Prepaid SIM - France
#166
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Northern Italian Lakes
Programs: BA, *A, Hertz Goldstar, Mucci wannabee, Waitrose, safari Oleg
Posts: 1,545
[QUOTE=richarddd;25764073]As I read Three's website, under the basic 3-2-1 plan, data is 1p/mb in the UK and 10p/mb in France, which is not "at UK rates even used in France". However, there's an add-on that gives you 500mb for 5 (1p/mb), even in France. See the links I posted.
In that case richarddd then it's looking like if you purchase the "add-on" then you will be paying the same as you would in the UK, no? so it does charge you same as at home then. As stated.
FWIW on the pure data SIM side, not mixed with voice, I can confirm it absolutely does charge the same as at home.
In that case richarddd then it's looking like if you purchase the "add-on" then you will be paying the same as you would in the UK, no? so it does charge you same as at home then. As stated.
FWIW on the pure data SIM side, not mixed with voice, I can confirm it absolutely does charge the same as at home.
Last edited by h15t0r1an; Nov 25, 2015 at 2:38 pm
#167
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Northern Italian Lakes
Programs: BA, *A, Hertz Goldstar, Mucci wannabee, Waitrose, safari Oleg
Posts: 1,545
Not always. The last time I went to France I asked the store staff at an SFR shop in Paris why prices they wanted to charge me were so much higher than I found on their website, and why they were telling me there was no cheap EU roaming option on their plans. One "demande d'abonnement" and photocopy of my passport later I found myself signed up to a monthly plan with SFR. Cancelling that one was not fun.
If you'd taken the right contract with Orange you could have cancelled with just 10 days notice. At any time. That doesn't mean I'm a particular fan of Orange, though, in case you were wondering.
#168
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SFO, SJC
Programs: Restarting life as UA newb; AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 925
Hey folks,
I will be in France (Paris, Avignon, Nice) for 1.5 weeks next month.
I will be bringing my iPhone 6. I will probably need quite a bit of data - but almost no voice nor texting.
What's the best, most economical, plan for my situation?
I found http://www.lefrenchmobile.com/ - and the data only sim card looks good (19EUR @ 1GB to start, 38EUR for 3GB top up). But I wanted to know if those are still the best rates. Also, would it be easy to buy this card in person?
Thanks!
I will be in France (Paris, Avignon, Nice) for 1.5 weeks next month.
I will be bringing my iPhone 6. I will probably need quite a bit of data - but almost no voice nor texting.
What's the best, most economical, plan for my situation?
I found http://www.lefrenchmobile.com/ - and the data only sim card looks good (19EUR @ 1GB to start, 38EUR for 3GB top up). But I wanted to know if those are still the best rates. Also, would it be easy to buy this card in person?
Thanks!
#169
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,783
Hey folks,
I will be in France (Paris, Avignon, Nice) for 1.5 weeks next month.
I will be bringing my iPhone 6. I will probably need quite a bit of data - but almost no voice nor texting.
What's the best, most economical, plan for my situation?
I found http://www.lefrenchmobile.com/ - and the data only sim card looks good (19EUR @ 1GB to start, 38EUR for 3GB top up). But I wanted to know if those are still the best rates. Also, would it be easy to buy this card in person?
Thanks!
I will be in France (Paris, Avignon, Nice) for 1.5 weeks next month.
I will be bringing my iPhone 6. I will probably need quite a bit of data - but almost no voice nor texting.
What's the best, most economical, plan for my situation?
I found http://www.lefrenchmobile.com/ - and the data only sim card looks good (19EUR @ 1GB to start, 38EUR for 3GB top up). But I wanted to know if those are still the best rates. Also, would it be easy to buy this card in person?
Thanks!
#170
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Check prepaid sim with data wikia (google it).
Think for dat, Lets Go is probably the best choice. Orange now calls it pochette pret a surfer. The Wikia will have the details. More than a couple of gigs becomes stupid expensive.
So after June 2017, when roaming charges go away, maybe go to UK or Italy first and get better deals there and then roam in France. That is if you were going to visit those other countries on the same trip.
Think for dat, Lets Go is probably the best choice. Orange now calls it pochette pret a surfer. The Wikia will have the details. More than a couple of gigs becomes stupid expensive.
So after June 2017, when roaming charges go away, maybe go to UK or Italy first and get better deals there and then roam in France. That is if you were going to visit those other countries on the same trip.
#171
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,783
When they rebranded the old Let's Go product, they added a prohibition against using the SIM in a phone; la pochette Prt--surfer is meant only to be used in tablets and hotspots.
#173
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 6
Checking remaining data balance
I got an Orange sim from an Orange store. This was very easy and it was activated immediately. However, I can't figure out how to see how much data I have remaining. I've tried #123#, but can't find anything in the menus which tells me how close I am to exhausting my data. Any tips?
#174
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, Marriott Tit
Posts: 18,269
I got an Orange sim from an Orange store. This was very easy and it was activated immediately. However, I can't figure out how to see how much data I have remaining. I've tried #123#, but can't find anything in the menus which tells me how close I am to exhausting my data. Any tips?
Last edited by SFOTerry; Apr 15, 2016 at 3:42 am
#176
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,424
That's why I've chosen Orange right from the start. I have a postpaid sim but internet, texts and phone calls work great. Coverage is good too. In remote areas (e.g. on the slopes of smaller skiing resorts) and at high speeds (e.g. the 2G connection at 200 mph in the TGV is rather poor), you might occasionally loose the connection altogether.
#177
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: MCI
Programs: AA Gold 1MM, AS MVP, UA Silver, WN A-List, Marriott LT Titanium, HH Diamond
Posts: 52,760
What's the best voice/text short-term SIM for France these days? Our 12-year-old daughter will be there next week...we're giving her a little Nokia (dumbphone) to take.
Main purpose will be calls to/from the U.S., plus potentially a little bit of local calling within Paris.
Main purpose will be calls to/from the U.S., plus potentially a little bit of local calling within Paris.
#178
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,424
I would say Orange. A prepaid card with an recharge MAX on top. 5 is worth 1 hour of phone calls in France and unlimited texts to French mobile phone for a week.
Alternatively classic credit. Phone calls to French numbers are 0.40/min and texts 0.10.
I would stick to VoIP and use WLAN in hotels and at F&F. International calls are going to be prohibitively expensive.
If she's staying with F&F, she could probably just use their landline to call any US-landline (and depending on a few offers even US mobile phones) free of charge.
Alternatively classic credit. Phone calls to French numbers are 0.40/min and texts 0.10.
If she's staying with F&F, she could probably just use their landline to call any US-landline (and depending on a few offers even US mobile phones) free of charge.
#179
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Gold, AF, Chase, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 1,133
Also remember that incoming calls are free on almost all carriers in France, including Orange, SFR, and Bouygues.
So whenever I'm there, I'd set up a US number at localphone.com that forwarded to my French number at a really cheap rate (like a cent a minute or something). I gave that US number to my friends and family, and they could talk to me as if they were talking to someone in the US, and I only paid localphone for the call. Orange charged me nothing.
So whenever I'm there, I'd set up a US number at localphone.com that forwarded to my French number at a really cheap rate (like a cent a minute or something). I gave that US number to my friends and family, and they could talk to me as if they were talking to someone in the US, and I only paid localphone for the call. Orange charged me nothing.
#180
Moderator: Travel Safety/Security, Travel Tools, California, Los Angeles; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2009
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