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djbob · **Mobile plans w/ data in Paris & Rome -** 28-08-2009, 23:16

Hello everyone,

I am planning a two week trip to Europe with some of my friends. We are going to be staying in two cities: Paris and Rome. Since I work as a network administrator, I will be needing constant Internet access from my phone. The hostels we are staying at have Wi-Fi, but I need to be able to access some internet services from my phone. I have one of the earlier iPhone models, meaning I have EDGE and GPRS for data and quad-band for voice. A friend of mine has a newer iPhone, which supports tri-band HSDPA. All are unlocked or unlockable.

We plan to use the voice features primarily for calling each other. We anticipate around 5-10 minutes of usage daily on each phone. We don't expect international calling.

I'm looking for voice/data plans. It's looking like Italy has a lot of good deals - particularly, Wind has a great offer (Mega 1500) and TIM isn't bad either. However, France's deals are far worse. My questions are:

1) Does it make sense to purchase two separate SIM cards (one for France, and one for Italy), or should we look for a single SIM card that can be used in both countries?
a) If no, what are the roaming charges we'll incur for using an Italian SIM in Paris?
b) If yes, what are the best providers and the best plans for pay-as-you-go mobile data access in France?

Thanks,
djbob

	(#1)
djbob (Offline) Junior Member Newbie Posts: 5 Join Date: 28 Aug 2009 Country:	Mobile plans w/ data in Paris & Rome - 28-08-2009, 23:16 Hello everyone, I am planning a two week trip to Europe with some of my friends. We are going to be staying in two cities: Paris and Rome. Since I work as a network administrator, I will be needing constant Internet access from my phone. The hostels we are staying at have Wi-Fi, but I need to be able to access some internet services from my phone. I have one of the earlier iPhone models, meaning I have EDGE and GPRS for data and quad-band for voice. A friend of mine has a newer iPhone, which supports tri-band HSDPA. All are unlocked or unlockable. We plan to use the voice features primarily for calling each other. We anticipate around 5-10 minutes of usage daily on each phone. We don't expect international calling. I'm looking for voice/data plans. It's looking like Italy has a lot of good deals - particularly, Wind has a great offer (Mega 1500) and TIM isn't bad either. However, France's deals are far worse. My questions are: 1) Does it make sense to purchase two separate SIM cards (one for France, and one for Italy), or should we look for a single SIM card that can be used in both countries? a) If no, what are the roaming charges we'll incur for using an Italian SIM in Paris? b) If yes, what are the best providers and the best plans for pay-as-you-go mobile data access in France? Thanks, djbob