Prestonator

Novice question here--

What is the most efficient, cost-effective way my traveling party of 4 (2 adults and 2 young adult children) can make sure we are "connected" while traveling in Rome and Sorrento this summer? Also, how will we best be able to reach hotels/transportation services, etc., once we are in Europe?

Sorry for the rudimentary nature of my question...

BigRuss

Check the plans your carrier provides for international. Or use an unlocked phone and buy a sim card.

<<Also, how will we best be able to reach hotels/transportation services, etc., once we are in Europe?>>

Phone, Internet. You'll have something wifi enabled, right?

sparkchaser

I think you're over thinking this. BigRuss pretty much said it all, albeit in not so much detail.

greg

Communication choice and price implications depends on the usage model. "we are connected" between what? Connection requires at least two end points as well as which side initiates the connection.

"best be able to reach hotels/transportation services" in terms of communication or physically getting to the service providers? The latter depends on which city you are talking about, how you are arriving in each city, and what is the criteria of "best" - least hassle, least cost, least time, etc. You usually don't get all three and each person places different weight to different factors making up "best."

DebitNM

Easiest - if you all have wifi smartphones [and I am guessing you do]; use an App that will allow you to call and text each other for free. I have used VIBER and it works great. You just need to be in wifi zone [many cafes have this as well as other public spots] and you can communicate with each other.

To call locally to Italian landlines or cells, sign up and use Skype. Works well and is really inexpensive.

This has a pretty good recap of the how to's :
http://thepointsguy.com/2015/03/how-...nes-wifi-more/

hetismij2

Just make sure you are using free WiFi not your phone data connection. That could get expensive really quickly.

bvlenci

Italy has some pretty good (and reasonably priced) short-term no-contract phone plans.

Do at least some of you have unlocked quad-band GSM phones?

How long will you be in Italy?

Do you jut want to be able to call and text or do you need data services? On all four phones?

If you can answer these questions, I can perhaps suggest solutions.

Kathie

We switched to T-Mobile before we started traveling more. Free data in 200 countries allows us to text back and forth (great when members of your party decide to split up and go to different places). We also appreciated being able to use google maps to find our way around.

JeanT

Good topic and I was going to ask some of these questions in another thread but since this has already answered some questions.

(I have an unlocked OLD but good Pantech flip phone and will get a SIM card.) I am traveling in Rome and will also have an Ipad. Do I have to talk to someone to disconnect the AT&T 4G so that I just rely on wi-fi and avoid some crazy AT&T charges? or will the 4G just not work in Rome and all will be well?

china_cat

Jean, go into settings on your ipad and turn off cellular data. That will prevent it from using your AT&T connection. And that's assuming you have an active AT&T account...since iPads can be turned on month to month, you can probably have it cancelled for that month, as another option.

As to the original question, I think local pay-as-you-go SIM cards are the most reasonably priced option, particularly if you want to use data. International data plans from us carriers are ridiculously expensive. So if you have unlocked phones, that's the best choice.

Ackislander

Behind all these excellent answers is the fact that you are not likely to able to stay connected if that means constant " where r u" and other "just checking in" texts unless you go to a certain amount of trouble, nor will your young people be able to stay in constant contact with their friends at home. Don't just do nothing and say "it can't be that expensive". Is $2000 is expensive?

Prestonator

Ok thanks for the multiple replies and good thoughts--some of it a bit overwhelming for my mind.

We will be in Italy for 8 nights; basically I have three concerns:
1. Being reachable for a family emergency back in the U.S.
2. Being able to contact each other when/should we become separated during our touring/travels.
3. Being able to contact hotels or transportation services if we have flight delays, etc.

Really not interested in posting "real time" images, etc. and socializing with people back home.
We each have smartphones

Will that help customize your counsel for us? Thanks!

sparkchaser

If you have smartphones, get local SIM cards that will allow calls to/from the U.S. If you are not planning on phoning home except in an emergency, you won't care if those calls cost you 25 cents a min.

Problem solved.

Truffles

I've found that using my unlocked phone with an Italian SIM card is the best option. You'll have an Italian phone number that people in the US can reach you at, you will have texting/calling/data available amongst yourselves. You can also top up if you run out of any of the above.

sparkchaser

Good point. Your phones will have to be unlocked in order to use a local SIM.

bvlenci

You haven't answered the question about whether your phones are GSM-compatible and whether they are unlocked or can be unlocked for the trip. However, let's assume that they are. If you're not sure, tell us the phone models and providers, and maybe we can help you figure it out.

It sounds as though you just want to be able to make calls, and mostly short ones, so you don't need any sort of complicated calling plans. If you need to use the internet, you can do it when you find a wifi connection. (Make sure your hotel has one, and it shouldn't cost anything, either.)

You might even check to see if your provider in the US has an international plan with reasonably priced call rates. An Italian SIM card costs 10 euros, so if you can get an international rate of 25 cents a minute, for example, you could make over 40 minutes worth of calls for what an Italian SIM card would cost you.

The main hitch is having people in the US call you. Calls to European cell phones can be very expensive. I have solved this problem by getting a US Skype phone number that my friends and relatives in the US can call. If I'm connected to Skype, the call costs me nothing. If I'm not, it transfers the call to any number I specify, which in my case is my Italian cell phone number. For the transferred calls, the cost is 30 cents a minute. I believe the cost of this number is about $60 a year, but you can get it for shorter periods. They don't really show the price on their site unless you request a number.