Barnum

Our cell phones have been set up to use while we are in France. Question though...

Can someone living in France call us, and if so how is that done? Would they dial our country code and then the number?

patandhank

Can someone living in France call us, and if so how is that done? Would they dial our country code and then the number?

Yes, that's exactly how it's done.

Alec

And normally they wil be charged an arm and a leg for dialling a US cellphone number. Hence it's much easier for Italian residents and businesses to call you on an Italian cellphone number by getting a local SIM card.

MarionMontgomery

The cost of calls will be more than the airfare - use for emergencies only folks!

xyz123

They would dial your number exactly as any other call from France to the USA 001 Area Code Number....from a mobile they could dial +1 area code number...

Alec...calling US cell phones costs the same as calling US landlines from Europe....there is no differentiation. Unlike the European system, US cell phone numbers are no different than US landline numbers....in the USA we don't have caller pays on our cell phone system...in the USA you pay for air time although on most contracts, the number of minutes allowed is almost limitless and we have things like free evenings and free weekends.....

What will happen, bad, is the recipient of the call will pay 99¢/minute on T Mobile USA or either 99¢/minute or $1.29/minute on AT&T depending on whether they're paying the extra $5.99/month for international roaming (AT&T only) and remember this is per minute or fraction thereof. For a couple of calls, no big deal but if used regularly then it would make more sense to get a local sim card.....

Alec

I know that US cellphone costs the same to call as landline, but it's still expensive to call a US number from an Italian landline or cellphone, unless you are on a special tariff or use a calling card optimised for calls to US.

Alec

I meant calling from France - equally expensive. Around 1.20 euro/min on average from cellphone without special tariff.

StuDudley

Using an international calling card to call the US from France is dirt cheap. Pennies per minute. It costs us more to call from Calif. to Indiana using a land line to originate the call, than it does from France to Indiana using a land line. My wife uses her Cell in France to call France, but buys a calling card at France Telecom (we've had lots of trouble with other cards) to call her 90 YO father in Indiana every day.

Stu Dudley

Barnum

We have had our cell phones adapted for international use each time we go to France, and we have used it maybe twick a trip just to let hotel or BB owner know we are running late. Thats it.

We do have a friend there who might want to contact us, and that's why I asked. Thank you for all your help. I learn something new all the time....

mrcamp

Most other countries that I am aware of have very cheap rates to the US. For example, on most UK providers it costs less to call a US number directly than a UK mobile. Using a calling card brings that down to pennies. Mostly die to the reasons outlined by xyz123 above.