Prepaid SIM in Italy?

[Mets]

Hi,

I'm traveling to Italia in March from the US and I'm trying to sort out my phone situation. I have a Blackberry 8310 from AT&T, and I will be making calls back to the US to landlines and mobiles (also AT&T). I'll also be calling landlines and mobiles in Italia, and I may need to call US cell phones roaming in Italia. I also will be texting to these people. Lastly, I have brief airport stops in Amsterdam and Paris, where I would like to make a call back to the US.

I'm going to turn off data on my phone, so I don't need a data plan.

What is a good SIM card to get, and where can I get it before I leave? I can only seem to find a SIM card from Telestial on the internet, and something form the Isle of Mann on ebay...

Thanks for any insight

[Effendi]

Any simcard can do what you need. Calling the US won't be too cheap, about 30 cent/min (plus setup fee) in the better situations.
I suggest you to buy the simcard in Italy, it's much easier, cheaper and better.

[jmb7]

thanks a lot Effendi; now I understand in full your other post on prepaids in Italy;
would it be possible to use this sim card in future? I may be back in summer and if not next winter

[BLC]

Originally Posted by jmb7

thanks a lot Effendi; now I understand in full your other post on prepaids in Italy;
would it be possible to use this sim card in future? I may be back in summer and if not next winter

As long as you add some money within a year. I have been able to keep my Wind number by setting up an account on their website and adding a few euro every 10 months or so with a Canadian credit card. TIM won't accept non Italian credit cards on their site so they aren't as convenient.
Having said that sim cards are very easy to get and cheap or free in Italy so if you don't want to go to the trouble of keeping it active you can get a new one whenever you go.

[Effendi]

Italian simcards usually have a validity of 11 or 12 months (plus 1 month of "grace period") from the last refill. Buying a new one is not a big problem, anyway.

[Motel75]

As I mentioned in another thread, Vodafone cards can be topped up with 5 euro a year to keep them going. However, if you don't have an Italian credit card, an Italian PayPal account is required. No big deal, just create one (give the address of your hotel) and then you transfer the money (plus a small safety margin to cover the fees) to the Italian PayPal account from your PayPal account in another country Then go to the vodafone.it website and top up using PayPal.

Either that, or buy several small top-ups at a tabacchi before you leave Italy and keep them with you to top up from home once a year (be aware they expire after a few years).

[Mets]

I was hoping I could get it before I went over there, is there any place to get it in the US?

If I have to get it in Italy it's no big deal. Are these available at Fiumicino Airport or at Termini Station by any chance?

Thanks for the help!

[Effendi]

Buy it in Italy, it's MUCH better.
At Fiumicino there's a 3 and a Vodafone shop (Terminal 1), plus a multi-brand store (Terminal 3)
Shopping Gallery - Aeroporti di Roma - Rome Airports Shopping Gallery
At Termini there are surely other shops too.

[Mets]

Originally Posted by Effendi

Buy it in Italy, it's MUCH better.
At Fiumicino there's a 3 and a Vodafone shop (Terminal 1), plus a multi-brand store (Terminal 3)
Shopping Gallery - Aeroporti di Roma - Rome Airports Shopping Gallery
At Termini there are surely other shops too.

Hey Effendi,

Thanks for the advice - I will wait and purchase at the airport (I land at Terminal 1). I have a GSM phone, so it looks like "3" won't be an option. For calls to the US, do you recommend Vodafone, TIM or Wind?

[Effendi]

I think it costs more or less the same, and in any case quite expensive. Ask the clerk to activate you a international option to call the US at cheaper rates. Every operator has one (f.e. for Wind it's called "Call Your Country")