Report on using Orange Mobicarte in France

[scirocco]

Originally Posted by bluespruce

2) If I can't get les recharges max, how much can I expect to pay for data, and how much will I get?

The data options you will see on a new prepaid Mobicarte are 10MB for 90 euro cents per day and 50 MB for 2 euros per day.

Originally Posted by bluespruce

3) I've read that incoming calls are free regardless of where they come from — is this correct? Will I be able to set up a Skype U.S. based number and forward the calls to an Orange number for free (on the Orange end, at least)?

Receiving international calls is not free. I'm not sure of the rate, but I have just come back from a week in France using a prepaid Mobicarte, and receiving international calls definitely used up my minutes. You will be able to set up the US Skype number if you wish, but it will cost you to receive the calls, even if it's just deductions of credit minutes rather than deductions of credit euros.

[bluespruce]

Thank you for that information. I've found that it's maddeningly impossible to understand the Orange website. I can read French just fine; it's just that I can't find what I would think to be straightforward information, such as an int'l long distance rates chart.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe Lebara is now the better option for int'l travelers to France. Their rates even for domestic calls and SMS seem more reasonable than Orange, and they tell the int'l long distance rates in plain English on their website (quelle surprise!). So if what is on there is correct, it's only EUR.05 to call the US (plus a .15 connection fee). I wonder if that may be better for me, though there doesn't seem to be much discussion about Lebara on here...