Cjar

Hello everyone. I have been reading some posts about SIM cards / smartphones in London and Paris, but many of the threads are at least a year or two old and apparently things have changed since then.
As some of you know from helping out on my other threads, we are a family of 4 in London for 2 days and Paris for 4 days this fall. In the past we have opted not to use cell phones on our vacations to Italy and Ireland, but we may want to have 2 available this trip, one for the teens and one for the adults. We'll most likely only use them if we get unintentionally separated from each other or so lost a map is of little help. I also feel not quite as obvious about being lost if using a cell rather than whipping out the map in the middle of a crowded street.

Here is what I know thanks to Stcirq and a few others

We can buy unlocked, quad band, dual sim, GSM phones on Amazon. I found one by Blu at $50 and LG at &25. I am a bit of a Luddite at heart, so I don't know what the difference between the two is aside from the price.

I know you can order sims from Lebara with prepaid minutes and it can be shipped to my home in the U.S. Is this a SIM card for use in France only? If it's not only for use in France, how pricey are roaming fees between England and France?

Once you purchase the sim and pop it into the phone, are we good to go or is there some sort of registration or activation we need to do and can that be done from the U.S. or must it be done when we arrive in Paris?

Also my cell phone carrier, Verizon, offers a travel pass plan for $10 per phone per day, but I believe Verizon uses CDMA and GSM is available in Europe. Again, as a Luddite, I'm not at all sure what that all means , but it appears that makes them incompatible? I'm also fairly certain there must be some hidden fees etc. I don't find cell phone service providers to be the most transparent when it comes to fees.

Thank you for any thoughts on the subject you care to share.

Andrew

Yes, Verizon's primary technology is CDMA, which is not used in Europe. But Verizon has roaming partners in Europe that use GSM, and most new Verizon smart phones can roam on GSM. My primary US cell phone is a Verizon Moto E CDMA Android phone that has in fact never even been used on a CDMA network; I use it in the US on T-Mobile GSM - "always roaming."

So I'd ask: what exact make/model are your current phones? Based on that, you can determine how/if they can be used in Europe. Verizon can also tell you that, though, most likely.

All Verizon 4GLTE smart phones are unlocked per agreement with the FCC (like mine was), though depending on the exact phone, actually using it on GSM can be tricky. Again - depends on the exact make/model of your phone.

"Quad band" doesn't mean much anymore in regards to smart phones. Most new phones have far more than four bands (frequencies) these days. What really matters are which exact frequencies it has...again, depending on make/model. My Verizon Moto E has the right GSM frequency to work in Europe but only on very slow 2G "Edge" data networks - which might be just fine for very basic use like you want (using the phone for GPS and navigation; communicating with your family, etc.)

If you want to buy your own phone, I can recommend another Moto E that I bought to use in Europe last month - the "international" version of my Verizon Moto E. This one is $89.99 on Amazon, model # XT1521 (you could search for that exact model number). It works on the "fast" frequencies in Europe not just the slow data frequencies. It's also a really good basic Android smart phone for the price and worked well for me. Perhaps this is more than you want/need, however, and you can find cheaper phones - but I can tell you that this is a decent phone for the money to use in Europe.

Cjar

Andrew- Thank you. I have a Samsung Galaxy s5 and my husband has an IPhone 6, so mine is not the most current. I'll have to contact Verizon ,I guess, to find out if they can be used on a GSM network. Do you switch SIM cards ? Also the "always roaming" is a concern as it really eats up battery life doesn't it?

Andrew

No, roaming doesn't eat battery life. That's something that was maybe true a long time ago when cell phones could still use analog transmission. (Now they are all digital.) Fifteen years ago, if your old Verizon flip-phone was roaming on an analog signal it might well eat up the battery quickly.

Roaming simply means you are using a network besides your normal network. Depending on the situation, it could mean extra costs or not. In my case, it does not. I simply say I'm "roaming" because my phone was designed to use Verizon CDMA and I'm using it on other networks like T-Mobile.

I'm almost certain your phones can roam in the UK and France - they seem relatively new even if not brand new.

If you decided to use Verizon's travel pass, you wouldn't switch SIM cards at all, I'm pretty sure. (When I go overseas with my phone, I leave my T-Mobile SIM card in that I use at home.) But you would have to switch each phone to use GSM networks. How you do that depends on each phone. I am not familiar with either one of those phones. I'm sure with some googling you can find out how to use them on a GSM network. Probably just some settings. Verizon also needs to switch something - but they would presumably do that when you tell them you want use the travel pass.

If you DON'T use the Verizon travel pass, then yes, you would buy SIM cards in Europe and use those in place of the Verizon SIM cards already in there. You wouldn't have to tell Verizon anything as I understand it. But you'd still have to switch the phones into a mode (somewhere, in settings) where they work on GSM networks. Again - google for it. ("iphone 6 international gsm" or "verzon iphone europe" for example.) I don't THINK they would be locked, especially if they are 4GLTE phones.

Of course, if you call Verizon and say, "I'm thinking of buying SIM cards for my phone in Europe," they will try to talk you about of it to use their travel pass, so I wouldn't necessarily trust their advice.

There are cell phone forms like HowardForums where you might search for forums for your S5 and for the iphone 6 if you can't find the answers you want.

kawh

we were in france and italy most of june. we used the verizon plan for 2 of the days. then we got a card for the remaining 2 weeks in france.... and the 2 weeks in italy.

if you're there for such a short time, i would just use the verizon $10 a day deal. for you, it seems perfect because you don't have to pay the set-up fees for such a short usage. also... you only pay for the 24 hour period in which you use it.... so if you don't need to use one of the phones for the first 2 days, you're almost set.

one more advantage is that it REALLY can soak up time getting the sim card all situated. our sim card in france was a nightmare.... they pretty much only sell them at the tabacs now (we went to 3 different 'orange' and similar stores and they were all 'out'... my theory is that they don't want to sell them because they do soak up so much time...). the phone didn't work because the guy forgot to put in our passport (we think???)

.... hours later, after waiting in line at an 'orange' store because the tabac guy couldn't help us... and then it took the salesman almost an hour of phone calling to figure it out... yikes!! ate up most of the morning in Bayeux.

The sim we got in italy went smoothly... but we did have to wait in line and it ate up about an hour.

so... for so few days, i'd go with the verizon plan. it worked well for the days we used it. for longer usage, a sim is much cheaper, obviously.

Andrew

That's true - it can eat up time getting a SIM to work. Last year, I had a much older Android phone and each time I bought a SIM, the APN had to be set for data to work. (The "APN" is like a gateway address for data, specific to the SIM; newer phones may set this themselves, automatically.) But it only took about 15 minutes each time for the agent at the mobile store to figure it out. Today, I could figure it out myself quite easily, but at the time I didn't.

FYI, I might throw this out:

1. Smart phone GPS will work *WITHOUT* mobile data. You can pre-download maps (e.g. Google Maps) ahead of time for an area you will be in and navigate that way, without any internet connection. You can try this now before you get to Europe and see how it works. I drove an hour from my house to the ocean using my phone as a GPS, with mobile data OFF, and it worked quite well. Try it!

I used Google Maps extensively on my recent trip to Europe a few weeks ago to navigate in every city with my phone. It told me which bus to get on or walking directions. I can totally see how that would save a ton of time on the Metro or just using buses in Paris. (The Metro is simpler to figure out for tourists, but buses can actually be faster if you know which bus to take where, and Google Maps makes that simple.) But I'm not sure the transit option works without mobile data.

2. You can make calls on WiFi also without mobile data. So in theory, you guys could use your phones WiFi-only in London and Paris, and if you get lost or separated...find free WiFi somewhere. You can use Google Hangouts Dialer to make free phone calls to each other if you both install the app on your phones. (I'm assuming you will only have two phones, not four?) Not sure how prevalent free WiFi is in Paris and London these days - others can attest to that. Maybe it's easy enough to find that you could each just plan to find WiFi and call each other if you get separated.

Also, it looks like Verizon's travel pass only costs you money if you actually use it that day. Sounds like at worst (two phones) it would cost you $120 for six days and two phones. If you use it only three days that's only $60. You could try to use WiFi most of the time. If you need to make non-urgent phone calls you can use Google Hangouts Dialer when you have WiFi. And use Google Maps without data to navigate/use GPS.

kerouac

As of July 2017, there will no longer be any roaming charges within the EU. The UK will not have left by then.

kerouac

(Of course, this will apply to European SIMs, not calling plans from other continents.)

fuzzbucket

I'll throw this idea in the ring...

When I first moved to Paris, I bought the cheapest phone available at an Orange boutique, about 39 EU. I took the Mobicarte contract, which allows you to add more money to the original plan - options are 15EU to 50EU, and you add money by phone/credit card or at certain ATM terminals. The salesperson set up the SIM and made sure it was unlocked and worked before I left the store.

You might consider looking over the Orange website - the "Holiday Plan" might be a better option, since you already have phones. This product does allow you to use your phone in several different countries.
https://boutique.orange.fr/mobile/ca...ge-holiday-eng

In fact, most phone boutiques operate the same way.
Customers who complain about the service in Orange (or other) boutiques are often guilty of making several errors which are easily avoided.

First - do your research before your arrive. Print the items that you want to consider and hand them to the salesperson. Most stores have employees who speak enough English, especially if you can show them what you want. The salesperson will insert the SIM and make sure the phone functions properly before you leave.

Second - avoid stores in super-busy areas, near train stations or busy Metro stations. Google the locations of Orange boutiques and go to a quieter neighborhood where you'll get better service - http://agence.orange.fr/search?query=75000

Third - Avoid going when the store just opens, during lunchtime (12 - 3) and between 6PM to closing time. The store will be overly-crowded, and you'll be frustrated.

Fourth - say "Bonjour" when you enter and "Merci, au revoir" when you leave. Smiling helps a lot.

StCirq

You can buy a Blü phone with up to 4 SIM slots so you don't even have to change SIMs between France and England, though as kerouac says roaming charges aren't much of an issue any longer.

The theory about Orange stores all being "out" is nothing more than happenstance. It's simply not true that you can only find a SIM in a tabac - that's just one anecdote from one person, not a reliable source of information. I've never had an issue getting service at an Orange store or any other cell phone store, including the one in our big Intermarché, Le Telephone Store. Pay attention to what fuzzbucket says about the time of day to go, what to know in advance, and observing the usual etiquette.

You do have to register and activate the phone. Have your passport with you.

Or sign up for the Orange Holiday Plan or the Verizon $10 per day plan if you think that would be easier.

Heimdall

I've never had a problem switching SIMs when travelling outside the country where I live. My last two cellphones have been iPhones, currently an iPhone 6. The trick is finding a shop where someone is willing to help you set up the SIM before you leave the premises. It will be easier, of course, if you go to the UK first, because instructions on the SIM will be in English, and it will be easier to understand the shop assistant.

AS kerourac wrote, there will be no roaming charges within the EU after July 2017, but from April 2016 roaming charges were substantially reduced, so even if you are travelling this year you can buy a SIM in one country and use it in another without a problem. When buying the SIM insure you add enough minutes so you don't run out in the second country.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-...oaming-tariffs

xyz123

The only "problem" with roaming using an eu sim card (and btw what will happen when Britain leaves theeu) is that while it is fine to make calls within the eu and now it costs next to nothing to receive calls while in the eu, the telcoms have to make up the lost income somehow. So if you're from say North America or Australia or South Africa, you will pay an arm and a leg, well at least an arm, to call outside the country of origin of the sim outside the eu. As an example, I have an O2 UK sim. While in the UK, it costs me 1p/minute to call from within the UK to either the USA or Canada. One has to admit, yoou can't do much better than that. But if I try to call the USA using that sim from France, we're talking close to £2/minute for the same call. There are workarounds, there's skype, there's callback, there's calling cards but it's something to be aware of.

Heimdall

That's right, xyz123 — Skype is a wonderful way to keep in contact, and you can even make video calls! My daughter and I kept in contact that way a few years ago while she was overlanding through Africa and I was home in England. Occasionally when she didn't have a fast wifi connection we had to revert to voice calls, but we always managed to connect. Arrange a time by email or text when you are both at a wifi connection, and you can call for free!

From my experience there are very few occasions when it is necessary to make an overseas call and pay for it, except maybe in an emergency. When I'm travelling overseas and don't buy a local SIM I always turn off data roaming or leave the iPhone in Airplane Mode.

Andrew

The more I think about it, the more I think the Verizon travel pass makes the most sense for a six day trip to London and Paris. Let Verizon help you set up the phones to work in Europe - I'm almost certain both of your phones can work in Europe if they are set to roam on GSM. And you don't have to pay for the pass on the days you don't use the phones. Just learn to put them in airplane mode, then turn on WiFi to use them for free when you don't want to pay for the travel pass that day. (Maybe get in the habit of turning off mobile data first, then put the phones in airplane mode, then turn on WiFi. That should keep them from using any mobile data and triggering the travel pass for that day if you don't want it.)

And if Verizon helps you set up the phones to work in Europe, you could STILL buy a SIM card anyway if you want, if you find it convenient. Because once you set up the phones to work on GSM while in Europe, you can swap out the SIM for a local SIM.

Again, install Google Hangouts Dialer on each to be able to make free phone calls home to phones, even landlines, while on WiFi, so you won't feel the need to use a travel pass one day just to make a call home. If you also want to receive calls on Google Hangouts, set up Google Voice before you leave for Europe, and that will give you a free phone number which can receive calls, too.

nanabee

I believe you are correct Andrew. I went to Verizon store (go to a real Verizon store) not a Verizon franchise (service is much better and the co.pany Verizon wo t try to get uou to sign up for stuff or programs that are expensive and a rip off).

I was offered a plan that was $10/day for unlimited use. I had Internet and cell phone use.

kawh

The "out of sim cards" story is anecdotal... But happened in paris (2 different stores), Rouen and Bayeux. The guy in Rouen told us they only come in about once a month.

I would love to know how many of you have been able to purchase just sim cards as tourists in France (other than at an airport) in the last year or so???

Buying sim at the tabac SHOULS have been simple but it just got mysteriously and totally messed up. Travel time is so very valuable...it's truly a bummer when one spends the whole morning on these things.

Heimdall

Good point from Andrew—you can turn wifi back on when in Airplane Mode. I would also check Settings > iTunes & App Stores to insure you have automatic downloads turned off. That's another reason I like to buy a local SIM—you don't have to worry about inadvertently allowing your phone to use mobile data, and get a huge bill when you return home.

Robert2016

We've been using T-Moble without any problems that last few years and have been getting 3G, 4G and LTE speeds in France the last couple of weeks.

T-Mobile is also giving away free highspeed data in July and August in France and a few other places according to the message we received a few days ago.

We've also noticed that T-Mobile WiFi is showing up more often as they expand their network in Europe.

And if you use Boingo, then WiFi (through Orange in France) is free, and fast in most locations we've encountered.

Also, calls are only $0.20/minute locally and free back home if in a WiFi zone.

Roaming charges? Not an issue.

Andrew

I switched to T-Mobile for just two months before my recent trip to the Baltics + St. Petersburg. But switching just isn't an option for a lot of people, for various reasons. The OP would probably need two new phones for domestic US use, for one thing.

Not everyone even has a phone that can connect to 4G or even 3G networks in Europe, FYI. You might be stuck at slow 2G "edge" speeds just because of the phone.

xyz123

Andrew...there's no question you're right. But the bigger question everybody wherever they are from is just what they want their mobile phone service to represent and everybody's view on this is different. You want a phone just to make a few calls and texts? You can get a perfectly good albeit outdated phone for as little as $5 with the European frequencies and it will work and be perfectly adequate. You want lots and lots of data? That's a horse of a different color now isn't it. This is clearly somewhere that one size doesn't fit all.