Calling and surfing abroad: this is how much it costs inside and outside Europe

Calling and surfing abroad: this is how much it costs inside and outside Europe

Another ten years of zero costs for the European roamingthat is to call, send text messages and above all surf when we are outside Italy but in one of the other 26 countries (indeed, 27 countries, for now some operators also include the United Kingdom) with the same domestic rate.

We cannot use all the GB available in the house but a part. The operators calculate this quota with a formula which, moreover, by 2027 will become cheaper year after year because it is linked tolower wholesale price by one GB. This year it goes from 2.5 to 2 euros and therefore the volume of traffic that can be used abroad has already increased since 1 July, net of the choices of individual operators who are sometimes more generous (as in the case of WindTre or Fastweb), that is, they offer more GB than they would be entitled to compared to European indications.

If, therefore, sailing in the countries of the European Union will cost nothing more than what we pay in Italy – if not when we exceed certain thresholds that operators must clearly indicate, with related additional costs – outside the EU, the situation remains rather chaotic and complexas well as definitely expensive. Operators decide, based on their own strategies, if and what prices to apply for additional packages that allow us to communicate from the United States or South America as well as from Asian or African countries.

Vodafone provides one page where it is needed indicate the country you will be traveling to and according to the destination select the most suitable offers. The fundamental one is – indeed, it was because it was subscribable until June 19 – Travel World, which was worth 10 days and costs 29.99 euros. It included 200 minutes of calls (100 incoming and 100 outgoing), 10 text messages and 10 GB of navigation. But watch out, it depended on the country: in some (such as Argentina, Australia or Costa Rica) those GBs dropped to only one, in others to 3 or 5, only in Canada and in the United States they are actually 10. Activation was free and not you understand by which rate it will be replaced or if it will be renewed: the site still offers it. Then there is Smart Passport +: the cost is 3 or 6 euros per day depending on the country and includes 500 MB of traffic (200 in some), 60 minutes (divided in half between exit and entry, they are 30 in some countries) and 60 text messages. For tablets and PCs, therefore not for smartphones, there is also the offer Internet Passport +: 500 MB per day for 3 euros. Infinite And Infinity Black Edition finally, they are tariffs for use in Italy with extra-EU bonuses: respectively they offer one and 5 GB of traffic in Albania, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Singapore , Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and the United States.

Tim he has five offers in his portfolio to communicate when you are out abroad. The first is Tim in Travel Pass and includes 500 minutes (always equally divided), 500 text messages and 10 GB of navigation, costs 20 euros and lasts for one month. It is valid in European countries (if you want to have more GB available), in Canada, the United States and Brazil. For the other countries – about 80, from the Bahamas to South Africa – there is instead Tim on the World Pass Travel: costs 30 euros, is valid for 10 days and includes 100 minutes, 100 text messages and just 2 GB of traffic. Tim in Full Journey on the other hand, it is the basic package needed to surf on a pay-as-you-go basis (but which also assigns 500 MB in Switzerland and the Principality of Monaco). For the Swiss there is also a dedicated offer that costs 5 euros per month and is worth 5 GB and 500 minutes. Tim on the Internet Journeyfinally, it offers 4 GB of navigation in the United States and Europe for 25 euros for ten days.

WindTrewhich in the past had launched various rates for abroad (such as All Travel Weekly EU & USA), currently in the dedicated section does not list any specific offers but refers to a calculator to allow users, according to the destination, to know the roaming costs according to consumption with partner operators around the world. The only offer that can be subscribed is dedicated to Switzerland and costs € 4.99 for 10 GB of navigation, 10 minutes of calls from Italy and 50 in the Swiss country. Prices according to consumption also with Fastweb And Iliad: this is the worst defect of these operators, like other low cost ones, which often offer very advantageous rates but they have no non-EU offers in their portfolio. In case of travel outside Europe you have to make do (or, better, purchase a local Sim upon arrival at the airportbetter if you have a dual Sim smartphone, and calmly resolve the matter).

In his holiday guide SOStariffe.it he remembers in fact that «in countries where Roaming Like at Home is not valid, it is still possible to use your Sim while roaming. In this case, a pay-as-you-go rate is applied or the user has the possibility to activate offers dedicated to the use of the SIM abroad. Not all operators offer offers of this type. For longer journeys it is possible to evaluate the activation of a prepaid SIM card from a foreign operator ».

Other stories of Vanity Fair that may interest you

Goodbye roaming, all the risks to avoid when surfing in Europe

Calls abroad as from home, from mid-June farewell to roaming in the EU

Source: Vanity Fair