Prepaid SIM Italy

[Motel75]

Originally Posted by MATHA531

Also I am surprised vodafone IT does not allow voice prompts in English...are you sure about this or is it that the person you bought the sim from didn't know how or want to do it...

I've been all through the menus on the voice system (and I do understand them, and my wife's a translator of Italian) and have never found an option to change the language to English or anything else. We did buy them at an official store, the only place where you can buy SIMs in Italy. I find the prompt voice altogether too cheery, so I wouldn't mind changing it to anything else...

[jlbaer1]

Ok. I talked to my daughter about the various sim cards available and AdreA's comment that Wind may be the best choice but here is the deal. She wants one Sim card and one phone number. She doesn't like the idea of switching out sim cards when she visits say France or Spain. It looks like Vodafone is the only provider in the Malpensa airport. Does vodafone have a sim card that will allow her to call people when she is visiting France for example without paying astronomical roaming costs? Thanks in advance for your reply.

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by jlbaer1

Ok. I talked to my daughter about the various sim cards available and AdreA's comment that Wind may be the best choice but here is the deal. She wants one Sim card and one phone number.

Well the dreams can't be true travelling a lot
Anyway she wants a one ITALIAN numberi, is it ok?

She doesn't like the idea of switching out sim cards when she visits say France or Spain. It looks like Vodafone is the only provider in the Malpensa airport. Does vodafone have a sim card that will allow her to call people when she is visiting France for example without paying astronomical roaming costs? Thanks in advance for your reply.

Vodafone has "Vodafone PAssport": http://www.190.it/engl/working/passport.html

Tim has an interesting promotion "Tim Senza Confini" (100 min for free for incoming calls in UE) and Wind has just applied the new "EuroTariff". So you know (almost) everything, remember that your daughter will have to pay always for international romaing

[DRNewcomb]

Originally Posted by jlbaer1

but here is the deal. She wants one Sim card and one phone number. She doesn't like the idea of switching out sim cards when she visits say France or Spain.

Wants, wants, wants. I used to sing a little ditty to my son when he got that way. You might remember it. It goes, "You don't always get what you want. You don't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you just might find, you get what you need." He hated that song.

There are two ways to work the international phone game: 1) easy 2) cheap. You can get cheap or easy. You don't get both. You want easy get a Mobal roaming SIM but it ain't cheap. The cheap side is what we're all about here. Our goal is to be able to find a way to call from anywhere to anywhere for free. Haven't found it yet but that doesn't stop us from looking.

The problem with cheap is that you have to accept a few complexities. If the user is not willing to accept those complexities, he/she can either do without or spend the money for the easy solution.

[jlbaer1]

Oh thanks for the info. I think she'll be able to understand the prompts enough as she has had two full years of Italian and took a couple more classes this summer. She'll have her minor almost completed by the time she's back in the states. I am more concerned about which Vodafone sim to buy and where she should buy it. Thanks again!

[jlbaer1]

Do you know if she will be able to get a Vodafone prepaid Sim card or perhaps prepaid Tim Sim at Malpensa airport and what other than an Italian address and passport she will need to register her sim card.

Also, any idea how long this will take? I think it makes economical sense to do it this way rather than order ahead thru telestial but I want her to have cell service as soon as possible of course. Thanks. Hopefully I have hit all the important questions

[Richard10002]

Dont know about all airports but I was unable to buy any kind of SIM at either Naples or Catania Airports.

To get a TIM SIM I had to buy a cheap phone, (40 euros inc. SIM), from an Auchan Superstore, (pronounced Ocean), probably because I was visiting out of the way places. Got a WIND Sim from an authorised dealer in Giarre Sicily. Vodafone seem to have dedicated Vodafone shops, so a web search should find them.

Hope this helps

Richard

[jlbaer1]

Quick followup. I read somewhere on this board or another that text messaging may not work between Tmobile in the US and Vodafone. Can anyone confirm this? Is this true with TIM and/or Wind? I would want her to get whatever is more compatable with our Tmobile Family plan in the US.
Thanks again... I keep thinking I have asked all the necessary questions....

[AndreA]

Usually Wind and Tim (+ CoopVoce) are the best choices for international SMS. Vodafone (+UnoMobile) and 3 ITA the worst ones...

[maccoy]

Originally Posted by AndreA

Usually Wind and Tim (+ CoopVoce) are the best choices for international SMS. Vodafone (+UnoMobile) and 3 ITA the worst ones...

An international sms with Tim (and CoopMobile) costs 30 cents, the same price as Vodafone and 3.
The only best choice is Wind (starting from 9 cents to 15 cents).