TravelOppo advice needed

"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee)
06/21/2018 at 12:39 • Filed to: None

I’m doing some research for a trip to Italy in a few months. My phone will work there and is actually an unlocked dual SIM model so I think I can just buy a cheap prepaid plan to avoid any international charges on my main plan. Anybody have any recommendations for any european carriers ?

I’ll be there for 8 days. Looking for maybe a gig of data if not more and unlimited text. Talk would be nice but isn’t essential. If the price is nice I could maybe just buy a month of whatever and then cancel after.

DISCUSSION (21)

someassemblyrequired > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 12:47

T-Mobile has free roaming in most countries

imadick > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 12:49

I’ve used Vodafone in Europe and was happy with the service.

Spanfeller is a twat > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 12:53

Depends, Vodafone works great in cities, but Orange has better coverage in the countryside as far as my experience with them goes in Spain.

TorqueToYield > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 12:57

Most carriers can add international data and/or voice for a period of time for a small fee. Seems like $10/day is a going rate.

Verizon: https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

ATT: https://www.att.com/offers/international-plans/europe-caribbean-country-more.html

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > someassemblyrequired
06/21/2018 at 12:57

I want to be able to look up destinations and stuff on the go so for reliability’s sake I think I want to use a carrier native to Europe rather than roaming.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > TorqueToYield
06/21/2018 at 13:00

I use cricket. Same coverage as ATT but the limited international options don't include Italy

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:01

My wife and I did Vodafone but it only had a 4? Gig of data and oops.

vondon302 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:04

I just used WiFi when I was there a few years ago. Don’t forget to download offline maps though.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW!
06/21/2018 at 13:06

I barely use 5 in a month at home so 4 is more than enough for a week

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:11

I used T-Mobile in Italy with no issue, T-Mobile’s parent company is Deutsche Telekom. Free data roaming so I was able to use my phone normally (Google maps ect..) .

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:28

As others have mentioned, if you’re on T-Mobile their free roaming there is fine. It’s slow speeds (you can upgrade to the “plus” plan if you’re not already on it for slightly faster speeds – but again, for basic searches, social media, and navigation it is fine. Also just download offline maps of areas you’re going to on Google Maps before you leave or on wifi while you’re there, I’ve gotten by just fine with data turned completely off with just that.

Having the Italian dictionary (?) downloaded on Google Translate also helps if you don’t speak the language.

Jetstreamer > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:39

For a week, just go into any shop and get a local sim. I think in Italy, a provider called Wind is one of the cheaper ones. Sim card plus a pack with like 5GB data and a bunch of minutes and texts should not be much more than €25, if not less.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 13:59

When I went to Italy two years ago, I did a portable wifi device and that worked out great. It was € 66 for 9 days and included unlimited 4g data. This was a much better solution for my trip so that both my girlfriend and I could have data access, and I could use my tablet as well. Using google voice, I was able to text unlimited and could make calls back home to the US for free and local calls in Italy were ~10 cents per minute.

Price included shipping to/from our airbnb locations in Italy. So it was there when we arrived and just had to give the prepaid box to our host to mail at the end of the trip. Only downsides were having to keep the damn thing charged and limited service out in the middle of nowhere. But in Rome, Florence, and along the Amalfi Coast it worked great. Was more reliable than the wifi in some of our lodging too so it was a godsend to have.

It was this one: http://www.witourist.com/

someassemblyrequired > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 14:09

You can always get a SIM once you’re there if you need it. T-Mobile is free texts, free unlimited data, and $0.20/min calls (including back to the states). If it’s crap, then you can just grab a SIM at a convenience or grocery store.

facw > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 14:28

I was just in Italy, and honestly everyone on the trip just used their US plans. T- mobile did it best, with free ( though slow ) roaming. My Sprint plan was ok with $0.03/MB data (I roamed on Vodafone IT most of the time) . Someone had Verizon, and that was less good, they needed to buy per day, but didn’t need it much.

If you do look at going prepaid, be careful, from what the guidebook said anyway, Italy had additional hoops to jump through in terms of needing to pre-register you prepaid SIM (I guess to combat burner use or something?)

Future Heap Owner > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 14:37

Every time I’ve been in Europe I’ve just turned off data roaming until I could go to a grocery store/gas station/telco store and buy the cheapest available SIM. They’ve all worked great. It’s amazing how nice a competitive telecom market is.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > facw
06/21/2018 at 14:43

I use Cricket which has limited international options. Italy is not one of them.

Textured Soy Protein > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 15:17

Speaking from experience, you’re better off going with a local SIM.

Before my honeymoon in St. Martin, I had been on Cricket, but decided to switch to Verizon post- paid to activate their international roaming rather than juggle a second international number. My phone at the time was unlocked with lots of international bands but not dual SIM.

I switched a few days before my trip, but because my account was new, when I arrived, my phone could only do a limited amount of data roaming and not make calls. Luckily the place where I was staying had decent wifi and the next day I was able to use that to make a Google Voice VoIP call to Verizon tech support, and they got me sorted.

For Italy, looks like TIM has a tourist plan that was mentioned on some travel forums when I quick googled for it.

https://m.tim.it/tim-visitors-en

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 15:21

We have a problem. You are going to Italy, but have not yet offered to bring back a classic FIAT 500 for me.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/21/2018 at 15:35

I’m probably going to stop in Modena for a day . I’ll bring you back a 288GTO.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
06/21/2018 at 17:55

Is it sad that I would rather the 500? :P