Do I need a French phone number for reservations?
 

Hello fellow travelers,

I will be headed to Paris for a week and Provence for a week in June with family and friends (11 people in all--crazy, right?).

I've been doing a lot of research on Fodor's forums and TripAdvisor about whether or not to get a SIM card at a French telecom company for my unlocked HTC One phone. I came across a several years old thread on TA that indicated that in order to make reservations at restaurants I would need to provide a French phone number, not a US based phone number--even if the US number is working. In your experience, is this true?

On the same note, I downloaded the Taxis G7 app and noticed it won't allow me to register my account using my US phone number...so it would seem that particular app is out for our trip unless I do get a French SIM card.

Has anyone encounted issues with reservations using a cell number from another country?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

Jen

I don't remember exactly what I did but I got G7 app on my phone and did not have a French phone number.

Not my experience when it comes to restaurants. Any mobile number will do. You might also download WhatsApp for you HTC. Works with mobile numbers anywhere in the world.

The "TAXIS G7 Personal - Taxi Order" for iPhone (iOS 7.0 or later) works fine. It's available at iTunes. You can preorder your taxi.

I can imagine that restaurants and taxis might not want to make an international call to contact you. You should be able to give them alternative methods to contact you, such as What's App, mentioned by Robert.

You should be aware that anything you read about cell phones that's even a year old is almost certainly outdated by now.

I have a belgian cellphone number.
I call G7 weekly and make my reservations with my cellphone.

I don't forget to start telling them when I give my number '00 32' for Belgium then ... in your case '00 1'.

I think I remember years ago that somebody said 'we don't take foreign number' so I booked elsewhere.

You can also book via thefork.com and add the phonenr in the comment zone if it doesn't work elsewhere (it doesn't for me).

I think you'll have a problem without a French cell phone number. For one thing, they won't bother calling you if it' not a French number. Nobody now wants to call foreign phon number.Use WhatsAPP or get a French SIM

Buckeye vet, I had the same question. I'm going a month after you. (Also from Ohio). But I was just planning on giving the local phone number in the apartment I'm renting. Or you could use a local hotel phone number if you're staying in a hotel? Would that work?

Just asked the maitre d'hôtel (in American the maitre d') of the restaurant I am in and he says there is absolutely no prob to make a reservation with a U.S. Cellphone.

Now you can still take a sim card.

Ps : the place looks great - pozada close to Nation.
Am having a chinon as aperitif then will have a luberon with my osso bucco.

Presuming you are in a hotel, use that one. I've made reservations at French restaurants and used the hotel's phone number. If you aren't staying in a hotel, the place you are staying must have a phone number, doesn't it?

Then main reason why they want your phone number is that often competitors make fake reservations in oder to do harm. A secondary reason is that they may inform you that they cannot hold your reservation because of a case of sudden richness.

Whatever. An American cellphone number would do, or the number of a hotel.

We used our US cellphone number when we made restaurant reservations in Paris with no problem.

Thank you to everyone who's replied! I really appreciate it.

It would seem that the opinions are a bit split on this one. We are staying at a hotel, so I imagine I can use their number if a place would refuse the US number.

The Taxis G7 app is a different issue. No matter how I enter my US phone number (dashes a la USA, no dashes, different spacing, starting with 00 1), it will not let me create an account. Of course, as I am in Ohio and not in France I don't have any idea if the app works to order a taxi without an account. Anyone have suggestions/experience on this?

I naively am not expecting to make restaurants reservations for every evening. All 11 of us would, at most, only be together for 2 evenings due to some of the group going to Normandy and choosing other things to do.

Thank you everyone again!

When we were in Paris in September we just called the English line of G7. The were extremely helpful and reliable.

Good to know!

I don't have a smartphone or use any apps, even though I live in Paris and this makes me a dinosaur. I just have a "stupid phone" with a French number, and manage just fine.

I would use the hotel number for any reservations.
The problem is that many "foreigners" are "no-shows" - for one reason or another - and most restaurants and taxis have stopped accepting non-French phone numbers.

Many need to call you back to confirm your reservation - G7 does this to tell you what kind of car to look for - so, better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure to check your messages in the hotel!

Have you tried "+1" instead of "001"?

I was going to try the app, using an American phone number (my Skype number) but the app knew I was in Italy. I think it's possible your problem may be that they know you're in Ohio and they don't send taxis there. Anyway, I abandoned the attempt because they were asking for information I didn't want to give them, since I wouldn't be using the app.

In 40 years I have been contacted just once about a reservation. It was from a hotel that I had booked that was under construction and they were running late, so they wanted to know if I needed to be booked in a different hotel. (I had already found this out and had changed my reservation.)

I make reservations all of the time using my US phone # and have never had a problem.

Thank you for all your replies! I will use my US phone number if possible, and the hotel phone number if I find that a place is not happy with the US number.

As for at the G7 app...well I'll just wait until I'm in Paris to give it a try. I'm obsessively all about the apps if they work.

You mentioned 11 people traveling together, does that include most meals together? If so, you may want to book reservations well ahead particularly if you have specific restaurants in mind for group celebrations.

Cathinjoetown,

Honestly, we have no particular restaurants in mind at all. The Paris restaurant scene is quite honestly too daunting for me to even consider before I get there! I don't even know where to begin. I planned to post a thread about restaurants that can accommodate large groups closer to our trip.

In reality there will only be 8 of us for much of the week. We will only be 11 for 2 evenings in Paris. Even so, if we end up at different tables or different restaurants, we will be ok with that. We have an entire week at a villa outside Avignon to be close together.

2 restaurants that I found suitable for large groups are

Chez Jenny on place de la république. Alsatian brasserie, very good choucroute (sauerkraut).

Le boeuf sur le toit (not far from Champs Elysees) very nice place, big with ok food and hesitant service.

Enjoy Paris.

Unless there are some really hyped-up restaurants that everyone is simply dying to try - and which will require reservations many weeks, if not months, in advance - you don't need to get yourself too worked up about "the Paris restaurant scene".

Most normal restaurants (but not most cafes) will have a couple of tables that can accommodate 6 - 8 people, but you should definitely reserve ahead if more than 4 of you want to eat together. Often, a few days to one week is long enough in advance.

Otherwise, you can just wander around, look at the menus posted outside on practically every street in Paris, and decide if you want to eat right away. Most of the time you'll be seated, though might not be at adjoining tables. If you'd prefer to come back later for lunch or dinner, ask the waiter if you can make a reservation. If your last name is difficult to spell or pronounce, make up something easier - and make sure to remember it.

Note that some restaurants serve all day long - "service continue". Many serve lunch only from 12h00 - 14h30 and dinner from 19h30 - 22h30, with nothing but drinks in-between.

Bouillon Chartier is another popular place for group dining.

Whathello and fuzzbucket,

Thank you for the suggestions. I will write those down and will check into them before we leave.

I honestly just want to wander and look at the menus, so it's good to know that we can inquire if they can seat us all at a later time. I would not have thought of that! Hopefully I can get our point across in my high school level/Rosetta Stone refreshed French.

Thank you everyone again!

Jen

>> I honestly just want to wander and look at the menus <<

We do this all the time, but with 11 (!) people I would recommend a little more planning. I would not appear with the party of eleven at 19:30 at a restaurant door and ask for a table. It might turn out as a frustrating experience for you all. The minimum amount of planning would be making the reservation at lunch time for dinner the same evening, better a day before.

The quality of restaurants in Paris varies a lot - from tourist rip-offs to authentic neighbourhood restaurants with good value for money. The general rule is to avoid restaurants at the main tourist drags and look into the side streets.

I still find that the Red Michelin Guide (available online: viamichelin.com) is the best source to find restaurants. Just look up what's in the vicinity of your hotel, check the rating (EACH restaurant that is listed by Michelin is good, even if it falls in the simplest category) and then the restaurant's website for the menu.

With 11 people it is always a good idea to order one of the set menus (they usually have choices). Don't start ordering à la carte with individual requests ("I want the tomato salad, but without tomatoes") - it will turn into a disaster with a table of eleven!

I found Tripadvisor never trustworthy for restaurant reviews.

>> I honestly just want to wander and look at the menus <<

An old story pops into my mind.

It was long ago, when we were students and on tight budgets. We were two young couples, wandering through Paris and finding a nice-looking little restaurant with a promising menu.

In the evening we went there, but only to learn that the interesting choices were gone and that the only available items were something like paté de campagne as a starter and steak haché as a main course. We left without ordering.

After leaving, one of our ladies shouted "Look there! There are Parisians going to!". Indeed, on the other side of the street was another restaurant, and the menu was even better.

We were early, and the place was still pretty empty. We ordered a menu with soupe de poissons and duck leg with green pepper. At the table next to ours there was an elderly man who took his son out for dinner. To our amazement, the young Parisian asked "What are crudités?" and the older man explained it to him, in a way that seemed a bit too affectionate for a father.

We were served the first course and the restaurant filled up - with types that could have starred in a Jean Genet film (with muscle shirts and tattoos), all male. Our waiter became increasingly nervous and served us very quickly. Next to us, there was something going on between father and son below the table.

When the scene started to become really lively, we had finished our meals, decided to take the digestif elsewhere, paid and left. When we left, there were two men kissing right in front of the restaurant door, now no more chance of mistaking the place.

But it was a very good meal for a very reasonable price. And certainly authentic. And a lasting memory.

buckeyevet - no worries about speaking French. Almost all waiters speak enough English (and other languages) to understand the word "reservation" and take your order when the time comes. Just hold up your fingers to designate how many of you there will be, and remember to use "military time" - this way, there won't be any mistakes.

It's rare that restaurants allow substitutions - if they do, it will normally be noted on the menu. Usually, you will only be asked "et comme cuisson?" (how do you want your meat cooked?). Learn the words for "rare, etc", and realize that it might not come out as you'd hoped, anyway. I would never send meat back to be re-cooked.

Drink orders are always taken last, and might not arrive first. Salads always come with dressing on them, etc. Just go with the flow enjoy each other's company and you'll be OK. Whatever you do, don't move the chairs or tables - they are where they are for a reason (partly legal, partly to make it easier for the waiters).

buckeyevet - no worries about speaking French. Almost all waiters speak enough English (and other languages) to understand the word "reservation" and take your order when the time comes. Just hold up your fingers to designate how many of you there will be, and remember to use "military time" - this way, there won't be any mistakes.

It's rare that restaurants allow substitutions - if they do, it will normally be noted on the menu. Usually, you will only be asked "et comme cuisson?" (how do you want your meat cooked?). Learn the words for "rare, etc", and realize that it might not come out as you'd hoped, anyway. I would never send meat back to be re-cooked.

Drink orders are always taken last, and might not arrive first. Salads always come with dressing on them, etc. Just go with the flow enjoy each other's company and you'll be OK. Whatever you do, don't move the chairs or tables - they are where they are for a reason (partly legal, partly to make it easier for the waiters).

Just one more thing - don't get too hung up on thinking that if only French people are in the restaurant the food will be any good. It's more likely that it's close to work or home and is reasonably-priced.

"et comme cuisson?"

well done is "bien cuit" (never order that, read Anthony Bourdain why not)
medium is "medium"
medium rare is "saignant" (literally "bloody", which usally triggers bad jokes from English students)
rare is "bleue"

Though those instructions may work sometimes, it all depends on where you're eating.
I'll just repeat what I mentioned before - don't expect meat to come out the way you're used to having it cooked. There are reasons for this:
Due to the economy, many restaurants serve meat that is pre-cooked and frozen afterwards in some sauce, then reheated when you order it.
Due to the state of the workforce, many people preparing your meal are either strict vegetarians for religious reasons, or haven't got enough money to buy and cook meat for themselves, and don't know how.
In cafes and many restaurants, if you want to try "steak/frites", the meat will be cut thin, is often fatty and gristly, and not anywhere near as tender as US beef.
If you want a good steak in Paris, make sure to go to a restaurant that specializes in steak and nothing else.

A bit late to the game, but I just wanted to say I use my US cell number for dinner reservations in December and February and had no problem with restaurants calling me to confirm. Many French places use internet phone services now and their calls are free (for them).

Such wonderful advice! Thank you fuzzbucket, traveller and Belinida!

I have no issues with steak not coming exactly as ordered, however, there is one member of our party that will. So your advice to avoid steak unless it's a steak restaurant is very welcome!

And, to be honest, all 11 of us have no qualms about eating separately in Paris. We have an entire week in a villa in Provence where we plan to cook and dine all together. If we do decide to eat together, I will definitely utilize the hotel to help us make reservations for that.

"Steak/frites" - this used to be typical bistrot food 30 years ago.

Bistrots used to be ugly places where you went to consume large quantities of absinth and cheap red wine. If you got hungry - which naturally comes when drinking large amounts of alcohol - you may have ordered "steak/frites" and then you were served a product that was recycled from the garbage bins of shoemakers: heavily burnt, thin, tough and dry.

And never, ever a waiter would have asked ""et comme cuisson?"

Well, I am writing in past tense because I thought these times were over. I admit, I have not been in a bistrot for decades and have not had "steak/frites" for many years.

Fascinating to read that they still serve "steak/frites". I would assume, if a restaurant has "steak/frites" on the menu, you should not eat anything in such a place.

Another reason to select a restaurant somewhat carefully.

Steak/frites is still the #1 dish in France (followed by couscous). The only difference from the old days is that the steak is usually given a fancier name now (entrecôte, onglet, faux-filet, bavette, etc.) depending on the cut.

>> Steak/frites is still the #1 dish in France (followed by couscous). <<

Oh, boy.

I was yesterday shopping groceries in Strasbourg (at Auchon, to be exact), and I found so wonderful products there that I cannot imagine that there are still people who can afford eating in restaurants eating steak/frites or couscous. And I cannot imagine which one is more dreadful.

I never found it difficult to find restaurants in France serving decent food at moderate prices. And never had troubles eating delicious snacks from alimentations or hypermarchés.