Use your mobile phone in Italy

How to use a United States GSM mobile phone in Italy

You MUST have a cell phone in Italy: you will be noticing that a vast majority of the population there will be walking and talking on the phone at the same time. When I arrive in Italy I too am compelled to use my phone much more than here in the US. I use what 90% of all Italians use – a pay as you go solution. This is perfect also for tourists since you are always in control of the charges and there are no contracts or bills.

Some travelers can use their current cell phone overseas and others should either rent or buy a solution. In any event, whether your current phone works or not, read on to find the most economical approach for your personal needs.

Currently about 50% of new US cell phones on the market function internationally, including in Italy but check with your carrier to make sure you phone will work. If you have determined that your phone will work in Italy, be aware that you will be roaming at approximately 1 dollar a minute (plus tax) and you will be paying for both outgoing and incoming calls.

A better option is to purchase an Italian SIM card for your cell phone. That way, you will be paying the Italian cell phone rates which are fractions of roaming rates, and, all incoming calls are always free from anywhere in the world. This option will only work if your phone has the 900 and 1800 MHz. bands that are used in Italy. You must also make sure that your phone is unlocked, meaning, that it will accept other SIM cards other than just the US carriers. While most carriers in the US will unlock your cell phone, conditions vary from carrier to carrier as well as from handset to handset (ex. AT&T currently will not unlock an Iphone).

Besides the unlimited free incoming calls, you can expect to pay about 0.15 Euro cents a minute for local calls and 0.50-0.60 Euro cents per minute for international calls (tip: have people call you back). Italian SIM cards are available at any cell phone store within Italy.

Recently, I have been made aware of Cellular Abroad, an online company in the US that offers Italian SIM cards as well as cell phone rentals to North Americans traveling to Italy. In fact, they retail an Italian SIM card that has been designed specifically for the needs US and Canadian visitors; all the voice prompts and customer service are in English and the rates back to North America are only 0.35 Euros per minute. An added benefit, besides the less expensive rates, is the advantageous of getting your Italian cellular phone needs out of the way before you actually leave for Italy.

If you have determined that your current cell phone will not work in Italy, you have two options – either rent a cell phone or buy a cell phone.

Students, or anyone staying in Italy for a month or more or frequent travelers to Italy, should consider purchasing a cell phone together with an Italian SIM card. Again, there are plenty of cell phone shops in Italy who offer a wide selection of cellular phones and SIM cards. If you do not speak Italian or will be making a significant amount of calls back home, the Italian SIM for tourists is a very good option.

If you are only staying in Italy for a couple of weeks or less, it makes sense to rent a cell phone (Cellular Abroad also rents cell phones with their SIM cards). Cell phone prices have dropped significantly enough that for any rental longer than a month, it is actually cheaper to buy a cell phone. While we recommend Cellular Abroad for the convenient and affordable solution they offer, there are other companies available out there as well who offer non pay as you go solutions. You will pay a premium for the "luxury" of not having to make sure there are adequate funds in your account to be able to make calls.

For a more in depth look at Italian cellular services as well as answers to the top questions, please read the article below.

More on Cell Phones - SIM Cards

By Paolo Nascimbeni