For Austria and Italy, if you really want a SIM roaming from Australia, you want a '3' SIM as 3 have no roaming charges if you connect to the 3 network in Italy and Austria. 3 Have no network in France.

Vodafone pricing is marginally discounted if you roam on a Voda network, but not much - I wouldn't recommend it!!! You can select from two roaming options with Voda:
Traveller Vodafone Traveller or
Voda World Vodafone World™

Vodafone World is the option that gives slightly lower rates if you roam on a Voda network. Still doesn't compare to the 3 offering.

I would recommend getting a local prepaid SIM in each country.

Originally Posted by DeKa

For Austria and Italy, if you really want a SIM roaming from Australia, you want a '3' SIM as 3 have no roaming charges if you connect to the 3 network in Italy and Austria. 3 Have no network in France.

Vodafone pricing is marginally discounted if you roam on a Voda network, but not much - I wouldn't recommend it!!! You can select from two roaming options with Voda:
Traveller Vodafone Traveller or
Voda World Vodafone World™

Vodafone World is the option that gives slightly lower rates if you roam on a Voda network. Still doesn't compare to the 3 offering.

I would recommend getting a local prepaid SIM in each country.

Thanks for the reply. I don't want to roam with an Australian SIM though. If possible I'd like to just buy one as soon as I get there that will work all over Europe.

Great thanks. I don't really need to call home much. We're only in each place for a week so not away for very long. Calling will more likely be between the people there.

Looks like the go is to just get a vodafone SIM in each place. I suppose I could buy one in Austria then take it into Italy. If it works, it works. If not then buy a new one. Then do the same going from Italy to France.

Can anyone confirm that it is common for pre paid sim's to have data? I don't know how common it is here, but Europe might be ahead of us.

Originally Posted by Galumay

i dont think vodaphone have any data on prepaid SIMS (well not data blocks, just extortionate by the mb charges.)

Bugger. At least I can look at getting one of those TIM sim's in Italy.

Originally Posted by remigi

They do have prepaid cards i just checked.. in austria vodafone is called A1.

A1 Be.Free 20 is what u want:

A1.net

Tarifinfo*
Grundentgelt (monthly fee) EUR 0,-
ruft A1 oder B.FREE (other A1 of B.Free customerS) EUR 0,20
ruft Mobilbox (Voicemail) EUR 0,20
ruft Festnetz (Landline) EUR 0,40
ruft andere Mobilnetze (Other carriers mobile network) EUR 0,40
sendet SMS in alle Netze (SMS to all carriers networks) EUR 0,20

Data is stupidly expensive on prepaid:

It costs EUR 0.20 Cents per 32 KB (not MB but KB)

Ahh, so they have it but it's just really, really expensive. With no way to turn it off.

so i'm flogging an old horse.

But. Wouldnt a Aussie 3 sim be better still.

You can use data, call rates are standard in both Austria and Italy, and then in france, grab a voda sim. That way you have data and calling on the 3 sim whilst you're in 2 out of three places...and at a great rate.

Originally Posted by DeKa

For Austria and Italy, if you really want a SIM roaming from Australia, you want a '3' SIM as 3 have no roaming charges if you connect to the 3 network in Italy and Austria. 3 Have no network in France.

Originally Posted by mallo

so i'm flogging an old horse.

But. Wouldnt a Aussie 3 sim be better still.

You can use data, call rates are standard in both Austria and Italy, and then in france, grab a voda sim. That way you have data and calling on the 3 sim whilst you're in 2 out of three places...and at a great rate.

Does that mean if I went away with another couple of people and we all got 3 SIM's from Australia, we could talk to each other in Europe for local call charges? As long as we roam to the 3 network in Austria and Italy?

Sounds like I need to make a call to 3.

Originally Posted by andytlr

Does that mean if I went away with another couple of people and we all got 3 SIM's from Australia, we could talk to each other in Europe for local call charges? As long as we roam to the 3 network in Austria and Italy?

Sounds like I need to make a call to 3.

My education is purely based on what other have wrote, but from what Deka said

For Austria and Italy, if you really want a SIM roaming from Australia, you want a '3' SIM as 3 have no roaming charges if you connect to the 3 network in Italy and Austria. 3 Have no network in France.

It would appear that 3 don't charge roaming costs AT ALL if roaming on another 3 branded network. (At least Austria and Italy).

So yep, if that info is correct, than if there was a couple of you going, if you each had a 3 sim in your phone whilst in Austria and Italy, you could call each other on the cheap (standard rates). And I assume use data also.

I would talk to 3 and double check on the data thing also though. Its nice of them to provide no cost roaming on calls, but I'd be tripple checking this also applies to data, JUST IN CASE.

Also, if you wanted to bypass having to worry about a pre-paid option, you could prob sign up to a 3 plan, with some added data, and then just cancel it once you get back (making sure what you sign up to is on a "month to month" basis of course, no form of contract.

Cool, time to give 3 a call. It will be great to have a SIM as soon as we get there seeing as maps needs data. Thanks.

I called 3. Not great. You can't do it with a pre-paid sim. You call charges are the same as being in Australia BUT they're on top of your cap. And, data is $5 to $10 per MB. Ouch.

So looks like a TIM SIM might be good in Italy. They've got an English translation of their site but I can't find call and data rates. Although it does say their SIM's support data.

remigi, you said you speak German. Could you do me a massive favour and see how much data is with http://www.a1.net/. Thanks a lot.

drewbles' PM'd me another option which is great for calls and works in all three countries but data is $5 per MB.