Prepaid data/voice SIM for France
 

I am traveling to France for 3 weeks and I have been trying to figure out if there is such thing as cellular service there, like I have here in the US. Specifically, I use a Samsung i760 on the Verizon network in the US with unlimited data and a regular voice plan. I use Exchange and my calendar and contacts synch perfectly as does my Exchange email. I also use 4 POP accounts and they work perfectly on my Samsung.

I am looking to buy an unlocked HTC TyTyn II because I want to load language translation software on it and use Word with a full-sized bluetooth keyboard to keep a diary of my trip. I say this because Verizon would lend me a GSM Blackberry 8830 but I could not load the translation software, nor could I hook up the full sized bluetooth keyboard, so I don't want that. So I am hoping to find a prepaid SIM card from some carrier (any carrier) that will give me voice and data. I calculated I should use between 12 and 20 mb of data while I am there, based on my average usage. I would like to be able to do voice at a cheap rate, but that is not imperative. I will be calling the US every few days and will be calling the couple we are traveling with while in France (when we separate).

I have spent hours searching for a solution and have found nothing. I can't be the only one who has ever traveled to France and wanted to keep in touch, so I am apparently not looking in the right places. One other thing, I am the kind who needs things set before I go. So the idea of going with the phone and then buying a prepaid SIM card once I get there is a little scary for me. I don't speak any French and I am not comfortable trying to set up a new phone in a foreign country. I would rather have things set before go.
Rick

Unfortunately, France prepaids are not cheap. Getting one with data is another story. Hopefully, the members based in Europe/France have some answers for you.

?s
 

Rick,

I would be amazed if Verizon will be "lending" you a free GSM Blackberry.

ONLY GSM service is available in France. Please look at the NATIONAL OPERATORS page for France. Since you are staying in one country only, that is probably your best bet. INBOUND calls to your French SIM will be free for you but probably quite expensive for people trying to reach you (20 cents per minute or more).

Also, you might want to look at the sticky about Americans traveling to Europe. That does not address data needs, however. I recommend either a calling card or VOIP account. Then use a landline from the hotel or wherever you are staying. Also you can give out your landline or hotel number via SMS and your family, business associates or friends will be able to call you more economically (usually 6 cents per minute or less).

I cannot say much about France, but in Germany wireless internet is usually NOT FREELY provided in hotels. And it is not cheap. I usually am content to visit internet cafes every other day or so to "keep in touch." That is fairly inexpensive. I am told TOLL FREE 800 numbers in France are not free from cell phones.

Depending on how much lead time you have, you might check Ebay or even Ebay.fr for French SIM cards once you decide on a French national carrier.

Bon voyage.

Stan

PS. Recommend you try to pick up some French. I think you will enjoy your travels more. And the French will appreciate your efforts.

UPDATE-

Based on my research, which I must say has been more difficult than I would have imagined for this subject, I have decided to go with the following:

I have purchased an unlocked HTC TyTyn II. I am going to use the SIM from a T-Mobile phone that my company has and rarely uses. I will get voice calls for $.99/minute and data for $.015/kb. My guess is in 3 weeks I will spend about $300-$400 for airtime for both. T-Mobile suggested I check in my airport of departure to France (Boston) for European cell carriers selling prepaid SIM cards and buy one of those for local calls while in France. That was nice of them. They even said to call once I get my HTC phone and they will help me make sure their SIM card works in it. I am pretty impressed with their help and services compared to AT&T, whom I had called with similar questions.

And for Snaimon, yes, Verizon does lend a Blackberry 8830 to its customers at no charge. It may be that I am a 21 year customer or that I have 11 lines of service with them, but that is the deal. They do require a credit card for a deposit and they make money on the airtime. I am guessing this is their way of competing with AT&T and T-Mobile for their customers who travel overseas. Two years ago I got a phone from them for my daughter to use and it was pretty much the same deal, except at that time, they charged $3/day for rental of the phone. Guess they re-thought that policy as that probably cost them customers who travel overseas.

I think you can do better than $300 - $400 with a French SIM. Bouygues Telecom offers Wap GPRS, EDGE: € 2.00/MB (1 KB increments) i-mode® GPRS, EDGE: € 5.00/MB (1 KB increments) all e-mails received (less than 300KB) are free of charge.

If you use 12 MB that is max (12 * 5) = 60 euros or ~ $95 for data.

See http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/francia/bt.html

Use that for data and your T-MO card for calls. Don't forget a calling card and use that if and when you can.

Know any German? Try this:

http://www.teltarif.de/arch/2008/kw2...87.html?page=3

Stan

What is the difference between the two types of email/data services? What is Wap versus i-mode? Also would I expect to be able to buy a SIM card for this company in a US airport in the international departures area or in the Paris airport when I land there? Thanks for all of your help.

Sorry, I cannot answer your questions. Not many French members looking or answering.

I have never LOOKED for SIMs in US ariports, since I am already fixed up. At Dulles (IAD) I recall seeing shops where you could RENT phones presumably with SIM cards.

SIM cards should be available all over France.

Stan

Imode ONLY works with supported phones and is limited to the providers content.
WAP means there is a proxy but it will eventually pass trough more or less services besides mobile websites (very much provider depentant).

In a US airport i am very much sure you will not find it. Also on the airport in paris chances are odd. Usually you can buy the cards in shops of the mobile operators or electronic stores. Sometimes also in supermarkets (mostly only their own brands). The refills though are widely available in many shops.

Having checked French prepaid data tariffs, I came to the conclusion Vodafone Germany's WebSessions (€ 14.95 for 24h internet access, capped by 50 MB) is the best choice for real internet and a French Orange SIM with "Internet Max" option (€ 9/month for handset-based access only!, capped by 500 MB, http://prepaid-wireless-internet-acc...+Orange?t=anon) is the cheapest option, if you access the web from your handset only.
Quite surprising, that there's no really attractive offer for mobile internet in a touristic country like France.
French Orange prepaid SIMs (called "mobicarte") are sold for approx. € 15 at www.ebay.fr and German Vodafone prepaid SIMs (called "Call'ya") starting from € 1 at eBay.de

Internet Max
 

Seems this service/product is no longer available.


Have any of the providers come out with anything
along those lines?

Still looking for data service for an un-locked Blackberry
while in France.


Thanks!

Have you looked at Low-cost Europe cell phones and European SIM cards they have a data plan for France. I have never used them as I think they are to expensive. Make sure you look at the T&C as there is a I think a $60.00 fee per year. That is why i would never use them. Never hurts to give them a look.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Just looked over their web site. Its light on details.
Did not see info on data SIM cards usage.

I emailed them (info@callineurope.com) and hope to get more info.

Thanks!

Is French Orange SIM the best deal found for voice and data so far in France? We'll be there for only a few days, so a hundred or so MB of data would be fantastic.

Still looking for 'data SIM cards' for France, etc.

Got this response...



Good morning and thank you for your e-mail.

Our partner network in France in SFR.

As for data, with our service you will pay as you go- while in France data usage is charged $5 per megabyte.

I hope this answers your question.

All the best,

Sofiane

Call in Europe

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


I saw another company that offered a rate of $2.50 per MB
but not sure who.

$5 / MB?? What a joke. I am so glad we decided to spend as little time in France as possible, it must be the only country we're having SIM problems with. Geez, you'd get better deals in Nigeria.

Maybe the phone companies think they can do that
because its one of most visited places on earth.

Power to the people!

Well makes me glad we're spending the least time in France if this is their attitude. I suspect there is more to it than that. What about 'Orange'? I heard they were ok? Must be some socialist thing they have going on where everything is expensive.

Orange was indeed OK, when it was an innovative British company competing hard against three others - among other things, it was one of the first mobile providers to provide billing by the second, semi-reasonably priced overseas calls, free calls on weekends, etc. It was also perhaps the first provider anywhere to have a "wacky" name and corporate identity - think how boring it would have been to call it its original planned name, MicroTel.

However, in 1999 Mannesmann bought it, which would probably have ruined it by itself, except that Vodafone then felt stabbed in the back by this and bought Mannesmann, and then had to divest Orange, so it chose a) a company that was willing to overpay in cash and b) a company that was likely to be as weak a competitor as possible. Enter France Telecom, which then rebranded everything as Orange (good thing it's a French word, too). And surely enough, the introduction of the Orange brand to replace Itineris was not accompanied by any of the neat innovation that Orange had been responsible for in the UK. So France remains a market dominated by one state-connected provider with two other firms unwilling to jeopardize their "cash cow" operations by, you know, trying to compete on price or services (which would probably be immediately undercut by Orange, so why bother?). It's a shame, because France has long had one of the lowest mobile penetration rates, along with the lowest SMS and data use rates in Europe.

As for "some socialist thing", France also has a "fourth" state-owned network to provide coverage in rural areas, something that the market has had no problem delivering everywhere else.

Yep, it's a socialist thing then. So basically because of French socialism we can forget using a phone or GPS while in France? Are there absolutely no semi-affordable pre-paid cards or roaming deals from other countries like 3 UK? I'm so happy I live in a competitive economy sometimes.

Hi everyone. I am a new member here and am actually relocating my business and a few employees to France from the US. I was just planning to use tmobile uk PAYG dongles and paying their monthly Euro booster fee when I am travelling away from my office in rural France. This seems cheap and practical or am I missing something?

Whiterabbit: I wouldn't say t-mobile UK dongles will be cheap but it does seem the cheapest option relatively when on the move.

50mb for £10, approx $15 allowed over 30 days is not too bad, particularly the 30 day limit. Or for £5, 20mb for 7 days.

It's really going to make my holiday in France more enjoyable as I won't have to worry about finding and topping up sim cards when arriving. And I hope T-mobile will continue this offer.

What offer is this? My wife and I will be arriving in the UK before going to France. Are we better off getting a T-Mobile UK SIM and using that in France?

Newbie here... If I bring an unlocked iphone with me to France, wouldn't I buy a SIM in France for voice and use wifi for data? Will that only cover web browsing? Is text messaging considered data or voice? I am so confused by all of this...

Messaging is messaging, data is data, they are 2 totally different things. There are BTW also websites which offer to send SMS.