Use your mobile phone in Italy

How to use a United States GSM mobile phone in Italy

cell phone use in italy

You MUST have a cell phone in Italy: you will notice that a vast majority of the population there walks and talks on the phone at the same time. When I am in Italy, I too am compelled to use my phone much more than here in the U.S. I use what 90% of all Italians use -- a pay-as-you-go solution. This is perfect for tourists since you are always in control of the charges and there are no contracts or bills.

Some travelers can use their own cell phone overseas; others should either rent or buy one for use in Italy. 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, so check with your carrier to make sure yours is one of those that does. However, be aware that you will be roaming at approximately 1 dollar per 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 pay pat the Italian cell phone rates which are fractions of roaming rates, and all incoming calls are free from anywhere in the world. This option will only work if your phone has 900 or 1800 MHz. bands that are used in Italy. You must also make sure that your phone is unlocked, meaning that it will accept SIM cards other than those from just the U.S. carriers. While most carriers in the U.S. 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 15 Euro cents a minute for local calls and 50-60 Euro cents per minute for international calls (tip: have people call you back). Italian SIM cards are available at any cell phone store in 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.

Recently I learned about Cellular Abroad, an online company in the U.S. that offers Italian SIM cards as well as cell phone rentals to North Americans traveling to Italy. In fact, they sell an Italian SIM card that has been designed specifically for the needs of U.S. and Canadian visitors; all the voice prompts and customer service are in English and the rates back to North America are only 35 Euros per minute. An added benefit is the advantage of getting your Italian cell phone needs out of the way before you actually leave for Italy.

Students, 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 that offer a wide selection of phones and SIM cards. If you do not speak Italian or will be making a significant number 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), but phone prices have dropped significantly enough that if you need a phone for longer than a month, it is actually cheaper to buy one. While we recommend Cellular Abroad for the convenient and affordable solutions they offer, other companies are available as well that 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