Bring your American smartphone UNLOCKED and get a local SIM card & phone number OR get a local smartphone

The Rome program staff recommend getting an Italian SIM card as the best option. 

TEXTING

• • • Rates will vary by plan. 

    • You can use Wi-Fi to send messages on iMessage, WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Viber, Google, etc. for free.

DATA (Web & Apps)

• • • Rates and usage will vary by the plan you choose when purchasing your SIM or phone.

    • It may be expensive to go over on your allowed data and many apps that use background data use up your data allotment quickly.

    •  When you are connected to Wi-Fi, you have access to all your apps without depleting your data. 

Note that map Apps may use data so if you turn your data off and are not connected to Wi-Fi you will not be able to access these services, unless you have previously downloaded a map.

CALLS

• • • It is easy to call on-site program staff, local friends and family and other services or businesses.

    • It is more challenging/costly to call home or numbers outside of your program country.

    • Rates for outgoing calls will vary by plan. Some common options are that you will pay per minute, have a certain number of minutes per month or have an unlimited plan, depending on how much you want to pay. 

    • Incoming calls to your Italian number are free within Italy. You will be charged for incoming calls when traveling outside of Italy. 

    • You can use Wi-Fi to make free calls on FaceTime, FB Messenger, Viber, Google, Skype and WhatsApp. It is recommended to use these apps to call home over Wi-Fi. 

If you choose to get a local SIM card or phone upon arrival in your host country, here are some important things you need to know:

• 1. Unlock your current phone. If you travel abroad with a locked phone, foreign SIM cards will not work. Contact your current cell phone carrier to have them unlock your phone. Be aware there may be a fee to do this.

  2. The Trinity in Rome staff will assist you in getting a SIM card for you that you will pay for upon arrival.

  3. There are three cell carriers in Italy: Vodafone, Wind, and TIM.

  4. You must show your passport when purchasing a SIM card.

  5. Keep your phone topped up: You will be responsible for keeping your phone topped up with minutes, text and data for the duration of the program. 

  6. Back up your phone before switching SIM cards. Content may be lost when you switch SIM cards

  7. Save all contacts to your phone.

  8. Once you have an Italian pre-paid SIM card or phone, your phone number will change to an Italian number for your semester in Rome. 

  9. Keep your US SIM card safe. You will need it when you return home. If you lose your US SIM card your US number and any content will be lost. 

  10. Before leaving, be sure to talk with your home/U.S. phone company about freezing or putting your phone number or account on hold while you are away using a different number.

Bring your American/Home Country cell phone & number with an added international cell phone plan with your current provider

TEXTING

• • Texting rates vary by international cell phone plans.

  • Texting locals and your program staff via SMS can be difficult and expensive since it is considered an international text for you and them. 

  • It is very expensive to go over on your allowed texting limit if you have one.

  • You can use Wi-Fi to send messages on iMessage, WhatsApp, FB Messenger, Viber, Google, etc. for free.

DATA (Web & Apps)

• • Data rates vary by international cell phone plans.

  • It is very expensive to go over your allowed data if you have a limit. Many apps that use background data can use up your limited data quickly and end up costing you a lot. 

  • Make sure you turn off the background data for all your apps. 

  •  When you are connected to Wi-Fi, you have access to all your apps for free without depleting your data.

Note that map Apps may use data so if you turn your data off and are not connected to Wi-Fi you will not be able to access these services, unless you have previously downloaded a map.

CALLS

• • Calling locals and your program staff is difficult and expensive since it is considered an international call for you and them. 

  • Calling rates vary by international cell phone plans.

  • It is very expensive to go over on your allowed calling minutes if you have a limit.

  • Even with this plan, it can be expensive to call family and friends back home.

  • You can use Wi-Fi to make free calls on FaceTime, FB Messenger, Viber, Google, Skype and WhatsApp.

1. It is recommended that you bring an old unlocked smartphone that isn’t being used anymore in the event that your phone is lost or stolen.

2. Pick-pocketing is prevalent all over Europe and smartphones are highly sought after. Program staff will advise you on how to prevent being a victim of pick-pocketing. You must be very careful with your phone and it is recommended to get your phone insured in case it is lost or stolen.

3. Talk with students who have previously studied away in Rome to learn more about their tips and suggestions.

We strongly recommend that you or your family DO NOT SEND PACKAGES at all from HOME to Rome!

Packages shipped abroad get held up in customs and are taxed based on the declared value. You must pay this tax in order to get the package and in most cases the tax is more than the value of the items. The process always ends up being more of a hassle than the package is worth. 

If you or your family does choose to send a package, we recommend that they never send electronics or prescription medications and DO NOT declare the value to be more than $10.

It tends to take a long time for mail to reach you in Rome from your family and friends here in the states and in the past packages have arrived after the program ended. This is another reason we recommend that you do not have packages sent to you from Rome. 

Remember that almost everything you may need can be found in Rome.

Mail should be sent to the Casa Publicii address and NOT to the administrative office address.

STUDENT NAME

C/O Suore Camaldolesi

Clivo dei Publicii 2

00153 Rome

Italy

• Students should bring a laptop computer with them and ensure that they have all the most up to date security functions and spyware installed in advance.

• Internet is very accessible at all program locations but the speed and reliability vary greatly and may not be what students are accustomed to at home.

• If a student uses another email address other than their Trinity address, they must ensure that the two accounts are linked so they will receive important information from the college.

• Students are responsible for all information sent to their Trincoll and home school email accounts (their primary email provided in your Rome application). 

• The Trinity College Library uses the EZ Proxy service to connect off-campus users to the library’s online services.

Accessing Databases Off Campus:

• Visit the A-Z Database List here: http://courseguides.trincoll.edu/az.php

• An EZ Proxy window will pop up and ask you to log in with your Trinity College credentials (username and password)

• In the Database List, you can:

1) Choose the title of the database you need

2) Search for the title or subject of the database you need

3) Filter the list by Database Subject, Type, or Vendor

• Tip: Filtering the list by Subject shows you information on Course Guides, and which Reference Librarians are experts in that particular subject

• Tip: Putting ‘.ezproxy.trincoll.edu’ before the first slash in a URL (example: ‘ebsco.com/abcd/article’ becomes ‘ebsco.com.ezproxy. trincoll.edu/abcd/article’) will look for a specific link through the proxy. This can be useful if you’ve been sent a direct link from your professor or copying a link from a syllabus.

It is important to see ‘ezproxy’ as part of the URL, as that will allow you to log in to Trinity’s network using your Trinity credentials.