2. traveled to Italy, and purchased a SIM card from Telecom Italia Mobil (TIM)
3. inserted card
4. found out that cell phone was dual band, US frequencies only, so he was s.o.l.

topping...

I don't understand the techo part of it all, but took our Cingular phone to Europe & UK this spring, but not Italy.

I just called before going & placed our account on the International Plan for $6 month. When got home, discontinued the int'l plan. No other fees.

HOWEVER! It worked very well when calling within each country & when calling from Europe/UK to USA, but it did not work when calling from one European country to another.

After returning home, I called Cingular & was told that the problem was the other countries' systems would not recognize my country to country calls, not Cingular.

Since your survice provider is Cingular, you know your phone operates on the frequencies 850 and 1900. Your phone will also operate on the European frequencies, 900 and 1800, only if it's a quad band. You need to find out if it is. Your instruction manual might tell you, and another way is to ask Cingular. If your phone is not a quad band, it won't work in Europe. If it is, you can buy an Italian sim or you can buy an international sim from the list at
www.prepaidgsm.net/en/international.html
If your phone is not a quad band, you need a new phone if you're going to use it in Europe. People in this forum have been talking up an inexpensive phone plus sim card combination at Telestial.com
The phone is a European dual band (won't work in the US) and the sim is international. The package costs $49 and includes $20 worth of calling time. The only drawback is that the outgoing calling rate is high, $0.99/minute. The phone is unlocked, so you can buy another sim for use after you make $20 worth of calls.