KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TO ITALY!

SIM Cards

If your phone supports eSIM, there are several Italian phone companies that support this feature. Below you will find a list of the top phone carriers.

  • Iliad — Low cost primary carrier. They have their own 4G/5G network, but also get to access Windtre’s network nationwide. Easily start service from one of many SIM card “ATMs.”

  • Very Mobile — Low cost prepaid phone carrier, uses Windtre’s network, supports eSIM.

  • Ho Mobile — Low cost prepaid phone carrier, uses Vodafone’s network.

  • Vodafone — Primary carrier, supports eSIM.

  • Windtre — Primary carrier, supports eSIM.

Having an Italian phone number is extremely important if you will be staying in Italy for your citizenship recognition. Most local companies require that you have an Italian number. If you plan on receiving mail for example, you will need to include an Italian number or the delivery driver will not be able to reach you. Here in Italy, they will call you directly if they cannot locate you. So if they ring your doorbell and nobody is home, they will call you rather than leave the package at your door.

Home Internet

It is not uncommon to find a rental property that does not have internet included. Luckily, internet is significantly cheaper in Italy than in the US. You can easily find deals for the fastest speed available for around €20 per month. Below we have listed a few of the major internet providers. Most offer a way to search an address and view available pricing and speeds. If you know your address, you can easily see what is available ahead of time.

Food Delivery Services

In Italy it is common to go to the grocery store daily. As someone who is going to be out sight seeing frequently, you might want to consider a food delivery service. Below you will find several of the most popular options.

  • Quomi — Think of this as a Hello Fresh of sorts. You pick from a variety of recipes and they will send you all of the ingredients you need to make the meal.

  • Glovo — This is like Uber Eats meets Instacart. Glovo will deliver food from restaurants, but they also have several grocery stores to choose from.

  • Deliveroo — Similar to Uber Eats or DoorDash.

  • Just Eat! — Similar to Uber Eats or Door Dash.

Transportation Apps

You’ll almost certainly take a train or two while you’re in Italy. There are several apps that provide easy access to train ticketing, so there is no need to go directly to the station to purchase a ticket. When you buy a ticket from your phone, you will simply need to scan the ticket from your phone screen! There are also several bus transportation apps that help locate the route and get on the right bus.