I will be living in France for seven months beginning September 2002. Can anyone give me advice on what cell phone to purchase there that is not too costly and yet will give me good reception throughout Europe.<BR><BR>Thank You.

Any GSM phone gives you good reception throughout Europe (and Asia and Africa). When you get to France just check the different stores´ advertisements and pick the one you like (looks and price).

I had a Motorola tri-band (so I could use it in the US too) and my provider was Debitel. About $30USD/mo, can't remember how many minutes were included (200?). I think the phone was around $200 USD. A non-tri-band phone will be cheaper.<BR><BR>

Oh, and I used my phone in Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands without problems.

Ann,<BR><BR>I live in europe and I would reccommend buying a pay as you go phone. This way you can sell to someone when you leave and you have no ongoing bills. I myself buy approx ?20 euros at a time and the charge rates are cheaper in the evenings/weekends etc. All phones are GSM in europe. I use my mobile throughout europe and have no problems but there are higher rates outside the country your network is in. Enjoy France!

Anna,<BR><BR>There are 3 cell phone networks in France:<BR>- Orange (France Telecom)<BR>- SFR<BR>- Bouygues Telecom<BR><BR>All 3 offer roughly equivalent service (SFR has slightly better coverage IMO). Regarding price, each network has numerous payment options, from pay-as-you-go to subscriptions with high monthly costs but tons of minutes included.<BR><BR>Bear in mind that the "free" minutes included in your monthly subscription can only be used in France - when you're roaming abroad, you pay a (high) per-minute price regardless. <BR><BR>Also, roaming rates vary significantly depending on a) which network you signed up with and b) which network you choose to roam on (in any given country, you can generally choose from at least 3 networks to roam on.<BR><BR>So, when comparison shopping for a network, you should look at the prices for using your phone in France, but also the roaming rates for those countries you plan to visit while in Europe.<BR><BR>Depending on the availability of GSM coverage where you live in the US, I would recommend buying a triband phone, which you can then use when you come back to the States by signing up with a local GSM network (also useful for when you return to the US for a brief stay during your sojourn in France). SonyEricsson and Motorola both have a wide range of triband models.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Anna:<BR><BR>I purchased a nice Sony cell phone from France T&eacute;l&eacute;com/Orange for about $80. It uses Mobicartes, which you buy at any tabac or caf&eacute;; they come in units of 25 and 50. You can call all over Europe and to the US and some other countries with it. The reception is incredible. I would definitely recommend the pay-as-you-go approach.