Iphone (AT&T service ) in Europe

[Cruise Leprechaun]

I've never been to Europe before but will be doing an Western Medit cruise this summer (Spain, France, Italy). I'm a little concerned that if I leave my Iphone on I'll come back to some horrendous bill for international data/texts and stuff. I'd love to bring it along because Im sure there are all kinds of great apps (like walking tours of the vatican and translation tools) but if I want to avoid crazy international rates do I have to leave it in airplane mode the whole week? Im not too worried about phone calls so much as I dont anticipate receiving or making many but its the data downloading (emails and look up stuff on the internet) that seems to happen without you knowing that worries me more. I do have both an unlimited texting and unlimited data plan but I suspect that just pertains to the USA. Has anybody who has traveled there with this setup got any advice (or war stories) to share on this issue? Are there international plans I need to add before I go there? Thanks.

[nparmelee]

If you leave your phone in airplane mode, you can turn on wifi if wifi is avaialble, then you would have no problems with unexpected data in foreign countries. There is a whole series of things you can when traveling abroad and still use your phone as an iPod and for email when wifi is available. Make sure data roaming under settings is turned off as well I case you decide you need to make a quick call. Make sure you backup your phone before you leave home and turn off iCloud backups and syncing for while you are away. Make sure the apps you want to use let you download the data before you leave or make sure to get to a wifi location to download any data you may need. Avoid apps that need you to have data connection to access data.

[-Lew-]

Putting the iPhone in Airplane Mode will prevent the phone from accessing cellular networks. This will eliminate the chance of inadvertently running up a huge data access bill while traveling internationally.

 

Wifi off the ship is generally free in many locations. Wi-Fi will allow you to send and receive email as well as use many apps on your iPhone at no cost.

 

To put the iPhone in Airplane Mode: Settings → Airplane Mode → Slide switch to ON

 

Putting the iPhone in Airplane Mode turns off Wi-Fi, so that will need to be turned on manually: Settings → Wi-Fi→ Slide switch to On

 

Having said that, a better way to set up the iPhone for use in Europe is to bypass the Airplane Mode and do the following:

 

To turn off costly cell and data access, but leave GPS services (which is free) active: Settings → General → Network → Turn off Enable 3G, Cellular Data, and Data Roaming

 

There are a number of apps, listed elsewhere on this forum, that contain map data internally and do not require data access. They do, however, require GPS services. The above settings will allow those apps to access GPS services.

 

For AT&T's International Travel Tips page click here.

 

Lew

[NC2]

Putting the iPhone in Airplane Mode will prevent the phone from accessing cellular networks. This will eliminate the chance of inadvertently running up a huge data access bill while traveling internationally.

 

Wifi off the ship is generally free in many locations. Wi-Fi will allow you to send and receive email as well as use many apps on your iPhone at no cost.

To put the iPhone in Airplane Mode: Settings → Airplane Mode → Slide switch to ON

 

Putting the iPhone in Airplane Mode turns off Wi-Fi, so that will need to be turned on manually: Settings → Wi-Fi→ Slide switch to On

Having said that, a better way to set up the iPhone for use in Europe is to bypass the Airplane Mode and do the following:

To turn off costly cell and data access, but leave GPS services (which is free) active: Settings → General → Network → Turn off Enable 3G, Cellular Data, and Data Roaming

There are a number of apps, listed elsewhere on this forum, that contain map data internally and do not require data access. They do, however, require GPS services. The above settings will allow those apps to access GPS services.

 

For AT&T's International Travel Tips page click here.

 

Lew

 

Thank you Lew and others for this good information. We are brand new to cruising and will be taking the Grand Mediterranean on the Ruby in June also and we had questions about our iphones. Do you know if our texting will still work? We want to be able to keep track of our teenage kids on board and considered using texting for this since we read that walkie talkies are not the way to go. This is a big cruise for us newbies and we quite anxious about it.

[6rugrats]

Thank you Lew and others for this good information. We are brand new to cruising and will be taking the Grand Mediterranean on the Ruby in June also and we had questions about our iphones. Do you know if our texting will still work? We want to be able to keep track of our teenage kids on board and considered using texting for this since we read that walkie talkies are not the way to go. This is a big cruise for us newbies and we quite anxious about it.

Suggest you contact AT&T:

 

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/international/roaming/international-roaming.jsp

[Cruise Leprechaun]

Thank you for the information. So it sounds like wifi while on land but unless I wanted pay for ship's wifi I might have to disable wifi while on board

[mydreamvacation]

you could consider purchasing an Italian Sim Card for your phone or a Vodaphone. Last year we used an Italian Vodaphone to text back and forth with our son, this year I will probably buy an international sim card for my iphone instead.

[OUTenABOUT]

If your going to making phone calls I highly recommend getting Skype if you have an iphone or any smartphone for that matter. It is very cheap and all you need is a wifi connection to make calls. If you check there webpage you can see their rates.

[ukbballfan]

I always get AT&T's International texting plan activated for the time I am gone. You get 50 texts for $10.00. Leave it on for the full monthly billing cycle though because if you cancel, say after 2 weeks, then it pro-rates your allowance, in this case to 25. I also always get a local sim card for my Ipad.

[Pushka]

Turn off all your data services in the settings area of your phone, and all the notifications that any apps might use.

 

Then, you can leave your phone on, as normal, and if you don't send texts, or make or receive any phone calls, then you will not have any charges. Doing this makes you accessible if there is an emergency at home.

 

Tell your friends not to call you, but text you as texts are very cheap, less than 50 cents.

 

You can use wifi for free in some places. But not on the ship. But wifi wont help in receiving text messages if you have put the phone in flight mode.

 

We have travelled overseas many times, and as long as you have turned off data services, and dont make actual phone calls, there are no nasty surprises. Texts are perfect.

I might have to disable wifi while on board

 

No, you wont be able to access (and therefore get charged for it) unless you log onto it. Just "seeing" the signal does not incur charges. But it does drain the battery a little.

[Cruise Leprechaun]

Great Stuff. Thanks.

[margbem]

I always get AT&T's International texting plan activated for the time I am gone. You get 50 texts for $10.00. Leave it on for the full monthly billing cycle though because if you cancel, say after 2 weeks, then it pro-rates your allowance, in this case to 25. I also always get a local sim card for my Ipad.

 

Where would you get the local sim card from? If on a cruise and calling in different countries, would you need to buy a different sim in each country?

[Victress2007]

AT&T is pretty accommodating on switching your plan around. Just add international calling and international text or data - whichever you need. Just don't forget to take it off!

 

There are also apps you can get for certain ships - so you can text from one to another on board. We'll be on the Epic soon and this is what I'm planning on doing.

 

Vic

[mydreamvacation]

I always get AT&T's International texting plan activated for the time I am gone. You get 50 texts for $10.00. Leave it on for the full monthly billing cycle though because if you cancel, say after 2 weeks, then it pro-rates your allowance, in this case to 25. I also always get a local sim card for my Ipad.

 

Hmm I am wondering if the international sim card can be swapped back and forth from my iPad and iPhone ? This year both have micro sim cards as I traded up to the 4s and iPad2.

[nparmelee]

Yes for the iPad. The iPhone is likely locked to your carrier, AT&T is now unlocking off-contract phones, if you are able to do that then you could swap the SIM. Many iPhones in use in Europe so you should be able to get pay as you go.

[World Gallery]

I had some of the same questions and started a thread about the SIM card. I received lots of information back. The link to that thread is:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1611024

 

We haven't purchased a SIM card yet (you can buy them before leaving the US online) but we are not sure we will. It wasn't as easy as taking out one SIM card and putting in another, then using the phone your normal way. We may bring one "unlocked" phone just in case we feel we need it once in Europe, for talking to people back at home. Then we would buy a SIM card while there. Otherwise, we are going to use all the tips suggested on this thread.

[mydreamvacation]

Yes for the iPad. The iPhone is likely locked to your carrier, AT&T is now unlocking off-contract phones, if you are able to do that then you could swap the SIM. Many iPhones in use in Europe so you should be able to get pay as you go.

 

I don't mean the sim card that came with my iphone or my ipad but rather if I buy an international micro sim card to switch out to my phone and include a data plan I could then also pop it in my ipad2 at least that is my thinking.

 

If it won't work then I will just bring along the good old Italian vodefone. I would rather use my iphone but don't want to just add the international texting as everyone will be calling and racking up my roaming charges. I wuold just give the international sim card to my son to text me and call in emergencies

[nparmelee]

Mydreamvacation - For the iPad, yes, the international carrier SIM should work fine. The iPhone is probably locked to AT&T so another carrier SIM won't work unless AT&T unlocks it for you. AT&T has started to unlock iPhones this last month so it can be done, easier if your phone is off contract with them. If you use another carrier SIM, you would end up with a phone number for that country.

[mydreamvacation]

I don't mind having a foreign phone number as I would only be making calls locally in Italy. I want my son to be able to text me. He doesn't "talk" but he will text all the time. I just got him last year an international texting plan and he would text the vodafone. I don't want to use my real number as people will be calling me. Just want him to have the ability to reach me. Maybe I will just bring the Vodafone again it was pretty simple. I might need to reactivate it though.

[Baseball fan]

Since I use my phone for emergencies only when I am overseas, I sign up for the ATT world traveler plan for about $6 a month. You can turn it on or off any time. I usually turn it on a few days before I leave and shut it off a few days after I get home. It is still $1 a minute in Western Europe but cheaper than the alternative at $1.50 a minute. Texting is 50 cents per outbound text and free for incoming (it is part of your monthly allowance). The unlimited Data Plan in the US is not good overseas.

 

I do shut off the data service (follow the directions from Lew) but can use the wifi when I can find it.

 

Some apps can be loaded to your phone and don't need the data plan to work (ie Rick Steves).

 

I also do have an unlocked phone and occasionally I take that with me but since I don't use it much I've found that the ATT service is fine for me (and more convenient).

[mydreamvacation]

What is this "locked and unlocked" phone mean? I (probably incorrectly) assumed that I could just switch out my Sim card to an international one when in Italy/Turkey. I tried putting my son's sim in my phone and it showed up with his number and was fine functually but that does not really prove anything as all three of us have iPhones from AT&T.. looks like the trusty old vodafone will be taking a trip again this year lol

[Pushka]

What is this "locked and unlocked" phone mean? I (probably incorrectly) assumed that I could just switch out my Sim card to an international one when in Italy/Turkey. I tried putting my son's sim in my phone and it showed up with his number and was fine functually but that does not really prove anything as all three of us have iPhones from AT&T.. looks like the trusty old vodafone will be taking a trip again this year lol

 

In Australia anyway, if you buy your phone on a plan, ie you don't buy it outright, you can only use a sim card locked to that network. And yes, taking a phone that you actually own is what you need if changing Sims to local network.

[mydreamvacation]

In Australia anyway, if you buy your phone on a plan, ie you don't buy it outright, you can only use a sim card locked to that network. And yes, taking a phone that you actually own is what you need if changing Sims to local network.

 

lol this is too complicated for me I will bring the trusty vodafone that I know works :)

[World Gallery]

lol this is too complicated for me I will bring the trusty vodafone that I know works :)

 

I was feeling the same way. It does seem complicated.

I am interested in a vodafone. What is it and where can I buy one?

[mydreamvacation]

I was feeling the same way. It does seem complicated.

I am interested in a vodafone. What is it and where can I buy one?

 

It is an Italian version of one of those pay as you go phone. My friend in Rome got it for me but you can buy one once you arrive. Just a inexpensive lg with no bells or whistles but perfect for texting or emergency calls. I get my son international texting for $10 for one month, remove it when we get back. It allows him 100 free texts to my Italian number. We were in Sicily for two weeks last year and I think I has to add like 10 euros to it. Very easy