phone - e-mail?

Verizon does not work in Europe. How can I get e-mail & phone calls if needed? Buy phone in Italy - ?????

Comments

  • We and our friends have used Mobal.com for phone service in Europe and Asia for years. We bought the $99 phone and ONLY pay for phone calls. There are no other fees. I think they even have a new phone that you can get emails. Check their website. We were near the Artic Circle several years ago and then last year in Egypt near the Pyramids and were able to get service. My kids sounded like they were just next door to us. They will overnight ship the phone to you.

    Sheila
  • I also have the Mobal service and used it for years with excellent results.

    I would suggest you consider another alternative and that is:

    www.telestial.com

    I purchased this 2 or 3 years ago and have used it throughout Europe with excellent results as well...only less expensive than Mobal.

    I got the phone and the Passport PLUS Sim card.

    I also use Skype when I am in a location with Wifi when traveling.

  • edited May 2011
    When in Europe, we successfully used ATT international access with our iPhones. We were able to make calls as well as send e-mails with the package(s) we had. You can now also get a global messaging package with text capabilty. You don'thave to take the packages for more than a month. Which is what we did - just for thetime period we would be overseas. I do not know what the capabilities will be while on a Tauck riverboat. We are trying to get an answer now. But, check ATT international services out.
  • AZCarol wrote:
    Verizon does not work in Europe. How can I get e-mail & phone calls if needed? Buy phone in Italy - ?????


    call verizon custommer service - ask about their global plan - they'll loan you a phone that works overseas -
  • call verizon customer service - ask re: their global plan - they'll loan you a phone that works in europe
  • edited May 2011
    You can check with your travel agent for recommendations on renting cell phones if that is the way you booked your tour. For email, most of the hotels we use have business centers with internet access. We also provide the hotel phone numbers in your travel documents that you receive prior to departure so that you can leave the numbers at home with family/friends in case of an emergency.
  • I just wanted to add my recommendation re: Mobal. Everything they say on their website is accurate: you only pay for the phone calls you make, you can see your call record/invoices online (you create a free user account when you buy your phone), and after your trip, you simply put the phone away in a drawer until the next time you travel. I purchased their $99 phone in 2005 and have used it in Morocco, England, Canada, and will use it again in Italy.

    auntt - did you have to pay large roaming charges when using your iPhone/AT&T package overseas? Was it easy to cancel your AT&T international package when you returned home?
  • I used AT&T successfully on Tauck Europe trips (4 so far) with no real problems. Prepay/arrange for the international data and phone service package in advance - a one month requirement only - a mistake made on one early trip that proved costly. Service on riverboats was pretty good - other travelers without AT&T were complaining. There are some areas where you may experience difficulties but generally when you are docked, it is in a city where you will have service.
    Be sure to turn off data push - it saves alot. Turn on to get info/send mail, etc. when you want to use it - otherwise, leave it off.
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