using iphone in Europe? what is needed? (can you just do wifi?)
 

We love the map feature on my husband's iphone and would prefer it to using a paper map during our trip to Spain. Is there a way we can use his iphone on our trip without crazy fees? (We are from the US). we don't need it to make phone calls, but would like to use the wifi feature if possible. I asked at the ATT store and they told me you couldnt use it abroad (which I know isnt true -- but may require an add-on).

Is it worth it if it costs extra? we'll be spending 10 full days in Spain and will not be renting a car.

There is a way to do it, but not without paying crazy fees. When using your iPhone abroad, you have to pay data roaming charges, and the fee is based on how many MB of data you will be using. It is NOT cheap.

You can put your iPhone into wireless mode by going into the "General" settings nad making sure that "Enable 3F" and "Data Roaming" are OFF. Also make sure that your Wi-Fi is set to ON.

The biggest issue with this, though, is that you're unlikely to get free wi-fi when you want it. You won't be walking along a road and then look up an address, plot it on the map, and get directions. I have been living in London for 3 months and am only using Wi-Fi on my iPhone and it's basically useless. The vast majority of places do not offer free wi-fi. I have an international dial plan added to my account temporarily for emergencies only (and then I have a separate basic cell phone I use for regular cell phone calls).

Get a map!

Another thing you can try is searching for "offline Spanish maps" in the App store. You can buy apps that don't require a 3G connection or Wifi but still have the information you might want. I used the Not For Tourists app when I visited Chicago last month and it worked fine.

Just make sure you turn off data roaming before you land in Italy!

Actually I found that on a recent trip to France that my map/GPS feature on my iPhone worked, and there was no charge on my bill apart from the few calls/texts I made (and yes, I'd activated international calling) and my phone was on.

I discovered this feature accidentally when I looked at a map that I'd previously accessed via a web link (while in my apartment, which had wifi) and found that my present location was noted and that it moved when I moved. I was concerned that this would somehow generate some fee, but figured I'd be able to argue that I wasn't trying to get the information but that it was being "pushed" to my phone. But when I checked my phone bills subsequently there was no fee. I'll be in Europe (Spain and Sweden) again in a couple of weeks and will check to see if it happens again. I'm assuming that the phone "talks" to the cell towers whether or not you're making a call, and that's how it works in that setting.

The off-line options that lizziea06 mentions are also a great alternative to paper maps. You can also get subway maps/route calculators: MetrO is one that's got a lot of different cities' transit systems, though it doesn't calculate fares.

I like to reset my usage statistics to zero before going on a trip. That way I can have a rough idea of any charges I am incurring, although the system is not perfect. Settings - General - Usage.

The app maps aren't that great and leave out a lot of detail. To be able access maps using satellite GPS, you have to download the map of the location that you want while in a wifi spot. Zoom in, scroll around, and let it download all the detail, if you do not do this your map will be worthless. Once you have done that you can use the GPS map function on your phone for free and without a wifi connection as you are walking around.