Using a mobile phone in France? (1 Viewer)

Teasy2007

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Could anyone tell me if we would be better off buying a sim card in France (for our spare mobile phone) and topping it up, or using my normal mobile phone. We mainly want to use it for phoning campsites in France?
 
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N Luyetund

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We looked into doing the same but decided that buying a phone card was a simpler and cheaper option. :winky:
 
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Teasy2007

Teasy2007

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I never thought of that, a much better idea, are they freely available, from supermarkets etc?

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dash

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French phonecards are available in supermarkets as well as the 'Presse'
( French WH Smith)..
Enjoy your travels :thumb:,
 

lugnutt

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we tryed the phone cards in france without success and you canot buy a phone in france without an adress ,so ended up paying both ways (rip off)
dave:Blush:

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Road Runner

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Just make sure your phone is unlocked leaving you to use any sim card.
 

Beachbum

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Just make sure your phone is unlocked leaving you to use any sim card.

Hi RR, how do you go about getting it unlocked? Mine is a German mobile, did try to get it unlocked at one of the mobile shps, without success. Ann's mobile is English, do I go to a shop and get them to unlock it for us. I remember they wanted ÂŁ10 to unlock my German one. Did not pay as they were unable to unlock it.
 

Road Runner

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Hi RR, how do you go about getting it unlocked? Mine is a German mobile, did try to get it unlocked at one of the mobile shps, without success. Ann's mobile is English, do I go to a shop and get them to unlock it for us. I remember they wanted ÂŁ10 to unlock my German one. Did not pay as they were unable to unlock it.


Market stall and secondary phone selling shops will do it at a price.

If you buy a phone in the future buy it from the carphone warehouse as all their phones come unlocked:thumb:

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gillr49

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I'm off to France on Sunday for 6 months and after a lot of research think I have come up with the best option for me

O2 do a European bolt on for ÂŁ10 a month, one text and they debit ÂŁ10 off my pay as you go mobile until I text them to stop
For that you get calls to the UK for 20p a min., no charge for receiving calls and
25p text messages.

For me this is fine as texts will be my main method of communication with the family and no need to notify anyone of a change of number

Hope that helps

PS I used a market stall to get mine unlocked just in case

:Smile::Smile::Smile:
 

gillr49

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Sorry folks, just checked 25p per min to make calls to UK, 0 to receive calls and
25p per text.
O2 My Extra Europe:thumb:

:RollEyes::RollEyes:

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oldun

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The main troubles with all French SIMS (all the ones I have found anyway) are

The credit on PAYT tariffs are very time limited. The lowest top-ups only last a week or so and the largest ones only a few months.

If unused for six months the phone number is lost.

Top-ups cannot be made via foreign credit cards so it is difficult to keep the SIM active after 6 months.

If anyone has found a SIM that does not have these limitations I would like to know.
 
Oct 12, 2008
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Hi!


"If unused for six months the phone number is lost" you said . Not exactly, if you buy another top up , you can have more time, and if you spend it all, you can still be called during 4 more months at least, some( opérateur: orange france) even last 6 months.

I don't know if it's right that you have to give your adress to have a phone. I think it's only when you pay monthly from your bank account (for 1 hour or more). If you buy a "mobicarte" that's to say you only pay with top up, then they don't need to know your adress, you can phone only if you pay before.
I 'll try to check this .... i don't have much time , hope you're not in a too big hurry.

If you have a very precise question then PM me.

Amicalement


Frankie:Smile:
 
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Hi again!


Couldn't wait to ask "orange France" ::bigsmile:
So this is what they answered: You have different cards with different amounts which give you different rights
5eur is just for text message.
10eur: you have 1 week to use it but you keep your number during 6 months!If you don't use the credit then you loose what's left from your 10 eur.
15eur ; 15 days to use it and same thing you keep your number during 6 months
25eur ; 2 months ........................................................................................
35eur; 3 months...........................................................................................

and so on .

But if you buy a 15eur card for example,( then it will last 15 days and your number last 6 months when the 15 days are over)and you buy another 10eur when leaving France then credit your phone 2 or 3 days before the end of the 6 months then tour number will last 6 more months.:winky:
That works only with Orange France!
Now about the adress, you can give your own adress in England , or if you're a full timer, a friend's adress, it doesn't really matter . Law obliges them to ask because of terrorism. As long as you have an identity card , you're allright

Am i clear enought?
if not , let me know i'll try to explain in another way, if i can ...:Blush:


hope it helps anyway


Amicalement



Frankie::bigsmile:

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smifee

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to unlock phones i use unlockitfree.com

have done 4 phones ok but the 5th couldn't be done. it was a mate's phone. a recent nokia and he had to take it to a workshop where they have to open it up & change some part of the innards.
 

scotjimland

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Hi again!


Couldn't wait to ask "orange France" ::bigsmile:
So this is what they answered: You have different cards with different amounts which give you different rights
5eur is just for text message.
10eur: you have 1 week to use it but you keep your number during 6 months!If you don't use the credit then you loose what's left from your 10 eur.
15eur ; 15 days to use it and same thing you keep your number during 6 months
25eur ; 2 months ........................................................................................
35eur; 3 months...........................................................................................

and so on .

But if you buy a 15eur card for example,( then it will last 15 days and your number last 6 months when the 15 days are over)and you buy another 10eur when leaving France then credit your phone 2 or 3 days before the end of the 6 months then tour number will last 6 more months.:winky:
That works only with Orange France!
Now about the adress, you can give your own adress in England , or if you're a full timer, a friend's adress, it doesn't really matter . Law obliges them to ask because of terrorism. As long as you have an identity card , you're allright

Am i clear enought?
if not , let me know i'll try to explain in another way, if i can ...:Blush:

:

Hi

Thanks for the info,

do you know if you can get a French Orange PAYG sim that can be used for data with a usb dongle or phone and if so what the charges are .. ?

Many thanks

Jim :Smile:
 
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Teasy2007

Teasy2007

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I contacted T Mobile and asked about texting from abroad, I was told that there was no charge for multimedia texting ! I was surprised at this so if anyone can confirm I would appreciate it.

Ginny

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PeteH

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Hi

As Of quite recent the answer was a resounding NO to being able to use a French or Spanish PAYGo SIM for data. There WAS a company offering this service on the "net" but their website is currently inactive (I think they used "movistar").

You can get a "contract" type deal (in Spain) but it costs to set up and the monthly fee is quite large. That was through Orange, but you did get a free "dongle"! (always wanted one of them???). The current biggest drawback would appear to be a lack of 3G access, mostly its only GPRS. Except in parts of the biggest cities, and at that point you can often get "wiFi" broadband, sometimes for free.

I am led to believe that some efforts are being made to "level the playing field" with respect to "roaming" costs, and paying for incoming as well as outgoing, via the Euro Parliament, and changes are in the pipeline, but not this year.

I have a Spanish "orange" PAYGo sim, which does Phone and text, but thats all. I have tried all ways to set it up for Data, but no go!!

Pete
 

Reveuse

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Leclerc supermarkets have started doing a SIM card that doesn't cancel your unused credit at the end of the month and junk your number after 6 months or whatever - but it does cost 1.50 a month to maintain your account whether you use it or not, they deduct this from your credit. This is what I use and I am happy with it, I think the tarif is lower than Orange and it is dead easy to top up online, or on the phone. When I bought the SIM (15 euros, includes 5 euros credit and I think some free calls) I had to give an address to register it to so I don't know if this would be a problem without an address in France. It is on the SFR network and coverage has not been a problem for me.

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hi!

i give the link(in french of course!) about Leclerc mobile, it seems to be a very good offer!

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Jim: What is a PAYG , and PAYGo ? is it the same word? I'm useless with computers and english technical vocabulary:Sad:... but as i read further down the posts, i think someone has been able to answer to you!
Sorry ... still have to improve my english AND my knowledge about computers:Blush:

If i find some other informations about mobiles companies, i let you know!


Amicalement

Frankie:Smile:

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Kon tiki

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PAYG (Pay As You Go), I would think PAYGo & PAYT (Pay As You Talk) are the same thing in they aren't a monthly type subscription phone.
 

scotjimland

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Hi

As Of quite recent the answer was a resounding NO to being able to use a French or Spanish PAYGo SIM for data.

Hi Pete

That was what I had heard but I find it odd that all four Uk providers now have PAYG packages with data... but not in France ..

Jim: What is a PAYG , and PAYGo

Pay As You Go .. no contract ..


thanks for your help, hope you find more info on French PAYG sims with data
:Smile:

Jim
 

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