So confused. BlackBerry in Italy

[nycfly89]

hello! thank you everyone for creating a forum like this. i am a college student about to study abroad in italy (florence) for 4 months and i have NO IDEA where to even start with a cell phone abroad.

i was hoping you all can help me out and walk me through this process. i read several threads on here and i am getting more confused as i read.

i have a verizon wireless blackberry tour that is gsm capable. i want to use this abroad on a prepaid sim.

i want to send sms as well, and call my home number back in the united states. i heard i can pay 12 dollars a month for skype and call home for an unlimited amount.

where should i start and what services work best for me? i average around 50MB of blackberry data per month. im just looking to call my local friends in italy on their cell phones, receive and send sms, and call my house in the usa and thats pretty much it.

thank you so much in advance for making this process easier