Ipad 3G question about purchasing SIM card in Europe

[wantocruisemore]

We're leaving on our Med trip the end of the month. My daughter has been wanting an IPAD so we figured get one to take with us.

 

The guy at the Apple store recommended the one with Wifi & 3G and to get the AT&T one rather than the Verizon one. We have Verizon as our cell phone carrier.

 

He said to get the AT&T since it allows you to put in a different SIM card. Then you can just purchase a SIM in Italy for the European trip (we're staying Rome several days and cruising eastern med out of Rome).

 

Has anyone bought a SIM card in Europe and used it? If so how did it work and how much?

 

Also, for ones who did not buy a new SIM and used AT&T instead, how much for one month? And how did it work?

[mapsmith]

We're leaving on our Med trip the end of the month. My daughter has been wanting an IPAD so we figured get one to take with us.

 

The guy at the Apple store recommended the one with Wifi & 3G and to get the AT&T one rather than the Verizon one. We have Verizon as our cell phone carrier.

 

He said to get the AT&T since it allows you to put in a different SIM card. Then you can just purchase a SIM in Italy for the European trip (we're staying Rome several days and cruising eastern med out of Rome).

 

Has anyone bought a SIM card in Europe and used it? If so how did it work and how much?

 

Also, for ones who did not buy a new SIM and used AT&T instead, how much for one month? And how did it work?

 

 

 

I cannot answer your question directly. However, I was under the impression that the iPad 3G does not have telephone capabilities. That means that you will be just getting a SIM card for data. Data downloads in Europe can be expensive since they are based on MB usage rather than a flat rate. It is possible that even buying a European SIM for the iPad could become a very expensive proposition.

 

Rather than get information from the Apple Dealer or even from Verizon or ATT, or even from Cruise Critic members, I would suggest that you google an iPad user group on the internet and see if what you want to do will actually work without charges that would be equal to another cruise???

[SadieN]

Found this

 

http://slowtalk.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/280109402/m/588008980001

 

and this

 

http://www.cellularabroad.com/blog/?p=13

[wantocruisemore]

I did find this as well. Thanks for the suggestions of checking ipad apple forums.

 

http://www.ipadforums.net/international-ipad-users/5010-want-use-my-ipad-italy-2.html

 

I am also looking for how people did with their ipads in general while cruising. Could you pay the internet fee and hook up the same as the laptop? Trying to find a way to just take the ipad and see if it will fill needs the laptop would.