I will be in Paris for one week at the end of September. I need a SIM card for my tri-band phone. Any recommendations? And are all incoming calls free? What is the cost of a call to a French toll free number? I recently travelled in the Netherlands and successfully called back to the USA using a MCI card (and their NL toll free number) that cost me only $.12/minute. It was a great deal and would like to do the same in Paris.

All french networks have free incoming calls (in France, of course!). And all french networks charge standard rate (0,42 to 0,60?/min, depending on operator and rates plan) to toll free numbers.

SIMcards usually cost 30? (9,90 to 15? for MVNO) and come with about 5? credit. You can easily buy one (at least for the 3 main networks : Orange Fr, SFR and Bouygues Telecom) in any department store or at specialized retailers.

An identity document should be required (though many retailers don't even ask for it), as well as an adress in France (that of your hotel is perfect).