#I can’t risk someone knowing I’m Viber able

[dont-dove-dead-inside]

I need to stop becoming so vulnerable

[hoteles5estrellas]

Hello, I’ve read the phone service guide for Italy and have come away with some questions. I’ll start with my understanding of my options and go from there.

About me

USA citizen

Unlocked Nexus 6P phone which has all the necessary bands for the 4 major networks except band 8.

Need to be able to text/call travel companion who will also be getting a Sim for her phone while in Italy and Amsterdam. Need to be able to text, call or message (WhatsApp, Facebook, Viber, Skype) AirBnB hosts in Italy and in Amsterdam. Need to be able to text, call, email people in the US, however I have a Google Voice number so that can be used so as to avoid them being charged international rates by their carriers for contacting an Italian number (is that the best bet for calls/texts back home?)

Traveling to Amsterdam for 1 day, Italy (Florence, Venice, Rome, Positano/Amalfi) for about 12 days, and then back to Netherlands for 2 more days. Travel will be at the end of May 2017.

My understanding

I should go with either a TIM or Vodafone SIM card which are the two biggest carriers with the best speeds and coverage. Tre and Wind are merging but still can’t compete well. Neither can the MNVO options like CoopVoce, PosteMobile, FastWeb, Lycamobile, Ringo Mobile, Tiscali, 1Mobile and Digi Mobil.

If I need voice, sms, and data, I can either try to get one of the plans aimed at travelers, which apparently aren’t always easy to get and some locations don’t like selling because they don’t get as much commission, or I can try to just buy a pre-paid option. The plans aimed at travelers seem to be more friendly about allowing calling and texting numbers in the US and the rest of Europe, but I’m not sure if the numbers I’m calling/texting would be incurring additional fees for communicating with an out-of-country number.

There seem to be all sorts of rules and limits. Certain plans automatically cut you off of data after certain per-day use. Others rate limit you after certain points. Not sure what overage costs and that doesn’t seem to be clearly explained anywhere. Some plans let you buy more data but prices vary and are difficult to find. Methods of buying more data seem to vary and some places won’t accept non-US credit cards.

SIM cards must be bought at the carrier’s shops in Italy, I think… Although I’ve also seen mentions of airports having cards, and something about tobacconist shops too: this is fairly confusing. Apparently they’ll often be unwilling to sell you the best plans because they know you’re a tourist and because they don’t make as much off of the best plans. It seems there are often many hidden add-ons too that you’ll be charged for monthly or daily.

To buy a Sim you’ll also need an Italian Tax ID which you can generate online ahead of time to save you some time.

I can’t really tell which plans will work in Amsterdam as well as Italy either. Roaming charges aren’t being eliminated until mid June, so that’s still a concern.

Apparently I have to change the APN on my phone manually or I risk being charged improperly or possibly not even having coverage. Apparently the people selling you the service won’t really know how to do this all the time.

My questions

Can someone explain​ which plan from which carrier will serve my needs to best (my needs are listed in #3 in the “About Me” section, above.)

Where should I buy a SIM card? Online ahead of time? In Amsterdam? In Italy? At a Vodafone/TIM shop? At a tobacconist? Somewhere else?

How do I tell them which plan I want? How do I avoid being sold the wrong plan? What if they don’t want to sell me the plan I want?

How do I avoid being charged recurring fees daily, weekly, or monthly? How do I avoid or remove add-ons that I don’t need? Should I pay in cash or with a card?

How do I make sure I can use my phone in both Italy and Amsterdam? What do I need to worry about? Different Sim cards for both places? Different plans? Roaming? Different APNs?

I’d really appreciate some detailed info and advice to help me out.

Thanks!!

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