Originally Posted by
boberonicus
I read a lot of “you have to wait 48 hours!” and “you have to provide your passport” warnings, so I thought it might be useful to document my experience, which was reasonably straightforward and not too pricey.
At a Paris train station, I purchased an orange SIM card branded by “Mobicarte” for 10 euros cash. The cashier asked “iPhone 4 or 5” which is shorthand for “micro SIM” or “nano SIM”. Anyway, the SIM was hanging behind the counter and is sold in a sealed 5” X 3” plastic pack. You need a knife or scissors to open the package. The SIM includes 5 euros phone credit.
The SIM seemed to work immediately, but It took about 15 minutes for an SMS that told me I was ready to go. For data, I went back to the store and purchased “Les recharges internet mobile” for 10 euros cash. This was good for 500MB of data. What you’re actually purchasing is a cash register receipt with a unique 14 digit code near the top.
To enter the recharge code:
One the phone, dial #123#
Then select “recharger” (3)
Then “Par ticket mobicarte” (1)
Then “continuer” (1)
Then enter the 14 digit code on the reciept.
I used the card for a week and it was fine. However:
- Tethering is disabled
- The card will only work for 30 days without being registered. Registration requires ID, going to a store, etc.
I will add my experience from last month as well that the Mobicarte option was very smooth and pain-free for me as well. There was an Orange store within a five-minute walk of where we were staying in central Paris; aside from finding the store closed three times before realizing it had moved one block away, everything went fine in store.
I wrote down the French phrases upthread, but the young worker spoke English fine. He not only activated the SIM and made sure it was working, I also ordered the 500MB data package and he did the procedure just as above to activate that before I left the store as well. I did go at a busy time of day, but once called my transaction was done in less than 10 minutes.
Although my intent was to do this at the beginning of my trip, I didn't do it until the 2nd to last day, and really for my wife who lost her passport, phone and other travel documents, and had to stay back in Paris for another week before she could fly. It was a godsend to have both a local phone number, text messaging, and mobile data and maps with a backup iPhone I'd brought on the trip, so that we could be in immediate contact at all times while we were 5000 miles apart trying to get her back home.