I would like to get a TIM (Italian SIM card) here in Canada, before going to Italy.

Does anyone know if Telestial is the only company that sells TIM card outside Italy? where else can I buy a TIM? I tired the www.tim.it, but don't see any sim card for sale.

I do know that I have to email my scanned passport to Telestial in order to buy a sim/tim card. But at least I know the phone number ahead of time.

Thanks

Have you checked ebay?

Yes, I checked eBay, and could not find the TIM card. Instead I sawan "ekit Passport SIM card", and a "Vodafone SIM card" for Italy.

The "ekit Passport SIM" is a bit more expensive than TIM ($0.49/min within Italy versus $0.45/min, but calling US from Italy is stll $0.49/min for ekit, $0.79/min for TIMS), the Vodafone is 0.25euro/min within Italy, 0.60euro to call US/Canada.

Are ekit and Vodafone just different cell phone/SIM providers than TIM? if I buy on eBay, how would I "register" the phone? I thought I have to give the passport info in order to register. Telestial has a form you can complete and attach your scanned passport image so they can register it for you, but the vendors on eBay did ot say anything about registration. I am confused.

Try ekit.com/ekit/MobilePurchase/Sims

We were posting at the same time.

BTW, I used Telestial for one trip to Italy, and they were never able to register my passport even though I faxed it to them. I had to do it when I got to Italy. If I had known ahead of time I might just as well have waited and bought the SIM card itself in Italy, where I imagine it would have been cheaper.

My suspicion is that the ekit Passport sim card is NOT an Italian sim card, but rather a global sim card, which one can use outside Italy, and therefore it does not require you to register with your passport (like the TIM in Italy).

My best bet is to buy a sim card when I arrive in Rome, at the airport or train station. Now the question is: can I use the TIM card in Istanbul, or is it better to buy a global sim afterall?

The ekit Passport sim is global, not Italian, and can be used in the countries listed on their web site. You can add minutes at their web site. You'll have to check with ekit about how you keep the card going indefinitely. I think you have to make a call every 9 months, but I'm not sure.

I've used their sim in Italy and will be using it in Turkey this spring. The advantage of using a global sim is that you have a contact number you can give in advance to family members and you don't have to spend time in each country you visit buying a local sim. Also, you can keep the sim and use it on subsequent trips, whereas national sims like TIM expire at some point after purchase. The disadvantage, of course, is that the calling rate for an international sim is higher than if you used a local sim.

For other international sims, see

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/international.html

ekit.com does sell a global SIM, but it also sells country-specific SIMs, including one for Italy. I would doubt that the TIM would work in Istanbul, but would suggest that you check the TIM website.

thursdaysd ... it goes back to my original question: ekit website says there are Italy-specific sim card, but they do not say that I have to send them my passport info so they can register for me.

Does that means I have to "register"it when I arrive in Italy - and how do I do that? I know to activate I only need to make a phone call with my cell, but to register the sim which I bought in advance, how do I do that? wouldn't that be simpler if I wait till I get to the Rome airport, walk in a phone store, buy a sim, and ask them to register for me right there? The only question is whether I need to wait 72 hours as someone had mentioned, for the phone to work.

I had to register my TIM when I got to Italy - I just found a TIM store (I asked at my hotel) and let them make a copy of my passport. My phone was activated immediately. If I had it to do over I would wait until I got to Italy.