So how do you make a phone call in Tuscany?
It is as easy as 1 - 2 - 3 if you already know the answers. We have done a little footwork for you and provided a list of helpful ideas for making your vacation in Tuscany as relaxing as possible.
Using a phone in Italy can be confusing for first time travellers - or anyone for that matter. What should you know about making international phone calls?
Trying to call home?
Any calls going out of Italy need to have a country code in front of them. Country codes can be seen as either a + sign and a number or a number with two 00 in front:
EXAMPLE: +1 (303) 640-4339 or 001 202 600 4339
EXAMPLE: +44 020 7841 1349 or 0044 050 7871 1349
When you see the + in front of the number you automatically translate that into two zeros. When you punch the number into the phone you can digit either two zeros, or press the + sign on the phone until it appears in the digitial display.
How do I use the public phone system?
Tuscany, like every place else is being changed daily by the new terchnology in the world of communications. Originally public phones where found in bars and assigned houses - you will still see white round signs with a red telephone on them to indicate a public phone - however don't count on them being valid! If they are still in use, the owner can you tell how many scatta or clicks there were and you paid according to the number of clicks (cost per click will vary according to the owner of the phone).
The more advance system was the coin operated pay phones - which have almost all been replaced with pay phones that will either use a scheda telefonica, a prepaid phone card which you can by at almost any newspaper stand, or a credit card.
Unfortunately not all of the pay phones take both coins and prepaid cards, so you need to check it out before you use it - however on the up side, many of the new phones are digital and they have indications in four languages - and English and German are two fo these languages!
How can someone call me?
That depends where they are calling from and what their provider want them to dail - but generally speaking when coming out of the States the caller needs to dial 011 39 and then the number, the full number including all the zeros. Some place in Europe have zeros on the beginning of the number but then they lose them when making international calls - this is NOT the case in Italy, they have their 0s and they love to keep them.
So if you found a local number: 055 467 856 you would dial it like so
0039 055 467 856
+39 055 467 856
from the USA: 01139 055 467 856
PS: many people forget but there is a 6 hour time difference between Italy and the USA New York City, then add hours according to where you are in the States. There is a one hour difference in the UK.
Can I bring my cell phone in Italy?
Sure, but before you do check to see if it is a GSM or a three band phone. The other thing is remember you will need to charge your phone, so remember a converter!
the following three answers have been taken from http://www.allworldcellphones.com/international-cell-phone-plans.htm , which we found to have some good helpful hints
In general, to use a cell phone overseas, you will need a GSM cell phone. GSM is short for "Global Service for Mobile Communication " and it is the mobile communications standard used across most of the world. One feature unique to GSM cell phones is that they all utilize a small semiconductor chip known as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module Card) which, among other things, stores the data that identifies the caller to the network service provider. In the United States, the only major cell phone providers utilizing GSM are Cingular (including some of the customers that Cingular acquired from AT&T) and T-Mobile. Sprint, Verizon and Alltel operate on a different wireless standard known as CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and Nextel utilizes yet another type of wireless service known as iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network). Since CDMA and iDEN cell phones cannot be used to place calls over GSM networks (and since GSM is the type of cell phone service used in the majority of the world), most Verizon, Sprint, Alltel and Nextel customers will find that their international roaming options are very limited. Even if your U.S. cell phone provider is Cingular or T-Mobile and your phone is a GSM cell phone, the odds are strong that it will still be useless outside of North America.
What do you mean "unlocked" and why is this important?
Most U.S. cell phone providers "lock" their cell phones so that you can't use the phones they issue with any other cell phone provider. Unless your cell phone is "unlocked", it can only be used with the service of the company that issued it. If your phone is not "unlocked" (even if it operates on the proper bands for you to use it overseas), the only way to use it overseas would be through your US cell phone company's "international roaming" plan. These international roaming plans will typically cost you around $1.00 to $7.00 per minute for the calls you make as well as for any incoming calls that you might receive!
What alternative is there to expensive "international roaming" plans?
For most people, we recommend buying and using prepaid SIM cards from a vendor like Cellular Abroad or Telestial. The RATES ARE TYPICALLY MUCH LOWER and in many countries you also get FREE INCOMING CALLS. If your cell phone is a GSM phone and it works on the proper frequencies, see if your cell phone provider will help you to "unlock" the phone. If so, you will only need to buy the prepaid SIM card(s) to save. (Be sure to also verify that your phone's charger can plug in and use the proper voltage for the electrical system in the country or countries where you'll be travelling.) If you have the wrong type of cell phone or you can't get it unlocked, Telestial or Cellular Abroad can sell you an unlocked world phone that you can use. If this is just too confusing and you aren't sure what to make of all of this, just ask them. They are very helpful and more than willing to explain everything you need to know!
No comments:
Post a Comment