kathyl

I'm sorry to ask this question as I have seen the numerous threads regarding cell phones in Europe. BUT... I still haven't been able to figure out answers to our particular situation:

We are a family of 3 adults and 1 toddler, traveling to Paris for 10 days in May/June. We would like to have 2 cell phones between the four of us to coordinate activities, etc. since we will be staying in an apartment. Will have laptop, so calling US is not the concern.

We have antiquated cell phones in the US with Verizon. These are old but serve our needs here but I know that they won't work anywhere else. So, then the options are rent or buy tri or quand band phones for travel use.

So far, I've been comparing 3 specific options:
1) Mobal.com: This is fine for the phones themselves but we will be double charged for calls between the two phones--one for outgoing and the other for incoming! Second, their rates per minute are pretty high.

2) Cellularabroad.com: They have 2-phone rental packages but you have to buy their SIM cards at $69 each! I did a quick apples-to-apples comparison betwee cellularabroad and mobal based on roughly 30 minutes of talk time in France and the prices came in the mid-$200s, so not much of a difference and definitely expensive!

3) Ebay and SIM card: It sounds like this is most cost-effective, but I know nothing about how to judge the right phone (model and make) or how to buy a SIM card in Paris. Plus traveling with a toddler presents so many challenges, is buying/installing SIM cards going to add to the stress?

travelbunny

Why will you be phoning each other. If only emergencies (ie running late or a problem), how much will you really be using your phone? You have an apt base so coordinating time which could be off by 10-15 mins is rarely relavent. If this is the case (and I would argue logically that this should be)), I would go for the cheapist system (1) will $$ only for calls as they should be absolutely minimal.

normal1983

I just rented 2 phones from Verizon for use in France. They are charging me $300 security deposit for each phone, $22 shipping for each phone to me, $1.49 per minute for calls on each phone. I will need to disable the voice mail system on each phone or the cost will be $1.49 each to receive a voice mail, get a notice that I have voice mail and retrieve voice mail. All of these charges will be deducted from the $300 deposit and whatever is not used will be credited back to my credit card account. I will also have to add phone numbers to each phone for stateside callers so that if they need to reach me they would call my regular Verizon number and the call will be transferred to the international phone. We only really plan on using it in extreme emergencies and to be able to find each other should we become separated. Complicated I guess but it will give me peace of mind since my son will be meeting up with us at CDG and we will be renting a car. Again, peace of mind.

Stormin280

Okay,

Mobal, I use but don't recommend to the infrequent traveler, it is pricey.

Antiquated cells from Verizon won't work, wrong technology. Renting from Verizon is EXPENSIVE.

Cellarabroard, I don't know.

Here is another option buy two cells, depending on your budget, from ebay,
http://www.tigerdirect.com or similar provider. You can find unlocked GSM cells for about $60 at Tiger, do not but any phone that is not GSM and UNLOCKED, otherwise it will not work in Europe.

SIM cards, you are staying within France the entire time, so go with a French prepaid card. These are sold by a number of companies, http://www.telestial.com, being one or
waite until you are there and buy two cards.

Phones, well you want at least a tri-band or better a quad-band. The frequencies are the determining factor, along with provider, here is a list of USA providers:

ALLTEL - CDMA
AT&T - TDMA and GSM
Cingular - GSM and TDMA
Boost Mobile - iDEN (Pay as you go.)
Cricket Wireless - CDMA
Nextel - iDEN (a version of TDMA)
Qwest - CDMA
Sprint - CDMA
T-Mobile - GSM
Trac Wireless - TDMA and CDMA
U.S. Cellular - TDMA and CDMA
Verizon - CDMA
Virgin Mobile - CDMA

TDMA/CDMA will not work in Europe.
AT&T, Cingular and T-Mobile will unlock phones for you, depending on how long you've been a customer.

Europe for the most part uses GSM. Which frequency bands do you need in your phone?

If you're traveling internationally, for most flexibility you should have a phone with both the international frequency bands – 900 MHz and 1800 MHz. If you plan on using it in the US, too, then you'll also want a phone that supports the 850 MHz and/or 1900 MHz.

Okay, its your choice and your budget.

Travelnut

There are 3 adults - one of you keeps the toddler and another one goes and gets the SIM cards...

Stormin280

normal1983,

$644 for two prepaid cellphone service? WOW!!

Me, two Mobal sim cards $30 (Okay, I caught a blue light special) throw in another $10 for normal price, one Sharp tri-band unlocked by T-Mobile $0 (it was a freebie from T-Mobile), one unlocked Blackberry quad-band (via TigerDirect) $90.

Do you get to keep these two jewels or have to return?

The per minute charge by Mobal in France is $1.25. Double charge, well unless you set up some type of family plan (read contract) its going to happen.

We spent approximately $100 for cell service during the week in Paris. The calls were both within France (friends from Lyon area & my wife thinking I was lost) and international (mother-in-law and daughters, they were told the cells were for emergencies, definition problem. Mother's and children).

suz12

kathy - I'm glad you asked this question.

Here at home we use cell phones to stay in touch when we are out and about on weekends. In 1 week in Paris and 1 week in London us 2 adults will travel independent of each other at times (like before kids). We want to be able to briefly touch base by phone while we are out and about by ourself or with 1 or 2 kids (reduces waiting time and resulting grouchiness). We also want my in-town cousins to be able to reach us to arrange get togethers (they don't plan ahead). We certainly don't want to keep checking back to the apartment for messages, cuz we are there to see the cities, not the apartment!

Our home phones won't work there.

We are considering 3 options now
- reserving 2 phones with our Paris apartment rental company for 65 Euro/wk (inlcludes 1 prepaid card/phone for unknown minutes) & renting another 2 phones in London
- Renting 2 phones one our way through Heathrow (not leaving airport) from SFO to CDG and returning it when we go through Heathrow after a week in London (Can anyone tell us if you can rent in Heathrow without leaving the terminal and what website we can look at to find out how much?)(I've been searching online to no avail)
- Or, winging it and renting 2 (or buying 2) in a phone store in Paris
and then renting another 2 in London (or buying phones cards for the ones purchased in Paris.

So I'm hoping someone will give you a response that will help us, too.

Most phone rental deals and packages are for folks who want to call home. We don't.
(Thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to delve into this particular zone of the phone rental conversation!)

suz12

kathy - I was searching around on the web still some more. Chatted with someone at Cellular Abroad. About $89/2phones/2 weeks + $25 fed ex + $420 deposit + $29/phone for time. Lasts about 30 minutes. About 90 cents/minute outgoing for calls and about 60 cents per tex message outgoing. Incoming is free. Can add time in $29 blocks as you go.

IF you want to see Rick Steves' take on mobile phone rental or purchase in Europe, go to www.ricksteves.com and search for mobile phones.
He recommends that if your phone won't work over there, buy one at a mobile phone kiosk.

rooster123

Why would average people need cell phones that much? Remember when there was no such thing as a cell phone? I do. I went to London without any cell phone and used pay phones. If you are with your family and going to split up to see different things, if you make a proper itinerary, and a particular time and place to meet, and stick to it, there should be no need for those very expensive cell phones. In an emergency, you just call police from a pay phone, or ask a person from that place if they can call on their cell phone. I wonder when it was that we became so TIED to these cell phones -- rather like an umbilical cord. I don't even carry my phone anymore -- and I keep hearing how more and more people are leaving them at home. Just the other day Whoopi Goldberg, and Oprah (on two separate shows) each said they don't even own cell phones anymore, because they are tired of being so tied to them. Just an observation. One can live very well without a cell phone for a week or two, if they just make an itinerary ahead of time, each day.

suz12

Hi Rooster - I understand your point.
I don't use one very often during the week - my DH will tell anyone how often I forget to switch the phone on. However, we find that having one when we are out and about with potentially cranky young ones, or when one of us is getting a well-deserved solo break, allows us to be more flexible.

It allows us to get more solo time if the other parent is doing fine with the kids, meet up at a newly discovered cafe, split up for an hour or so to let the young one nap and then catch up later wherever the other adult and older kid are at, and not get grumpy waiting around for the other person (people) to show up.

We did use calling cards at pay phones on our previous visit for the few times we needed it. But now we do some city things together, and do some city things apart. The ability to do so smoothly makes our city travel more enjoyable.

But when we go for hikes or to the mountains or beach, that phone is not used. And it does irk me when someone's cell phone goes off in church, or when they use my commute bus as an extension of their office. All a matter of degrees.

So, yes, I appreciate your point. Thanks

Kate_W

You can buy a basic pay-as-you go cellphone when you get to France for 30-60 euros, and it probably will have 5-10 euros worth of time on it. I have a pay-as-you go Orange phone and I bought a second one for when we have guests visiting us. Go to an Orange shop or a Bouygues shop when you get to France.

jacrichanne

Thanks for asking this question. We are trying to find out about cell phones in France as well. As we are from the Caribbean we do not have the same companies as the States nor the same prices.

Would we be able to buy a pre-paid cell phone at CDG or do we have to wait til we get to Paris?
Thanks.

Kate_W

You can't buy a prepaid cellphone at the airport; you'll have to wait until you get to central Paris.

mindylt1

I totally agree with Kate W. At Christmas we bought a basic T-mobile pre-paid cell phone for 20 euro, already loaded with 10 euro worth of time. That's here in Germany, but I'm sure you can find the same kind of deal in France. No way would I pay a lot of money for temporary cell phones.

ValCanada

I love this question. My friend and I won't be joined at the hip during our stay in Paris but will want to meet up for the odd lunch, dinner or museum. To avoid leaving messages at each other's hotel and to avoid having to stick to a rigid schedule (i.e. "meet me at such-and-such place at such-and-such time&quot, we are DEFINITELY going to rent two cell phones for the duration of our stay (neither of our Canadian phones will work in France). I'm exploring a few different options but generally I expect we'll pay between $50 and $100 CDN each for the week. So far, Blue Marble Bike Trips seems to make the most economic sense (you don't have to sign up for a bike trip to reserve the phone(s)) - it's 26 euros for a week to rent with .50 euro charge per local outgoing call (you can pre-load it and re-load throughout the city); incoming calls from France are free.

http://www.bluemarble.org/

I'll keep everyone posted, and maybe I'll start a brand new thread, with the results of my investigation!