Knaus Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Hi Can anyone tell me if I buy a sim card for my mobile in France would I have to register it? We are travelling to the South of France with my daughter and son in law, but as they will be doing more mileage a day than us it would be helpful to know if having a French Sim card would cut the cost of calls between us. Thanks for any info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulurita Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 I did buy a French sim card, must be 2 or 3 years ago now. I had an old vodafone mobile which I got unlocked so as to use a French Sim. I bought the sim card at a service station I think, where SFR (french equiv of vodafone) had a shop and just bought a sim pack. I had to fill out a form which the shop helped with. Cost me 30€ for a pay as you go type card. Only trouble the credit only lasts for 2 months and doesn't roll over if you haven't used it all. So now as it hasn't been used for over 6 months it has expired! In theory it should work out cheaper, however the initial outlay and cost of texts the money soon ran out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zulurita Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 forgot, I don't remember registering it though but guess it was probably on that form I filled out. Vodafone passport I use now when making calls abroad, works out cheaper but they haven't reduced the text charges on the passport. however vodafone has reduced text charges generally for abroad recently. Not by a lot I grant you. I mainly text when in France and with my UK contract of £20 a month using it in france my bill can jump to anything from £30 to £50+ a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Zulurita is correct. When you buy a French Sim card you then have to charge it up moneywise. The only problem is that if you put 35 euros on (you actually get 45 euros of calltime) this will only last for 3 months,, if you do not put any more money on you lose any balance that is left but you keep the number for 6 months. There are a number of amounts you can put on from 5 euros up to 200 euros I think, each has its own time limit for using the calltime. I do mine every 3 months as above. I am with Orange France. Virgin mobile has recently come onto the French market but I don't know whether there system is the same. France seems to be waybehind as far as mobile phones aare concerned. When we moved in in 2000 you hardly saw anyone with a mobile phone but now they are becoming more common even with the older end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handyman Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 if your on a contract, vodaphone passport is the way to go. Its a flat 75p connection, then just use your inclusive minutes. On the other hand, i was going to change 4 days ago from o2 to vodaphone, because of this passport rate, and phoned o2 for my PAK code. I was on a £35 contract, 700mins x network 200 texts per month. (6 weeks to go on a 18 month contract) By the end of the call they gave me a £25 contract with 1000 x network mins and unlimited texts, a nokia n95 8gb (£300 worth), bluetooth headset, unlimited internet for 3 months and some sort of discount package off calls abroad !! (on a 18 month contract) Not bad for a 5 minute phonecall, so sod the passport deal (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 WE use 0044 http://www.0044.co.uk/ and top it up whilst at the super marches. Down side is that is for France only, using French orange. Upside is that ALL incoming texts and calls are free There are others that at multi country, and auto topup when the balance falls below 10 euros. Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randonneur Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 tonyishuk - 2008-02-03 10:06 PM WE use 0044 http://www.0044.co.uk/ and top it up whilst at the super marches. Down side is that is for France only, using French orange. Upside is that ALL incoming texts and calls are free There are others that at multi country, and auto topup when the balance falls below 10 euros. Rgds Just had a look at the 0044 website and they are offering exactly the same deal that you get when you buy a French Sim in France the only difference is that you are able to buy it in the UK before you go. You still have to top up before your time is up or lose your remaining credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A W Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 I have been told by a friend that l'eclerc supermarket are now doing a pay as you go where unused credit is not snatched back.As has been rightly said France is not the most technically advanced of countries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Although we tend to use 'Hotspots' and Skype, for our mobile calls we use United Mobile see http://www.united-mobile.com/cms/website/index.php?lang=2&idcatside=26 This is the best service (coverage and customer) and most reasonable we have found. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel E Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Local SIM cards are excellent for saving money on local calls and calls to other countries including the UK> However, note that they make calls TO you from outside the country much more expensive for callers (family and Friends?), since they are now paying the full cost of a mobile call to France or wherever. Using a UK SIM, they pay only the standard rate for a UK call to a mobile and then you pay for the foreign leg. So it saves you money, but warn your family and friends that their calls are going to be a lot more expensive, especially from a landline. Mel E==== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted February 4, 2008 Share Posted February 4, 2008 Mel E - 2008-02-04 12:37 PM Local SIM cards are excellent for saving money on local calls and calls to other countries including the UK> However, note that they make calls TO you from outside the country much more expensive for callers (family and Friends?), since they are now paying the full cost of a mobile call to France or wherever. Using a UK SIM, they pay only the standard rate for a UK call to a mobile and then you pay for the foreign leg. So it saves you money, but warn your family and friends that their calls are going to be a lot more expensive, especially from a landline. Mel E ==== That's why we like the United Mobile deal, calls to you from others are the same for them, your calls out are reasonable and you don't pay to recieve the call as you do on a standard UK roaming call. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ventoux Posted February 5, 2008 Share Posted February 5, 2008 zulurita - 2008-02-03 3:39 PM I did buy a French sim card, must be 2 or 3 years ago now. I had an old vodafone mobile which I got unlocked so as to use a French Sim. . I have an old vodaphone mobile thaat I could do this with. Do you get them unlocked in UK or when you are in France or doesn't it matter where? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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