Traveling to Italy... Cell & Internet Question
 

Im going to Aviano Italy (Pordenone province) at the end of this month for about two weeks, but trying to figure out a solution for cell and wireless Internet access.

I think I'm going to go with one of those international sim cards that you plop into an unlocked phone and you get XX minutes for cheaper than US carriers (I have AT&T), but as far as wireless Internet goes, any suggestions?

I have a USB wireless card from AT&T now that is about $60 a month for unlimited in the US. The guy when I bought it said it was an additional $100 a month for unlimited international, but I found out today, he is WAY wrong. Its $299 for 500mb!

Ill be staying at the airforce base in Aviano for the most part, but from what I heard, they have limited Internet access... plus I dont know if its a good idea to be working on my adult sites at a gov't facility :winkwink: However tho, I will need bandwidth to use because of my mainstream business, I upload a lot of CSV files and data constantly.

I know a lot of you travel international, so what do you do as far as Internet and cell?

I got a vodafone wireless card for EU. I think the card cost me about $125 Euro, and then you can buy time. I think it was $15 Euro a day (24 hours) . . . you can buy by the hour too.

I just use my T-Mobile for phone.

http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/italia/voda.html

you can pay 30 euro for 100 hours of data

Nice, thats not a bad price. was it unlimited for $15 EU per day do you know?

cell - local cell number if I stay abroad longer than a week or go intercontinential

I suggest to get a prepaid card and a second phone

Internet - best to use local internet, using US wireless would be expensive, using local wireless will most likely be also very expensive unless you would sign for six months minimum or so which is obviously out of question

yes, unlimited . . . which is why I took it

I don't think it was that expensive, besides, if you are traveling abroad you probably don't need to use your phone as frequently as when you are home.

if you get one of these, this is from TIM, http://www.tim.it/consumer/o65726/tariffa.do then you can plug in a card but in the end, having wireless is quite expensive if you plan of using lots of bandwith. sad to say but in italy we are far away from US' prices and stuff, so i would go to a shop, either TIM, vodafone or 3's, and check their best solution...they are pretty much the same level tho. they usually either sell you the device AND then you get a SIM card or you get just the SIM card, pay some more and get the USB device included...

after saying that, i live close to Pordenone, im in Trieste :)

here they tell you

Con 25 euro al mese, per 24 mesi, avrai a disposizione 100 ore di navigazione Internet e un prodotto a scelta tra quelli rappresentati di seguito.

which means that with 25 euro per month you have 100 hours with unlimited internet traffic i think....hope it helps :)