Landing Gear

I'm confused. First you say you need information about buying French cellphones and then you say you've never had problems with the largest French cellphone company, implying that you've dealt with them. If you've dealt with them, why would you need advice?

And where is "our area?"

iff

I can't speak for the subscription services, but I've been a Bouygues prepaid customer since 2000 and have had no problems whatsoever in terms of coverage or service and have found their prices slightly better than their competitors. I've never had any dealings with their customer service, though.

Most of my French friends are Orange subscribers, but they give me the impression that it's more or less because it's the most well-known and marketed (kind of like PCs versus Macs).

Based strictly on my own experience, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Bouygues' Carte Nomad to anyone looking for a prepaid option.

Emma65

I believe Virgin is using Vodafone network.

I'd go with Vodafone, personally.

To the OP: Have you missed the sticky on European sim cards?

;-)

typical

Believe all you want ;-)

Tennisbum

Sorry for being confusing. I've never had a French cellphone. France Telecom is our landline provider, and Orange our ISP, in the Auvergne area of France.

Landing Gear

Ha Ha! Even funnier is that Vodaphone has no network in France. Vodaphone uses SFR's network for roaming.

Landing Gear

FT, as you may know, owns 100% of Orange. If you personally are already an FT and Orange customer (kudos on accomplishing that, by the way), then adding cell service should be no big deal. I am told Paris is the home of red tape in France.

Just talk to customer service. On the web site, you would check in under the heading "déja client" (roughly "existing customer").

The price I quoted you earlier was €7 a month plus €.45 a minute for domestic calls dialed. Received calls are free.

Orange has all sorts of options for extra services.

Love that Bleu d'Auvergne.

Tennisbum

I don't know about the kudos. Mr. Tb (who speaks pretty good French) arranged the house phone and I took a Dutch friend (who speaks very good French) when I went to start the internet service. You should have heard me (with my lousy French) on the phone with Orange tech support when I was trying to make the first connection, however. (It turned out that FT took 2 weeks to set up our line for ADSL rather than the 1 week they'd promised.)

The French invented bureaucracy, but I can forgive that as long as they still have wonderful bread, wine, cheese and cuisine.

That seems high (at least by US standards). Hope I can find something cheaper. I don't think we'll be eligible for a package because our house phone is on "maison secondaire" status- we only pay for the months we have it turned on.

Me, too. And the Fourme d'Ambert. Yummy!

Jaclyn

I read through this forum and the previous one about buying SIM cards but didn't find the answer I was looking for. If I wanted to buy a moblicarte phone and sim package at CDG, would there be a problem if I am a tourist? I've heard it can be difficult for non-residents to get a pre-paid.

I was hoping to get 2 phones for a trip at the end of the summer, but it seems from everyones posts, its best just to wait until we arrive.

Landing Gear

It's Mobicarte, by the way.

Unless there has been a dramatic change recently, of which I am unaware, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to do what you want.

Note that of you buy a phone in a Mobicarte package, that phone will be locked to Orange.

Landing Gear

In my experience, European rates are usually higher than U.S. rates.

I suggest you get someone with good French skills to read the documentation on the Initial plan and look for the right to cancel. It seems to be a month-to-month plan.

I would get this person to call or e-mail FT customer service and ask about getting Initial added to your bill.

wco81

Searching for Salama from tele2 (the web site is now gone), I found a reference to this MVNO SIM being available at tabac, epicerie and teleboutiques.

If you search for teleboutiques (with accents over the first two e's), you get a bunch of SFR shops but some third-party or small business ones too. May be worth checking out.

Teleboutiques and "call shops" are apparently used interchangeably.

wco81

I'm going to NCE through CDG Sunday. I was going to try to find Carrefour or Auchan but they're way out of the way from where I'll be staying. So Virgin seems like the best choice (Tele2 Salama would be good if I could find a convenient spot).

When I went through CDG last Sunday, I checked a little Casino store (not sure which terminal, maybe 2D or 2E) which had reportedly sold SIM but they didn't carry it. The cashier said it as if they never carried it.

There was a Relai which was out of the Virgin SIM. But there were signs advertising the SIM being available there. That seems the most likely widely available SIM, especially on a Sunday.

Otherwise, seek out Tabacs or maybe groceries which may be open.

directcj

LandingGear-

I'm planning a ~2 week trip to Europe with initial touchdown in Paris (via CO from Houston) and additional days in Florence/Rome.

I've looked at the website you've linked http://www.orange.fr/bin/frame.cgi?u...3DNPV2GEOFFRES
for a prepaid phone with SIM (mobicarte). My French is bad (actually, non-existent). Tried babelfish, but I think since this is framed website it only translated the top portion.

anyways, i'm thinking of just buying a phone with SIM in Paris (either at airport or in St. Germain area, 6th) OR eBay with an unlocked phone (cheapest I see so far for a triband is Mot v180 for ~$25 (<20 Euros) + a SIM card from Orange

Can you or others here assist in deciphering the website as to what it will cost me for phone with SIM? I note two items that seem to be web exclusives for 5 and 18 Euros. I don't want to spend more than 30 Euros per phone + SIM (is this possible?) and may buy 2 phones.

Landing Gear

Yes, the Orange website is not the most user friendly.

Nevertheless, I think your prices for a phone are unrealistic considering that pre-paid phones are by and large not very subsidized by the carriers. The Mobicarte SIM card alone is €30 (discounted to €15 on the website).

To reiterate something said elsewhere, I know that in the past, Orange France did not allow roaming in other countries for Mobicarte customers. I don't know what the situation is now because I am a regular subscriber.

I can tell you, however, that there are lots of shops in Paris that unlock cellphones for a fee. You should look for a sign that says "portables débloqué" or "portables déverrouillé" ("cellphones unblocked" or "cellphones unlocked"). Then you can always buy a SIM card in Italy.