Taking your cell phone to Europe

[ISUboi12]

Any of you that have studied or lived abroad for an extended period of time have any advice on taking your cell phone with you or using a carrier abroad?

I plan on spending most of my time in Italy. From what I have read, most people there use burners, it would seem hard to get my friends to call or text me with a foreign number. I would love to take my Verizon Wireless phone so that I can text and call but it seems to be too expensive.

Any input would be appreciated.

[RayShimley]

Any of you that have studied or lived abroad for an extended period of time have any advice on taking your cell phone with you or using a carrier abroad?<br> <br>
I plan on spending most of my time in Italy. From what I have read, most people there use burners, it would seem hard to get my friends to call or text me with a foreign number. I would love to take my Verizon Wireless phone so that I can text and call but it seems to be too expensive.<br> <br>
Any input would be appreciated.

Burners are probably thr way to go if you are staying over there longterm. You can get a global phone from verizon which will let you buy a euro sim chip while you're there, but you'll still pay a premium.

[jsmith86]

Get a burner and use skype for most calls.

Edit: Assuming you are bringing a computer too. I don't know if you can place international skype calls from a global smartphone or not.

[dmclone]

Use a combination of burner and google voice.

[isuno1fan]

I'd stay in the US

[dmclone]

Where will you be going in Italy? I've spent time in Bologna, Rome, Milan, Venice, and assorted hill towns if you need any info.

[CYphyllis]

If you're going to take your cell, you'll need an AC/DC adapter for your charger.

[brianhos]

Any of you that have studied or lived abroad for an extended period of time have any advice on taking your cell phone with you or using a carrier abroad?

I plan on spending most of my time in Italy. From what I have read, most people there use burners, it would seem hard to get my friends to call or text me with a foreign number. I would love to take my Verizon Wireless phone so that I can text and call but it seems to be too expensive.

Any input would be appreciated.

Verizon phones don't work well outside the US. Tmobile is much better in europe.

[brianhos]

If you're going to take your cell, you'll need an AC/DC adapter for your charger.

Ummm, do you think Europe runs on DC or something? You need a plug converter, but not an AC/DC adapter.

[atlantacyclone]

It would probably cost you about $1,000-2,000 per week to use your phone with data as you use it in the States. If you have an iphone, for example, I would turn the phone to airplane mode when you are sitting on the plane leaving the States and not turn it back on until you get back. If you turn it on, even to make one call, it can use data and download texts etc. Most hotels, McDonald's etc have wifi so you can use your skype to make calls. For $2.95 per month you can get unlimited to the States. Like they said, you can get a prepaid for fairly cheap to receive local calls. It is usually still cheaper to make calls with Skype than your European cell, even to European phones.

[terryk]

Ummm, do you think Europe runs on DC or something? You need a plug converter, but not an AC/DC adapter.

220 ac not 110

[rdmoon12]

Any of you that have studied or lived abroad for an extended period of time have any advice on taking your cell phone with you or using a carrier abroad?

I plan on spending most of my time in Italy. From what I have read, most people there use burners, it would seem hard to get my friends to call or text me with a foreign number. I would love to take my Verizon Wireless phone so that I can text and call but it seems to be too expensive.

Any input would be appreciated.

I am going to Greece this summer, and they recommended using free Wifi to make free skype calls.

[CycloneRulzzz]

I'd stay in the US

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uEy8SrqitU&feature=related]YouTube - Best scene from movie TAKEN with Liam neeson.[/ame]

[skibumspe]

I'd stay in the US

Keep that mentality....really gonna open your eyes to the world, lots to offer out there!

[Broodwich]

Europe uses GSM networks. Most US networks other than T-Mobile and AT&T use CDMA networks. If you cell phone has WiFi capabilities you can use Skype. That was the plan I had when I was in Europe, but I found WiFi to be a lot less ubiquitous and somewhat unreliable compared with I had grown accustomed to even here in Iowa.