Getting a sim card in Italy

I have two unlocked cel phones (quad band) that I will be taking to
Italy when my wife and I travel next month to Italy. I would like to
buy sim cards for them for so we can at least find each other easily,
as we have somewhat separate plans and would like to be able to
contact each other as we travel.

Is it best to buy sim cards before traveling (they seem to be more
expensive, with little prepaid value) or buy them there?

Reasonable to buy at the airport (FCO) or wait until we're in Rome
(our first stop, and on a weekend)?

Anyone with actual experience at doing this?
thanks

Jim Watkins ha scritto:

I would like to
buy sim cards for them for so we can at least find each other easily,
as we have somewhat separate plans and would like to be able to
contact each other as we travel.

Here (Italy) You will find SIMs of every phone carrier (we have three
all-around and one UMTS-only phone carriers) at very cheap prices
everywhere.
The best places are big malls.
Sometime in the past, in a mall, I found SIMs from the operator 'TIM'
absolutely FREE with 5 EUR of phone credit!!!
Normally a new SIM with 5 EUR of credit costs 10 EUR.
The only problem is that You need to give your identity (Passport/I.D.
Card) and the activation needs sometime (normally between 2 and 24 hours).
I'm sure it's possible to subscribe SIMs for all EU citizens.
I don't know what happens if you are not from EU.

Ciao, Piero.

Thanks.

I think we will get SIM cards for the phones at the TIM store in the
Termini Central, as that is near our hotel. We'll see about the
activation time. Elsewhere I was assured that my ID would not be a
problem. I hope that's right.

On Thu, 28 May 2009 20:47:34 +0200, Piero
wrote:

Jim Watkins ha scritto:

I would like to
buy sim cards for them for so we can at least find each other easily,
as we have somewhat separate plans and would like to be able to
contact each other as we travel.

Here (Italy) You will find SIMs of every phone carrier (we have three
all-around and one UMTS-only phone carriers) at very cheap prices
everywhere.
The best places are big malls.
Sometime in the past, in a mall, I found SIMs from the operator 'TIM'
absolutely FREE with 5 EUR of phone credit!!!
Normally a new SIM with 5 EUR of credit costs 10 EUR.
The only problem is that You need to give your identity (Passport/I.D.
Card) and the activation needs sometime (normally between 2 and 24 hours).
I'm sure it's possible to subscribe SIMs for all EU citizens.
I don't know what happens if you are not from EU.

Ciao, Piero.

Just get it there in Italy. Prepaid cards are available anywhere, so it
will not be a problem.


--
kempos
Message origin: www.TRAVEL.com

In Jim Watkins
wrote:

I think we will get SIM cards for the phones at the TIM store in the
Termini Central, as that is near our hotel. We'll see about the
activation time. Elsewhere I was assured that my ID would not be a
problem. I hope that's right.

I just had to show my US passport to get my prepaid SIM activated in
Norway, and what I've read suggests that's becoming common practice
throughout Europe, if it's not already.

--
Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN

I recently bought a Mobal SIM card for $10 from Amazon.com. Use of it
is billed to my credit card. It worked just fine.






On Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:22:22 -0500, Jim Watkins
wrote:

Thanks.

I think we will get SIM cards for the phones at the TIM store in the
Termini Central, as that is near our hotel. We'll see about the
activation time. Elsewhere I was assured that my ID would not be a
problem. I hope that's right.

On Thu, 28 May 2009 20:47:34 +0200, Piero
wrote:

Jim Watkins ha scritto:

I would like to
buy sim cards for them for so we can at least find each other easily,
as we have somewhat separate plans and would like to be able to
contact each other as we travel.

Here (Italy) You will find SIMs of every phone carrier (we have three
all-around and one UMTS-only phone carriers) at very cheap prices
everywhere.
The best places are big malls.
Sometime in the past, in a mall, I found SIMs from the operator 'TIM'
absolutely FREE with 5 EUR of phone credit!!!
Normally a new SIM with 5 EUR of credit costs 10 EUR.
The only problem is that You need to give your identity (Passport/I.D.
Card) and the activation needs sometime (normally between 2 and 24 hours).
I'm sure it's possible to subscribe SIMs for all EU citizens.
I don't know what happens if you are not from EU.

Ciao, Piero.

--
Ken Blake
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