This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.
My family and I just returned from an incredible trip to Europe and I have so many travel tips, stories and photos to share. I’ve already written about our flight from Los Angeles to Naples (via Chicago) on American as well as our return flight from Athens, Greece to New York.
One of the main topics I wanted to discuss was how I stayed connected and I just received an email from a regular reader with some great questions. Patti C asked: Will my cell phone and iPad work with Italy’s charging plugs or do I need a special adapter? Also, I heard you can’t bring power chargers in carry-ons anymore?
Portable Chargers
First of all, it’s not true that you can’t bring portable chargers in your carry-on. You can’t bring them in checked bags but you can bring them on the plane. A couple of months ago, Southwest Airlines said passengers are no longer allowed to store their portable charging devices in their bags or overhead bins. Instead, they are required to keep the chargers in plain sight so if, God forbid, it catches on fire, passengers and crew don’t have to go digging for it. Some Asian airlines have banned passengers from using portable chargers in flight and they have to be kept in the passenger’s carry-on. You don’t want to buy a portable charger that has a capacity of more than 100 watt-hours (Wh) as they are usually completely banned.
I always travel with a portable charger, so does my wife and so do most seasoned travelers including flight attendants. No one wants to be touring around a city without enough juice in their phones to take photos, make calls or find directions. Here are the ones we recommend:
Belkin Portable Charger With Kickstand (charges two devices simultaneously)
Anker Portable High-Speed Charger
Using My Phone
As far as your cell phone and iPad working in Italy (and beyond), it depends who your service provider is and what your data plan is. Always call them to double check. I use T-Mobile and have an unlimited plan but when I travel internationally, the service can be so slow, I can’t even get directions. So I now use an eSIM. Apple introduced electronic SIM cards in 2018 so every phone after the iPhone 11 series has them, including the iPhone XR, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
Setting up an eSIM is super easy. Select a provider. There are a lot of players including Airalo, Holafly, Ubigi, Nomad, GigSky, Maya Mobile and Flexiroam. I use Ubigi after a friend’s recommendation a couple of years ago and I love them since they’re known for high-speed data in over 190 countries. Full disclosure, I also just became part of their affiliate program and worked out a deal where Johnny Jet readers can get 10% off on their first purchase using the promo code JOHNNY10. Buy a plan here.
- Download and install the Ubigi app.
- Sign up / create an account.
- Install the eSIM and follow the steps shown in the app.
- You should then be seeing the data plans in your dashboard on the app.
Ubigi eSIM plans typically cost around $4 to $6 for 1 GB valid for 7 days, about $8 for 3 GB over 30 days, and roughly $17 for 10 GB over 30 days. I had one for Italy, Greece and Turkey since I traveled to all three countries and my service was great.
Another plus is that Ubigi doesn’t restrict hotspots or tethering so you can create a hotspot for your family to use.
BTW: I was on a cruise and I didn’t use the service while at sea. Always make sure you turn your cell data off once onboard and just use the ship’s WiFi.
One of my friends works for AT&T and texted me while I was in Europe: “Are you using AT&T international day pass on your travels?” I texted back: “I have T-Mobile and use an eSIM (Ubigi).” He replied, “Veteran move.”
Adapters and Voltage Converters
Don’t forget to pack those international travel adapters and voltage converters so everything works. This is what we use when we travel to Italy and internationally.
–EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter
–BESTEK Universal Travel Adapter and Voltage Converter
–Conair Travel Adapter
–Non-Surge Protected Power Strip (for cruise ships)
Want more travel news, tips and deals? Sign up to Johnny Jet’s free newsletter and check out these popular posts: The Travel Gadget Flight Attendants Never Leave Home Without and 12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees. Follow Johnny Jet on MSN, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for all of my travel posts.
