Prepaid SIM in Italy?

[wco81]

OK, that link to the PDF did the trick. I loaded a stock quote page and it loaded about 500 KB and I got to pay about a euro for it.

Thanks for the find.

What is odd is that the SIM has APNs for Vodaphone and I assumed since Poste Mobile was a MVNO using the Vodaphone network, it would work that way. But in fact, creating a manual APN with the settings in that link did the trick.

OK, I will just use this for voice from now on.

Including maybe some in other Euro countries, since even roaming, the rates seem to be better than some other countries. But I guess people in other countries would not like calling a foreign mobile number.

[wco81]

OK, I just tried to book a taxi for early morning flight out of Florence.

They wanted my number.

I gave them the Poste Mobile number.

They refused that number because they consider it an international number?

It starts with +39, the right country code.

But they don't want to pay to call a cellular phone?

They claim the 10 digits following the country code makes it an international number.

[fedeprovenza]

It's incredible this thing about taxi. They don't know postemobile so this is the problem. Every italian's sim has 10 numbers!

[Effendi]

You just found an idiot... all Italian mobile numbers have 10 digits, as Fedeprovenza said. They just heard you speaking English so they thought you had a foreign number. BTW never tell an Italian your number with the international prefix, they have no idea about what it is... just say 377.xxxxxxx

[wco81]

Actually, it was the B&B guy who arranged the taxi for me.

In the end, he gave them HIS mobile phone number to get them to arrange the taxi.

What is odd is that earlier in the day, I had to call a taxi to get to the B&B after I returned my rental car. So I was able to call the Florence radio taxi co (055 42 42) and they sent a taxi without demanding a callback number.

The morning I left, it was getting a bit late (supposedly the taxi would be there 5 minutes before 5 AM) so I called the radio taxi again, thinking the reserved taxi wasn't showing up and was about to order another taxi when the reserved taxi showed up.

But again, they wouldn't have asked for a phone number, they would have sent one right out.

Then in Paris, I had to stay overnight before returning to the US (another story) and the hotel had Orange Wifi which I wanted to use. They also required a mobile phone number before you could purchase time. You had to input a mobile number or else the web page wouldn't process.

So I tried entering +39 but it didn't like it so I started with 039. Orange offered to text me the login and password but I didn't go that route.

I remembered in Madrid, I had a similar problem, the taxi company wanting a phone number before it would let me reserve a taxi early in the morning. Problem was, I didn't have a mobile number and I was staying at an apt. so I had to fend for myself.

I think I ended up giving the taxi company the number for the apt. landlord, without asking his permission. But really had no choice and I wondered if a taxi would show up.

Fortunately it did.

Well we'll see if I'm able to use this in Stockholm next month. Actually I don't think I will need a taxi. They have a express train to the airport and I booked a hotel right by the train station.

[plnnightsky]

I am unable to find what the prices are if I only buy a Wind sim for 10Euro. I realise I only get a credit of 5Euro.

What is the cost to make a call, receive a call, send a text message and receive a text message? We are only going to be in Italy for a week and we need to be able to call each other. It looks like 5Euro would be enough for us.

Does anybody know if a Wind sim can be bought at the airport in Rome (FCO)?

Thanks

[Effendi]

Here are all the rates for Wind:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/italia/wind.html

I suppose there's no Wind shop at FCO, but I'm not much updated about it...

[plnnightsky]

Originally Posted by Effendi

Here are all the rates for Wind:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/italia/wind.html

I suppose there's no Wind shop at FCO, but I'm not much updated about it...

The link supplied talks about different plans, Super Senza Scatto, Wind12, or Wind4, and they have a set-up fee ranging from € 4.80 to 7.00. Does this mean I have to pay to sign up for one of the plans as well as the set-up of the sim? I don't plan on making very many calls, so I prefer not to sign up for any plan.

[Effendi]

Originally Posted by plnnightsky

The link supplied talks about different plans, Super Senza Scatto, Wind12, or Wind4, and they have a set-up fee ranging from € 4.80 to 7.00. Does this mean I have to pay to sign up for one of the plans as well as the set-up of the sim? I don't plan on making very many calls, so I prefer not to sign up for any plan.

Only Wind4 has a monthly fee (€4.80), Wind12 and Super Senza Scatto have no monthly fees at all. The 7€ activation fees are for the options such as Pieno Wind, which are not compulsory, but are surely convenient for Italians or people spending much time here.

BTW in any case you HAVE to choose one of the plans listed in that page. But they are all prepaid offers, pay as you go, they are no subscriptions.

Go with SuperSenzaScatto, it's the best options, with "Call Your Country" option to call the US for cheaper. It's free if you ask the dealer to active it on the new card.

[Nedwes]

How to buy: you NEED to show your passport AND your Codice Fiscale. Regitration in Italy is required.

Does this apply to other EU-countries (schengen) as well? I was thinking about the code fiscale.
Read somewhere that just a passport will do but there will be a little bit more paperwork to do, true?