Cell Phone Options

While studying in Rome, you are required to have an international calling plan on your US phone or an Italian cell phone number so that your faculty and the UW Rome Center can stay in touch. You may choose from one of the following options:

• Purchase an international calling, messaging and data plan from your current cell phone provider. Prices vary and while this may be more convenient, it also may be a more expensive option.
• Bring your unlocked US cell phone and get an Italian SIM card while you’re in Rome. This usually costs about €25, including the first month’s phone/data plan, and monthly plans cost as little as €15. Contact your carrier or go to a repair shop to get your phone unlocked before leaving home. Once in Rome, you can swap your US SIM card with an Italian SIM card purchased from any of the three Italian providers: TIM, Vodafone, or Wind.
• Purchase an Italian cell phone, including SIM card and first month’s phone/data plan, for about €50. You can purchase a cell phone at TIM, Vodafone, or Wind. If you choose this option, we encourage you to pass your phone on to a friend or another participant in a subsequent Rome program at the end of the program!