PWMTrav

You don't need data service for SMS. You should be able to do this as soon as you land. I won't get into the technical details of what SMS is, but it does not require data coverage, only signal to the tower (what we'd think of as voice service). And texting to 40916 should be free, so even if you don't have residual credit, they should take it.

The last time I did this, I bought a card at the tabacchino in the FCO train station (cash only, he wouldnt swipe a card for a ricaricard), and applied the credit via text message from the train. I had a negative balance thanks to a "feature" added to my account, so I certainly had no data or voice credit to speak of and it worked fine.

Perche

I'll try it, but it should be pointed out that an iPhone will default to iMessage, which is not Short Message Service or SMS, and requires a cellular or data plan. You have to go into your phone's settings, then to Message settings, and enable sending by SMS.

PWMTrav

Interesting, that option for SMS fallback has been on by default on my last 3 devices. I haven't upgraded to iOS 10 yet, though, since I'm preserving my jailbreak on 9.3.3. In any event, you obviously know how to make it work without data, and I'd expect any iOS user to know how to work around iMessage as needed. If you use a special device with a special service, you're bound to have to use what everyone else uses now and again.

ckendall

I use my Vodafone iPhone to send an SMS to check the balance when I arrive in Italy (it is always negative) and I then go to Hudson News or more recently the Currency exchange booth and put enough Euros onto my phone to get it back into positive territory for the duration of my trip. Maybe I have been lucky with Vodafone but the people at the stores I have dealt with in Milan sound nicer than the TIM people you have dealt with.

The currency exchange airport booth is rarely busy and they quickly processed (for no additional fee) the credit card payment to make my phone balance positive.

PWMTrav

FWIW, the only issues with TIM that I've had are in processing reloads using a US credit card, and with phone agents. Everything else has gone okay. The TIM store on via Calzaiuoli in Florence has always been reliable when I've needed anything, provided that you speak Italian. Not everyone in the store is great with English, at least not on tech terms.

That said, if I had to buy a new SIM, I'd likely buy Vodafone since they have a more functional website.

Perche

That' interesting, because even though it's terrible, TIM is ranked as having the best telephone customer service of the big three cell phone companies in Italy. I'm leaving for Puglia and Basilicata this Thursday, way down south to Lecce, Ostuni, Matera, Villa Castello, Otranto, etc., for anywhere from two weeks to months.

I'm sure I'm going to need a lot of service and data for driving. Fortunately, Tim (and Vodafone) have great coverage all over Italy (Wind quite a bit less). What I'm really hoping to do is look into Google's Project Fi.

It was only for Pixel and Nexus phones, but apparently, there is now a way to get an iPhone or Android to use it. Unlike TIM, Wind, Vodafone, etc., which won't work when you land at your connection, say, in London or Greece or Madrid, Google Fi works the same in 135 countries and is cheaper than all of them. Basically, your phone works naturally almost anywhere around the world. No more changing SIM cards. You can even use your phone as a hotspot for an internet connection for your laptop at supposedly minimal cost. This might come in handy, as I'm finding that most of the apartments in Puglia and Basilicata don't have internet.

All 135+ countries in Project Fi’s network have the same pricing, high speed data at $10/GB, unlimited SMS, and calls for 20¢ / minute.

If anybody has used Project Fi, I'd be happy to hear about it.
https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#top-faq-2

PWMTrav

I do not recommend using Project Fi on an unsupported device unless you fully understand the limitations and have above average tech skills to configure some features and troubleshoot.

A non-exhaustive list of limitations/issues using Fi on an iPhone:

1. iMessage/Facetime may not work. There are issues activating these services.
2. MMS may work, but you'll need to set the APN yourself, and there's some trial and error involved.
3. Group SMS/MMS will have issues, particularly if you're mixing iPhone and Android users. Best bet is to leave iMessage off if you're going to do this.
4. Obviously there will be no carrier switching between CDMA and GSM, so in the US, you will have T-Mobile service or none at all. Internationally it should be a little more steady since most carriers outside North America and parts of Asia are GSM.
5. Wifi calling probably doesn't work.
6. You won't have visual voicemail. You will likely need to dial out to check voicemail. Not sure about notifications.

I'm sure there's plenty more. If you're just looking for the international features and making some calls (not Facetime or Wifi calling), texting via SMS (not iMessage) and using data, it'll probably work. Just be ready to pop in a different SIM if it doesn't, since Google isn't going to help.

I'd say this: If you were an original iPhone user back when it first launched, when AT&T was exclusive, and you were able to get your phone working on T-Mobile acceptably, you probably have an idea of what a current iPhone on Project Fi will be like. If you're comfortable with that, give it a shot.

cbastian

NOT unless you're arriving on a flight from a Schengen Country; otherwise you'll go straight to passport control and customs.

Perche

Good point, I"m always arriving on a connection, usually through LHR or MAD.

Perche

I still don't this is easy. First, the new T3 has changed locations. I arrived from LHR. In the old terminal there was one right before the elevator down to passport control. Now it's landslide. When you exit, turn right, as if going to take the train to the city. It's on the right, just before you get to the escalator to go down to the train.

Just topping up the data would be cheap, but I need to meme phone calls in Italy and to the USA, when not on WiFi. That is not cheap. Also, something weird happened. My SIM card was showing a different phone number than my usual Italian number. I've only had one SIM. We couldn't get it to work, so I had to buy another SIM card. As usual, 30 minutes at the counter. It's never easy for me. I will say the line wasn't bad.

The new T3 is great. I didn't have much time to explore but it's huge, uncrowded, bright and glittering. Very nice terminal.

PWMTrav

If you haven't already, install the TIM app. They put their promos in there and you can activate most of them from within the app itself. For instance, one that I'm looking at right now is 1000 minutes + unlimited texting + 2GB data for 15 euro. I'm hoping it's still there in 2 weeks so that I can activate it when I land, as I need to top up my balance first.

This might be obvious, maybe not, but the TIM app is only in the iTunes Italy store. You'll need to make an account there if you don't have one already.

scc32

I arrived in T1 last week and there is a TIM store airside right before you take the escalator down to the baggage claim area. You can buy a TIM for visitors for 30 euro using your credit card on their web site. It gives you a print out with a confirmation code. Just give the print out to the clerk along with your passport, and they will set you up with a sim card that gives 4GB of data and 100 minutes of voice. There was no line when I went, but it still took the person about 10 minutes to handle my setup. So if there is a line, plan on 10 minutes per person. The sim card worked in Amsterdam as well.

Perche

I still say this is never easy. When I arrived last Thursday I inserted my Wind SIM. I told them I can't just get by on data, because that means I only get to use internet and email. People will need to call and text me for professional reasons, and they will use my USA number. They will not know the the Italian TIM number. I can't send out a blast email to 1500 people telling them to call long distance in Italy until further notice. I asked if there is a way for calls to my USA number to be forwarded to my italian number.

After half an hour on the phone with ATT, speaking with recordings, I finally got someone on the line, and talked to her long enough to convince her to get someone on the phone who knows something about international calling. Someone eventually came on and said, "sure no problem.' After investigating for 45 minutes he concluded it can't be done. If I want people to be able to reach me by phone or text from the USA, I have to take out the TIM card, put my ATT card back in, and purchase an ATT international plan to check for texts sent to me at my USA number.

An ATT plan usually costs me more than $500 a week, even when I keep roaming off,\ and barely used the phone. It just happens.

I have lots of important things going on and I told people not to worry about getting hold of me in Italy, just send a text. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. If someone sends a text while you are on WiFi, and they send it using your email address rather than your phone number, you will get it. Otherwise, it is lost.

There is no way to make the USA and Italian phone speak to one another. I either have to carry two phones, or switch the SIM cards back and forth each day. The simple SIM solution is probably fine if you are going on vacation for a week, and can be unavailable by phone or text. However, if you are in Italy a substantial period of time, you can't be out of touch for that long.

Even logging onto my checking account, it notices that I am in a different place, and wants to text me a code to use as verification. That code is sent to my USA phone, the SIM card of which is the drawer, so I don't receive it.

No matter how many times people say it's easy, just by an Italian SIM card and put it in, and all of your problems will be solved, I've never had a successful way to do this. Either the phone bill winds up costing as much as a plane ticket, or I have to barely use the phone. It's fine that I can web surf with the Italian SIM, but that makes me unavailable to contacts in the USA. Or, buy both TIM and and ATT plan, and switch the SIM cards out a few times per day so I can check for any important text messages or phone calls made to the USA number. The Italian SIM is the way to go if your job allows you to tune out for the week, but not if you are working and staying for much longer than that.

Cell phone problems need a better solution. People tell me with Verizon, they don't need to do anything. If they sign up for the international plan it is inexpensive, and works all over the world at practically the same cost as if were in the USA. People tell me that the Verizon international plan makes swapping SIM cards a thing of the past. I'm going to look into that when I get back.

PWMTrav

It isn't ever easy, that's for sure.

I will say that Verizon isn't going to be inexpensive. It's fairly comparable to AT&T's international pricing:

https://www.verizonwireless.com/solu...tional-travel/

That monthly data allowance is brutal. 100MB is nothing. The worst part is, pricing will stay high because the target markets are business and infrequent travelers. Business travelers need that US phone # to stay in contact, so their companies will pay. Infrequent travelers don't go anywhere enough to make the money and hassle of switching to a prepaid SIM at the destination be worthwhile.

If you're willing to ditch the iPhone, Project Fi fits your requirements.

ckendall

I carry two phones; my US phone is TMo (free data in Italy, of varying quality and 20 cents per minute when I do get the occasional call from the US) and my old phone with a vodafone sim. I use my Italian cell to remain in contact with my Italian friends and the US cell for my US stuff. It's a pain (keeping both charged etc.) but it works and does not cost too much.