Travel Technology - French Prepaid Sim with voice and data?

I seem to have developed the habit of spending quite a bit of time in France.

Could someone tell me if I can buy a French prepaid SIM without being a French resident, and the best deal in terms of the following?

1. Credit lasting more than a few months at a time
2. Good data rate
3. Not too horrific voice rate


Thanks!

I seem to have developed the habit of spending quite a bit of time in France.

Could someone tell me if I can buy a French prepaid SIM without being a French resident, and the best deal in terms of the following?

1. Credit lasting more than a few months at a time
2. Good data rate
3. Not too horrific voice rate


Thanks!

Bonsoir,

Please look over the sticky in this forum entitled "How much is a European SIM card, exactly?" (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/travel-technology/569462-how-much-european-sim-card-exactly.html) There is lots of good information there.

When you say "rate" above do you mean price?

The quick solution to your questions would be to visit FNAC (http://telephone-gps-mp3.fnac.com/shi59030/Telephone-portable-Smartphone?SID=cd8250e0%2D9c73%2D517c%2D52d4%2De1a dff077773&UID=065d63132%2Dbe99%2D71e5%2D28d4%2De28f5069179b&Origin=FnacFR&OrderInSession=1&TTL=080220090157)on the Champs Elysees. The cell phone department is on the street floor and the geeks there, who usually speak some level of English, can tell you about the plans from the three major French carriers, Orange, SFR and Bouygues.

I am a customer of Orange but I have a regular plan. The prepaid service is called Mobicarte but the website is a bit funky at the moment so I can't get you any data, unfortunately.

It's been a few years since I was on a prepaid plan and at the time, credit expired a certain number of days after either the last use or the last recharge.

The only guaranteed way, in the past, to be sure that your connection was always working, was to have a regular subscription.

Thank you for your reply Landing Gear.

By 'data rate', yes I meant price. I don't think I would be able to get a contract (i.e. subscription) mobile there because I don't live in France, can I? (I just tend to end up there rather often nowadays.) Or, can non-resident get it, seeing that your location is NYC?

Thank you for your suggestion on FNAC. I shall definitely pop in there next time and talk to them.

I don't think I would be able to get a contract (i.e. subscription) mobile there because I don't live in France, can I? (I just tend to end up there rather often nowadays.) Or, can non-resident get it, seeing that your location is NYC?

I don't think it's so much to do with residency but rather that you need a French bank account, since they usually set up direct monthly payments with your bank.

I have a Mobicarte with Orange. The duration of validity of your minutes varies according to how much you reload at a time, as does the rate. The best voice rate and the recharge with the longest validity (5 months) comes if you reload 100 euros worth. Here's (http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi?u=http%3A//mobile.orange.fr/content/ge/high/v2_offre_boutique/offre/mobicarte_recharge/mobicarte_recharge.html) the chart.

The manager of the Orange boutique I frequent did indicate that you need to be a resident to get a subscription, though iff may indeed be correct that it's more about needing to have a bank account for automatic payments.

Thank you for your reply Landing Gear.

By 'data rate', yes I meant price. I don't think I would be able to get a contract (i.e. subscription) mobile there because I don't live in France, can I? (I just tend to end up there rather often nowadays.) Or, can non-resident get it, seeing that your location is NYC?

Thank you for your suggestion on FNAC. I shall definitely pop in there next time and talk to them.

I don't think it's so much to do with residency but rather that you need a French bank account, since they usually set up direct monthly payments with your bank.

I have a Mobicarte with Orange. The duration of validity of your minutes varies according to how much you reload at a time, as does the rate. The best voice rate and the recharge with the longest validity (5 months) comes if you reload 100 euros worth. Here's (http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi?u=http%3A//mobile.orange.fr/content/ge/high/v2_offre_boutique/offre/mobicarte_recharge/mobicarte_recharge.html) the chart.

The manager of the Orange boutique I frequent did indicate that you need to be a resident to get a subscription, though iff may indeed be correct that it's more about needing to have a bank account for automatic payments.

You are very welcome, LTN!

Another good place to shop would be the Virgin Megastore also on the Champs Elysees. Now that I think about it, there is a company called Call In Europe (http://www.callineurope.com/cgi-bin/cie.cgi?b=(null)&p=blackberry.html) with a US phone number that is always handing out brochures at French-American events here in New York. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who uses them.

I don't live in France and I don't have a French address or bank account so clearly it's not the case that you have to live there to get an account.

The people who work in Orange stores are often like their fonctionnaire counterparts from the days when mobile services came from the government-owned France Telecom. They follow the script and if what you want is not on the checklist, it won't happen.

The "script" says they should ask you for a pièce d'identité of which the only acceptable forms generally are Carte d'identité (French national ID card), Carte de Resident (dix ans) (sort of like a green card) or Permis de Travail (work permit). The typical American visitor is offered no other option.

But, in case you were thinking of coming up with one, they will also ask you for RIB, i.e. relevé identité bancaire or bank account details from a French Bank. The combination of these two factors usually torpedos most American visitors but just in case it hasn't, there is a third condition of a justicatif de domicile roughly translated as "proof of legal residency." (Note: this is not the exact meaning under French law, in case anyone here is very picky about these things.)

Going back to at least 2000, however, it was possible for an American to bypass all these requirements by leaving a deposit. Then it was about $500, went up to $750 and Lord only knows what it is now. This information is buried deep within the Orange conditions of contract and is called a dépôt de garantie (security deposit). While it is true that companies such as Verizon Wireless have been known to ask for as much as $1,000 for a deposit from foreigners, at least Verizon offers that option up front.

It is indeed possible to legally become an Orange subscriber without a deposit. If you are an inventive, creative and most importantly, determined business person, you will find a way.

Thank you iff, Fornebufox and Landing Gear (once again) for all the useful info. It's great to get the validity period information.

Landing Gear, thank you for taking the trouble to type out what I could do to get a mobile contract in France - which may well be a better option for me than prepaid and I shall certainly try for that option if I have a bit of time to spare (it sounds like it could be a lengthy process talking them into doing it) when I'm in Paris. I happen to bank with a French bank's subsidiary but it's outside France, so they probably will not recognise it, but I can still do 'battle' with deposits.

It sure sound far easier to just do like the many other Europeans that go the prepaid route (like I did years ago)....

Thank you iff, Fornebufox and Landing Gear (once again) for all the useful info. It's great to get the validity period information.

Landing Gear, thank you for taking the trouble to type out what I could do to get a mobile contract in France - which may well be a better option for me than prepaid and I shall certainly try for that option if I have a bit of time to spare (it sounds like it could be a lengthy process talking them into doing it) when I'm in Paris. I happen to bank with a French bank's subsidiary but it's outside France, so they probably will not recognise it, but I can still do 'battle' with deposits.

LTN, if I can help you out, e-mail me.

It sure sound far easier to just do like the many other Europeans that go the prepaid route (like I did years ago)....

The problem with prepaid, if you're a traveler, is that you can find yourself at the gate at CDG making calls and run out of credit with no place nearby or no time to buy a "recharge."

The problem with prepaid, if you're a traveler, is that you can find yourself at the gate at CDG making calls and run out of credit with no place nearby or no time to buy a "recharge."
I'm not sure if this applies to French prepaid providers as well, but in Holland you can top up your balance with a creditcard over an automatic phone line.

I don't live in France and I don't have a French address or bank account so clearly it's not the case that you have to live there to get an account.

The people who work in Orange stores are often like their fonctionnaire counterparts from the days when mobile services came from the government-owned France Telecom. They follow the script and if what you want is not on the checklist, it won't happen.

The "script" says they should ask you for a pièce d'identité of which the only acceptable forms generally are Carte d'identité (French national ID card), Carte de Resident (dix ans) (sort of like a green card) or Permis de Travail (work permit). The typical American visitor is offered no other option.

But, in case you were thinking of coming up with one, they will also ask you for RIB, i.e. relevé identité bancaire or bank account details from a French Bank. The combination of these two factors usually torpedos most American visitors but just in case it hasn't, there is a third condition of a justicatif de domicile roughly translated as "proof of legal residency." (Note: this is not the exact meaning under French law, in case anyone here is very picky about these things.)

Going back to at least 2000, however, it was possible for an American to bypass all these requirements by leaving a deposit. Then it was about $500, went up to $750 and Lord only knows what it is now. This information is buried deep within the Orange conditions of contract and is called a dépôt de garantie (security deposit). While it is true that companies such as Verizon Wireless have been known to ask for as much as $1,000 for a deposit from foreigners, at least Verizon offers that option up front.

It is indeed possible to legally become an Orange subscriber without a deposit. If you are an inventive, creative and most importantly, determined business person, you will find a way.


This is interesting, and confirms what I've been finding in recent dealings with French bureaucracy: what you want to do/have happen is often possible, and often even allowed for in the regulations, even if they at first tell you "pas possible". The fonctionnaires frequently have entrenched ways of doing things and are loathe to change their habits even if the rules and regs on paper change.

Now, the deposit loophole that existed in 2000 may have since been closed, but it's worth trying. I may check that out myself.

Thanks again to Landing Gear for the real scoop on French phones!

I'm not sure if this applies to French prepaid providers as well, but in Holland you can top up your balance with a creditcard over an automatic phone line.

And supposedly you can do that with Orange France as well. It even says so on their website so it must be true. :) Unfortunately, French organizations have this strange relationship with "foreign" (especially US) credit cards. When I had Mobicarte I was never once able to recharger on the phone with Visa, MC or Amex.

This is interesting, and confirms what I've been finding in recent dealings with French bureaucracy: what you want to do/have happen is often possible, and often even allowed for in the regulations, even if they at first tell you "pas possible". The fonctionnaires frequently have entrenched ways of doing things and are loathe to change their habits even if the rules and regs on paper change.

Now, the deposit loophole that existed in 2000 may have since been closed, but it's worth trying. I may check that out myself.

Thanks again to Landing Gear for the real scoop on French phones!


The deposit provision is contained in the Acrobat-marked page number 3 of this document (http://sites.orange.fr/ge/content/pdf/v2_pdf/documentation/Conditions_generales_abonnement.pdf) which is still active on their site. It's in the second part, "Conditions spécifiques de l’offre mobile Orange" in the section captioned "3. Dépôt de garantie."

Of course, depending on the person behind the counter, it might as well be in the Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen for all he cares. :)

Thanks for your kind words.

Thank you for all your help Landing Gear! It's great to get help from someone who knows the ins-and-outs about this.

I have one more question, if I may impose upon your kindness.

I heard a rumour that French mobiles are not network-locked (the rumour has it that it was illegal to do so, although as I say, it was a rumour). Is that really the case, and if so, is that the case for all the phones regardless of whether they are on subscription or prepaid?

I have a friend who is looking for a cheap-ish prepaid mobile for use in France but she really prefers it not to be network locked, and I saw a €49 one on Orange France website. My French is too dodgy to follow up on whether they are network locked or not.

Thank you for all your help Landing Gear! It's great to get help from someone who knows the ins-and-outs about this.

I have one more question, if I may impose upon your kindness.

I heard a rumour that French mobiles are not network-locked (the rumour has it that it was illegal to do so, although as I say, it was a rumour). Is that really the case, and if so, is that the case for all the phones regardless of whether they are on subscription or prepaid?

I have a friend who is looking for a cheap-ish prepaid mobile for use in France but she really prefers it not to be network locked, and I saw a €49 one on Orange France website. My French is too dodgy to follow up on whether they are network locked or not.

Hi, LTN.

No problem at all. The last time I looked into this was a few months ago in connection with the iPhone and I believe I posted in this forum if you want to search then.

My understanding has been that French law requires carriers to offer the option of buying an unlocked phone. If you ask for an unlocked phone at the start, you will be charged a large extra fee for that service.

On the other hand, if you wait the minimum required amount of time as a paying customer (six months?), they will unlock your phone for free.

What some people do is buy the phone and then look for a shop that will unlock it, of which there are many. I have no idea of the legalities of this but I know it is advertised openly.

Where are you? Where is your friend? Why not buy an unlocked phone in advance of your trip?

Where is your friend? Why not buy an unlocked phone in advance of your trip?

Thank you for the info once again!

I'm in Europe so getting a phone that works in Europe is quite easy for me. In fact all of my phones are unlocked (I tend to buy mine from Nokia at LHR - where they offer a pretty decent price, all come unlocked, with un-tampered Nokia software), so I'm pretty much sorted in terms of the actual phones.

However, my friend is in Japan and not too familiar with the European mobile phones. She wants a cheap-ish mobile that works in Europe, particularly in France, because it gets rather expensive for her to change the contract on her Japanese mobile to allow European roaming. However she'd like to do the same (as in buying a sim and popping it into a phone) in other European countries, hence wanting it to be not network locked.

I've so far worked out that the best solution for her would be a prepaid (whereas I could go either prepaid or contract) - she doesn't want to put down a large deposit etc, as it's for a very occasional use only (e.g. calling people when she's running late).

Nokia at LHR is good for unlocked phones but doesn't offer a very low-cost phone as far as I can remember, so remembering the rumour about French mobile and seeing one for €49 on Orange website, I thought I'd see if the rumour is true and if French mobiles come network unlocked.

Thank you for the info once again!

I'm in Europe so getting a phone that works in Europe is quite easy for me. In fact all of my phones are unlocked (I tend to buy mine from Nokia at LHR - where they offer a pretty decent price, all come unlocked, with un-tampered Nokia software), so I'm pretty much sorted in terms of the actual phones.

However, my friend is in Japan and not too familiar with the European mobile phones. She wants a cheap-ish mobile that works in Europe, particularly in France, because it gets rather expensive for her to change the contract on her Japanese mobile to allow European roaming. However she'd like to do the same (as in buying a sim and popping it into a phone) in other European countries, hence wanting it to be not network locked.

I've so far worked out that the best solution for her would be a prepaid (whereas I could go either prepaid or contract) - she doesn't want to put down a large deposit etc, as it's for a very occasional use only (e.g. calling people when she's running late).

Nokia at LHR is good for unlocked phones but doesn't offer a very low-cost phone as far as I can remember, so remembering the rumour about French mobile and seeing one for €49 on Orange website, I thought I'd see if the rumour is true and if French mobiles come network unlocked.

LTN,

My suggestion is to call FNAC and ask if they sell any unlocked phones. You mentioned that your French wasn't so swift. Can you pronounce "portables débloqués"? That means "unlocked cell phones."

Thank you so much for all your help, Landing Gear!

I can just about manage to say "portables débloqués", I think. I'll give FNAC a call and see what they say, and for how much.

Thank you once again.

Look at Future-nine's callback service to French mobiles. Calls to many countries are US$0.14 a minute.

[QUOTE=Landing Gear;11218854]You are very welcome, LTN!

Another good place to shop would be the Virgin Megastore also on the Champs Elysees. Now that I think about it, there is a company called Call In Europe (http://www.callineurope.com/cgi-bin/cie.cgi?b=(null)&p=blackberry.html) with a US phone number that is always handing out brochures at French-American events here in New York. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who uses them.

If you look closely at this www.callineurope.com they want a fee of $60.00 or at least $60.00 worth of use each year. That is a deal breaker for me.

I think Call-In-Europe's $60 fee applies to year 2. I've recommended their service to a number of people. It is really a trade off. For people who just want it to work, they are no hassles.

It is hard to keep a French prepaid SIM alive because of their short shelf life. The per minute rates are high and it is tough to recharge them out of the country.

If you spend a ton of time in France, $60 (not EUR60) isn't that high a barrier for a year. My best friend who hates hassle, crashes, or jury rigging anything lives in London and spends five to six weeks a year in France. He loves it.

I used a United-Mobile SIM card and triggered callbacks from a different phone to save money. Now that United Mobile charges a 19 euro cent connection fee for inbound calls, I may need to rethink things.

When someone is posting a question about technology for their spouse, I presume that the spouse isn't technically literate and doesn't want to deal with two stage callbacks or the fact that one out of four or five times a foreign SIM may have problems connecting to a network. They want it to be "easy" and to "just work."

France's mobile industry is overpriced and is nowhere near as competitive as the rest of Europe. For example, I have come to the conclusion that it cheaper to use a Vodafone German data card in France then to use a French data card.

Any updates on pre-paid voice+data sim in Paris?
I'll need it for about 5 days in Paris.

Look on the thread about the UK and Vodafone's summer promotion which allows you to use a UK Vodafone SIM in most parts of the EU without paying roaming. They also have some roaming data packages.

Look on the thread about the UK and Vodafone's summer promotion which allows you to use a UK Vodafone SIM in most parts of the EU without paying roaming. They also have some roaming data packages.

I asked about data roaming (on prepaid) at Vodafone UK and they said it was £4.99 / MB. It's not too bad but not stunning either.

I eventually got myself a prepaid French voice sim from Orange (on Champs-Elysee, near the Arc de Triumph end - they do have some staff who speak decent English and were pretty helpful). You can top it up with €5, €15 etc. I tried to use this sim for data but it chewed up the credit so fast that I gave up.

Note, credit expires after so many days (depending on the charge amount if I remember correctly), and sim cards expire after either 3 or 6 months (I can't remember).

Then, I bought a USB stick with data SIM (called La cle 3G+*)
It set me back €69 or thereabouts for the stick (including sim) but it was quite straight-forward to set up. You do a Pay-as-you-go on your credit card on La cle 3G+. It's not exactly cheap but it serves its purpose (I think the lowest was something like €2 for 1 hour, but you could log on and off for seven days or thereabouts).

If you want further details, I'll look up the info and post it, as I need to resurrect them for next week anyway.


*Note - La cle 3G+ only comes with instructions in French.

No,

It is considerably better than £5 per meg:

http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=template12&pageID=OS_0097

Over on prepaidgsm, someone posted a great French iPhone package on SFR. No one has figured out (yet over there) whether you could add this package to a non-iPhone device such as a tetherable Windows Mobile phone.

No,

It is considerably better than £5 per meg:

http://online.vodafone.co.uk/dispatch/Portal/appmanager/vodafone/wrp?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=template12&pageID=OS_0097

That's annoying (not what you posted - I thank you for that - I'm annoyed with what Vodafone guy said). He must have given me just 'part-information' ("the first Mb is charged up to £4.99" as stated on the website).

I'll buy a Vodafone SIM myself next time I'm in the UK. Simpler than messing around with topups in France. Thanks Dubai Stu!