torcator

So guys,
I'll be in italy for a week and I wand to buy a sim card solution for data, to use basically whatsapp and google maps.

do you know any service like this in italy?
thanks in advance !!!

jerryhung

http://www.international.tim.it/en/tim-welcome
$20 Euro for a month

TIM stores are everywhere, Milano Centrale and etc... not sure if MXP airport has it, or FCO

Do some research too
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...m-italy-6.html

PWMTrav

I just did this, so hopefully the info is fresh.

I went with TIM as they seem to have the best coverage in Italy. As a practical matter, I didn't leave Florence, so I could have gone with Vodafone, Wind or Tre (3) as well.

You need an unlocked phone (or whatever device), meaning it can't be SIM-locked to a carrier. Bring your passport, they'll use that number instead of a codice fiscale since you're not an Italian citizen (I presume). You will have to physically go to a store to do this, but at least in the cities, TIM is everywhere.

Searching Google Maps for stores in Italy isn't very good. You will probably want to use Google instead, and then map the address itself in Google Maps - although the placement isn't always perfect.

From there, I paid 12 euro for 200 mins, 200 SMS, 1GB data, good for 30 days. Plus the SIM itself was about 20 euro. That was with TIM.

If you are going to Florence and tell me where you're staying, I can tell you were the TIM store is in relation.

One more thing - if you plan to return, your SIM will expire unless reloaded every 12 months. You can do that online, so top it up once a year. It's cheaper than a new SIM.

PWMTrav

That is a good deal, I'd recommend it. I would have used it if it were available when I went. The fact that the 200 mins include calling international (from within Italy) is excellent. My plan costs .18 per minute intl.

torcator

Thanks guys for the answers..

PWMTrav I'll be a couple of days on Rome and then I'll spend the weekend and may be a weekday in Florence.
unfortunately I don't have confirmation yet of my hotel, but I assume that it will not be hard to find a TIM store right?

about google maps, is it updated for rome and florence?
I mean can I use it for public transportation and to know the citi??

Also, do you have any other cool app to recommend?
I'm an android user.

Up In The Air

[QUOTE=jerryhung;22509351]http://www.international.tim.it/en/tim-welcome
$20 Euro for a month

TIM stores are everywhere, Milano Centrale and etc... not sure if MXP airport has it, or FCO

No 'phones stores at MXP.

Use TIM, WIND or Vodafone: They all offer good coverage with cheap monthly (unlimited) data rates. Just pop into a store and make sure you explain exactly what you want. All three companies have brochures that explain the plans clearly.

NB 1 Your handset must be unlocked. If yours is locked to a US network, make sure you get the unlock code before you fly: They will definitely need this in Italy when fitting your SIM card.

NB 2 I have experienced issues in Italy with the size of SIM card – (mini or traditional) – but I'm sure you'll be fine.

PWMTrav

Are you flying into FCO? The airport does have at least one cell phone store, not sure if it's carrier-specific or an authorized reseller, but google can help you there. You might be able to just get it done before leaving the airport.

Google Maps is updated as far as roads go. It's searching for specific businesses that gets a little hairy - for instance, search for supermarket/supermercato in Florence and the results are not that good. I just did regular google searches for those, noted the address, and then mapped the address in Google Maps. But yeah, it's fine for navigation.

For public transport within the city, I didn't use any of that, we mostly walked. To get between cities, I just use the Trenitalia website to book trains - the Frecciarossa between Rome/Florence is nice.

Tripadvisor is a good app if you have a live data connection. They also have Tripadvisor City Guides as a standalone app with offline content - they have specific apps for Florence and Rome at least. I'd download both, nice to have.

Otherwise, how is your Italian? Specifically for food, I trust 2spaghi and yelp.it more than I do Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor is written mostly by tourists, and when you're a tourist, everything is magical. 2spaghi is almost 100% Italian, and yelp.it is mostly as well. Not sure if they have country-specific apps, but they do have mobile websites.

PWMTrav

As of a month ago at least, TIM had micro and nano sims. I bought 1 of each (wife's iphone 5 needed a nano). Not sure about the full size SIM, but I think they do. I vaguely recall that my micro sim was punched out of the plastic of a full size SIM, such that what they sold me could be either size. Nano came on a separate card.

Perche

Perche

It all depends on if you have a locked phone or not. If you have an iPhone and it's still under contract, you will not be able to avail yourself of any of this advice.

PWMTrav

Not 100% true regarding the contract piece. If he's on a Verizon LTE iPhone (not sure if that's the 5/5S only), those ship SIM-unlocked. He could use that with any SIM, AFAIK.

If locked to AT&T, sometimes they will unlock for intl travel if you call, ask, get the right person and they're in a good mood.

ckendall

About apps: I use the IT taxi app that works wonders; it calls a number of taxi companies (not just one like if you call by phone) and has helped me out any number of times.

I have an unlocked phone with a Vodafone sim and coverage seems no better or worse than any of the other companies (my US phone roams in Italy and I can see whose signal I'm getting).

GertIkonomi

It just happen i was looking today for a sim card in italy this summer the major player are tim.it; vodafone.it; wind.it and e new provider 3italia.it. The last one has the best offer as for now as price-wise. the other three have better reception almost everywhere. I was trying to complete the order with 3italia however not sure if they will ship in US, italian poste are known for not delivering and also not sure if you need to activate within a certain time frame since my travel plans are for mid july. i think tim has a store in the Milano malpensa airport. the best bet is to get it from a store in italy, italian law requires to register the sim and provide copy of passport.
sim nano = iPhone5 and above

PetzLUX

I use this in Italy and abroad throughout Europe:

http://www.europasim.com/epages/6335...149/Categories

Perche

I still say that OP has to say what kind of phone and contract he/she has. If two years into an iPhone 5 contract with AT&T, none of this applies. Also, there are a lot of incredible advertisements for cell phone/data services in Italy. Once you get to the store there, it's often a different story. There are so many riders. Maybe someone can prove me wrong, but as an iPhone ATT customer who flies to Italy every other month or so and spends a third of the year or more there, the solution is never simple. And to just go there and buy a phone is similar to here. All of those great advertisements come at the cost of a 2 year contract, or having extremely poor service. I once bought into one of this, "too good to be true advertisements." To stop the service I actually had to personally go to some tiny office on the outskirts of Rome. And I had to fill out a bunch of forms. It was a splendid Vodafone deal. They said that since they now had my credit card number I would be automatically billed 55E each month now that the teaser rate expired, unless I went to that back office outside of Rome. And I was living in Torino at the time. I'm not saying that the solutions being offered aren't true. I hope they are. But be careful. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.