lucilleb

WE ARE A FAMILY OF 14 AND WILL BE TRAVELING FROM ROME TO A VILLA IN TUSCANY AND THEN TO VENICE IN JUNE. WE WILL HAVE 4 TEENS WITH US AND POSSIBLY 3 CARS SO WE WANT TO KEEP IN TOUCH. HAS ANYONE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH RENTING OR PURCHASING WALKIE TALKIES IN ITALY? WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ONES THAT WE CAN BUY IN THE US ARE ILLEGAL IN ITALY. CAN WE PURCHASE THEM AT THE AIRPORT, OR IN A PARTICULAR STORE IN ROME. IF YOU HAVE DONE THIS, WHAT KIND DID YOU BUY/RENT AND DID THEY WORK WELL? THIS IS THE LAST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE THAT WE NEED. BUT ALSO, SHOULD WE LEAVE THE CARS/VANS IN FLORENCE AND TAKE THE TRAIN TO VENICE? MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN TO ITALY BEFORE, BUT NOT WITH A GROUP AND WE WANT TO BE IN COMMUNICATION AT ALL TIMES. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN ADVANCE. LUCILLE

nrwayne

Please don't use all caps. That's the text version of screaming.
FYI, we've used Family Radio Channel 2-way radios many times and they work just fine. Buy them at Radio Shack or other electronics stores. You won't find them in Italy.
You can leave the cars in Florence, but are better off driving to Venice and parking there. Either way parking will be expensive, but you'll save the cost of the train.

Jocelyn_P

FYI, we used walkie talkies to keep our group of 5 in communication in Italy. We bought the walkie-talkies in the US, not realizing they were illegal. I don't know if we just got cheap ones, but in hilly towns like Siena they didn't work--at all. We lost one family member for 3 hours, all in a panic. So, be sure to test them out first, in a hilly area, before you rely on them heavily.

rex

Used walkie-talkies bought in Germany all over Germany and France, with very good result. Yes, the distance they work can be somewhat limited - - but even that can be useful. when the car in front is no longer in touch with the car(s) behind, it's time to slow down. Mostly we used them to chat, talk about exits for bathroom breaks, lunch, etc.

Really, REALLY useful for ANY driving IN Rome where it is very, very difficult to stay together.

Best wishes,

Rex

StCirq

The reason they are illegal is that they interfere with the frequencies used by the police, fire, and rescue people.

That's reason enough for me not to consider using them.

I've never shopped for walkie-talkies in Europe, but I have noticed them for sale in large stores like LeClerc and Mammouth and others in France. I imagine one might find them in equivalent stores in Italy.

blithespirit

A London company sells a Cobra walkie talkie (about US$40) which is legal to use in EU countries. They explain that in 1998 the European Union countries agreed to set aside radio frequencies for use by the general public for personal communications. No license is needed to use these radios, and they will not interfere with any "official" radio network. They can be used in most European Union countries with no restrictions. The American FRS radios however use different frequencies, and these frequencies are not set aside and CAN interfere with local European emergency usage. (http://www.amherst.co.uk/walkietalkie.htm)

nrwayne

I just bought a set of Motorola talkabouts for our trip next week. These have a choice of FRS or GMRS so we can easily move to a frequency that will not interfere. Plus, most of the usage will be from car to car on country roads where the likelihood of a conflict is nil. Two way radios are a great help in these situations. For a few bucks more, it pays to get one of the better models, as opposed to those that claim a two mile range, but really cover a lot less.