Data Sim Card
 

I'm going to be in Italy for about a month and want to get a SIM card for my iPad. I want to use the interactive maps feature on my iPad while I am driving the countryside and walking in cities. I've never tried this before and have usually walked/driven around unfolding and folding up maps. I could use some advice.

Questions:
1. Has anyone done this? Does it work?
2. If I used the mapping app every day for 27 days, how much data will I use and/or how much should it cost? I know this is a big question, but any ballpark answer would be helpful.
3. Can I turn the SIM card on and off when I am not using it? Many of the hotels we're staying in have WiFi.
4. Any other advice would be so appreciated.

Thanks for any help you can give,
Suzanne

We went to a TIM store in Milan and bought a card for our cellphone. They can give you advice on how it works and what you'll need for your iPad.

Lee Ann

For data usage, there is no need to ask anyone to get estimate based upon your usage pattern. You can find it out on your own at no cost by either getting into your SETTING/CELLULAR or
using one of several free Data Monitor apps you can get from the app store.

If you have used iPad for this purpose before, recommend you try it out at home first to see if it actually works as you imagined.

How do you supply power to your iPad when the screen and nav hardware drain your battery quickly?
How to you see the screen outdoors on a sunny day?
How would you mount your device in the car?

We use our iPad with google maps for directions and mapping all the time when we travel and only problems are when the roads are incorrect. Always a good idea to check your iPad route with a paper map. There are two of us so that helps. I can't give an estimate on data usage, but do know that mapping uses big chunks of data. You can also use the iPad mapping function without using any data. It picks up cell towers and you just follow the little dot. If you want to be talked to and have some of the step by step features you do need data. As far as power usage I have an iPad Air and can go about 4-5 hours using the mapping. You could also take a car charger. I always mean to, but seem to forget. Have a great trip!

We got a different SIM card for our iPad and used it in Germany. It worked like a charm, but we always carry back up paper maps.

I have no way to predict how much data you will use but if you are running low on data you can reload your SIM.

Save the old sim card to put back in after you return. It's a small "speck" of paper and would be easy to lose.

A charger that fits into a cigarette lighter would be a good idea if you're planning on using it for long periods in the car.

You "turn off" the sim by going into settings and turning off "cellular data."

Kybourbon, that looks perfect. I may just get that for my iPhone. I have to decide if I really need to make a phone call or can get by with just Internet, I'd probably only use the phone to make a dinner reservation, not to call back home.

Actually, both my husband and I are getting SIM cards so I'll do the data only on one and the data + phone for the other.