:help: My niece is on the US Women's Hockey team. From the overview, Vodafone People seems to be the best pre-paid. It would be fantastic if we could register for Vodafone Passport and use the cards on other Vodafone networks in Europe.
:help: We cannot find a fair offer on the Internet. All offers are about $50, probably to cover shipping and handling.

Vodafone seems the best one, but pay attention about a lot of hidden costs... did you think about Wind and a NoiWind/NoiItaly option for 1 month for your family?

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

You can pay 5/9 euro for a month (plus 9? of activation for Noiwind, nothing for NoiItaly for a promotion until 31th of January) and you'll have 200/180 minutes for every sim to use between your family... maybe it's easier and better than Vodafone that has a expensive minimum fee which you risk to pay more than 5/9 euro for every simcard :P

THanksfor the advice. I wanted to try the Vodafone Passport, but it may not be worth it. Do you know anyway I can buy Wind SIM cards over the Internet? I am willing to get Code Fiscals for my family.

You can find the Wind sim-cards directly HERE. I don't know if we can get 8 for you, since there is a limitation on the number of sim-cards each person can register, but I'm sure AndreA can help more than me! :D

After great advice and my analysis of the descriptions of the three companies and review of the excellent National Operator pages, I am going to advise my family to buy Vodafonr Italy (Omnitel) People cards on arrival. I will recommend trying to get the 25-Euro cards with 26 Euros of credit for the big talkers in the family.

For a short visit the rates don't matter so much. As an one who helped start several operators in Africa and GrameenPhone in Bangladesh, I prefer 900 MHz, even in cities, unless 450 MHz. CDMA is available.

I will let forum know if reality matches theory. I also plan the try the Vodafone Passport for any of the family who can get back to Europe, even if they have to add credits over the Internet to keep their numbers active. Those with fancy phones, not me, might even try GPRS.

Thanks again, Happy New Year, and lets hope for a fun and peaceful Olympics.

Ed Resor

Ehm, Ed, what are the 25-Euro cards with 26 Euros of credit? I fear you didn't get the point... the 25 euro cards have 20 euro of credit. And with Vodafone you always pay 5 euros of "tax" for each refill (and with the smaller ones it's even worse).

1800MHz is much better in cities and expecially during big events with lots of people, like the Olympic games (and all 3 operators use 1800 in cities, anyway, of course Wind more than the other 2).

Feel free to buy what you prefer, but in my humble opinion, Vodafone is probabily the worst choice.

The worst one maybe will be Tim, but I'll only troubles for mobiles in Turin next month... I know very well Italy and I know that we don't have a good feeling with the important events :(

Also I hope that 1800Mhz can be help our networks during Olympics Games ;)

The following TIPS from the Vodafone write up attracted me. Thanks for pointing out the 5 Euro tax on recharge cards.

TIPS:
In some periods you can find sim for ?5.00, including ?5.00 of credit.
As an alternative, sim for ?25.00, including ?26.00 of credit are also usually
available.

Thanks for the continued advice. We don't have to decide until my niece goes over with her team Feb. 4th. 1,800 MHz. does provide capacity, but I thought 900 MHz helped with building penetration in addition to rural coverage.

Probably the most important will be who has the best capacity per customer, TIM and Vodafone could get swamped by customers converging from all over Europe. Does WIND have as much 1,800 MHz bad width as the other two? Fortunately, the younger generation knows how to text.

By the way, do you guys know TIM introduced the pre-paid card, probably one of the most important inventions for the whole world in the last 30 years. I wrote it up the idea as a consultant for the ITU, but TIM invented it on their own and implemented it, unlike the ITU.

Wind has almost 1800 only in Turin (plus WCDMA), and it has less customers than the other 2. Also it's out of the main "network alliances", so most roaming people will probably be on TIM and Vodafone (anyway many will use Wind as well). Surely penetration in old buildings is worse with 1800, but that shouldn't be a problem at the Olympic Village, which is surely perfectly covered by all 4 operators.
I think you won't go to many "rural areas", you'll probably go to the mountains where the Olympic games will be held, and again you'll have good GSM coverage, mostly 900MHz by all 3 operators, plus probably some 1800MHz added for the event.

So I think you shouldn't have coverage problems with any of the 3.
The 25 euro starting kit with 26 euros of credit is something I never saw, and never even heard of it. The starting kit at 5 euros with 5 euros is quite common with Wind and Vodafone, but usually on Summer or Christmas holidays. In February you should pay it 10 euros. I think TIM is sponsor of the Olympics, so maybe TIM could do some promotion.

Yes it's true TIM invented prepaid cards, but it was Omnitel (now Vodafone) who had the good success with them, offering the SMS service which TIM didn't have.

I think edresor took this info from what I wrote in Vodafone review.
The startup kit for 25euro (SIM+26euro of credit) exists for sure (I bought one in October 2005) but obviously I cannot guarantee that every shop has them available.
The "bad" news is that the Vodafone promotional startup kit (SIM+5euro of credit) is available for 5euro only until 20th of january, it will cost 10euro after that date.
The 25euro top-up scratch cards have only 20euro of credit, as you pointed out.