French SIM card--preferred network?
Nov 26th, 2005, 07:40 AM
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French SIM card--preferred network?
I have tended to buy Vodafone SIMs in Ireland. Am buying first French SIM in upcoming trip. Is there a preferred network by posters on this forum? And is a phone kiosk, etc. at CDG a reasonable place to purchase one or should I wait until I enter city?
Thank you to all.
Thank you to all.
Nov 26th, 2005, 09:16 AM
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I have Orange FR also called mobilcarte. From my readings, it is very much the same as SFR which is really, although they don't use the name, Vodafone FR. If I had to do it over again, I might prefer SFR as you can use vodafone vouchers in otehr vodafone countries to top up whereas with Orange FR if you're not going to be back for 8 or 9 months, you will lose the number unless you buy a recharge slip before you leave....
Other than that, it's probably 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. You can look at www.prepaidgsm.net for more explanations of the policies of them or throw the question open on the Europe forum there where there are some real experts who are capable of giving you a better answer than mine.
Other than that, it's probably 6 of one and half a dozen of the other. You can look at www.prepaidgsm.net for more explanations of the policies of them or throw the question open on the Europe forum there where there are some real experts who are capable of giving you a better answer than mine.
Nov 26th, 2005, 11:50 AM
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xyz123, I apologize for not acknowledging your help before I posted a follow-up question. As I am new to this board, I'm working my way through some eccentricities of the search process here.
I see from past postings that you must be the resident expert on European cell phones, and I am honored you helped me so immediately. I thank you for your immediate reference to the www.prepaidgsm.net. In my follow-up to that board, I seem to have run into a general impression that one has to be a resident of France in order to get a SIM number. I am trying to post a party named "elsiejune" here, who seems to have had some luck at a Relay store, one I think that is at CDG 1.
Again, I apologize for not thanking you right away before I posted another question.
Charles
I see from past postings that you must be the resident expert on European cell phones, and I am honored you helped me so immediately. I thank you for your immediate reference to the www.prepaidgsm.net. In my follow-up to that board, I seem to have run into a general impression that one has to be a resident of France in order to get a SIM number. I am trying to post a party named "elsiejune" here, who seems to have had some luck at a Relay store, one I think that is at CDG 1.
Again, I apologize for not thanking you right away before I posted another question.
Charles
Nov 26th, 2005, 12:23 PM
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I don't know where you got the idea you need be a resident of France to buy a French prepaid sim...I bought mine and was asked for nothing. I believe currently, but I wouldn't bet on this, you need a passport and they will register it for you...
I use Orange FR and their coverage and service is excellent throughout the country and believe it or not works on most Metro lines..I've actually received calls from home while on the Metro.
Their rates for calls to North America are not cheap...around €0,80/minute although calls are timed in I believe 1 second intervals after the 1st minute. I use callbackworld to make my calls to North America but will have to admit that in the past, callbackworld and enlinea callbacks in France can be very sporadic...I also use riiing a great deal (which will now be called United-Mobil and had difficulty with callbackworld; but at least nothing is lost as callbackworld is free to sign up with and there is no monthly charge. They also apparently try to block calls to some ld carriers...at least they blocked my calls to net2phone when cbw didn't work...but for the most part, my chief interest on the road is to receive calls as cheaply as possible and you certainly can't beat free....
The prices of the sim packs are pretty standard and you won't do any better or any worse by getting it at the airport other than you will be able to set yourself up much more quickly if you buy it at the airport.
One other difference might be this....most of the vodafone companies allow you to set your voice menus in English you know things like setting up voice mail...at least the Vodafone ones I have from the pre riiing era in Holland and in Germany do (as does the one in Ireland but that's hardly a surprise, you wouldn't think it would only be in Gaelic)...I've been told Vodafone Italy does also and somebody told me a couple of the non Italian sims do as well as the Polish sims. Riiing does too.
However Orange FR used to have a code you could press to get some of the voice commands in English, they no longer do....SFR being a Vodafone company might...but you would have to ask the person selling you the sim card how this is done if it's important to you....
I use Orange FR and their coverage and service is excellent throughout the country and believe it or not works on most Metro lines..I've actually received calls from home while on the Metro.
Their rates for calls to North America are not cheap...around €0,80/minute although calls are timed in I believe 1 second intervals after the 1st minute. I use callbackworld to make my calls to North America but will have to admit that in the past, callbackworld and enlinea callbacks in France can be very sporadic...I also use riiing a great deal (which will now be called United-Mobil and had difficulty with callbackworld; but at least nothing is lost as callbackworld is free to sign up with and there is no monthly charge. They also apparently try to block calls to some ld carriers...at least they blocked my calls to net2phone when cbw didn't work...but for the most part, my chief interest on the road is to receive calls as cheaply as possible and you certainly can't beat free....
The prices of the sim packs are pretty standard and you won't do any better or any worse by getting it at the airport other than you will be able to set yourself up much more quickly if you buy it at the airport.
One other difference might be this....most of the vodafone companies allow you to set your voice menus in English you know things like setting up voice mail...at least the Vodafone ones I have from the pre riiing era in Holland and in Germany do (as does the one in Ireland but that's hardly a surprise, you wouldn't think it would only be in Gaelic)...I've been told Vodafone Italy does also and somebody told me a couple of the non Italian sims do as well as the Polish sims. Riiing does too.
However Orange FR used to have a code you could press to get some of the voice commands in English, they no longer do....SFR being a Vodafone company might...but you would have to ask the person selling you the sim card how this is done if it's important to you....
Nov 26th, 2005, 01:59 PM
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You don't need to be a resident of France to buy a SIM card. I've bought two in the past 8 years. I do have a house in France, but am not a resident, and no one who ever sold me a SIM card or helped with a phone problem ever even asked what country I was a resident of. Nor have they ever asked for a passport or other ID.
I've had Orange SIM cards and have never had a problem with them. You can have the Orange rep set the phone menu to English if need be, so that's not a problem.
I've had Orange SIM cards and have never had a problem with them. You can have the Orange rep set the phone menu to English if need be, so that's not a problem.
Nov 26th, 2005, 03:03 PM
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Hi St. Cirq...
The phone menu yes but I e mailed Orange about three or four months ago to have the voice menus set to English and they replied, now they of course could always be wrong, that the voice menus could not be.
The phone menus themselves can be set on the phone, with most Nokia phones it's in the settings, things such as ring tones, profiles, dates, etc.
The problem is, for example, in setting up voice mail when the voice says poussez le numero 2, I know that means press 2 but it was very difficult for me to figure out how to set up my message and even then at the end of the message the voice says in French, wait for the tone or something to that effect and after the message is left you know stuff like if you wish other options press 1 in French...now of course believe me I understand nobody is obligated to set voice mesnus to English but most of the vodafone companies I have dealth with do..
Not trying to be argumentive but you may be able to speak to cs and maybe they know something to people who responded to my e mail don't.
Regards,
xyz123
The phone menu yes but I e mailed Orange about three or four months ago to have the voice menus set to English and they replied, now they of course could always be wrong, that the voice menus could not be.
The phone menus themselves can be set on the phone, with most Nokia phones it's in the settings, things such as ring tones, profiles, dates, etc.
The problem is, for example, in setting up voice mail when the voice says poussez le numero 2, I know that means press 2 but it was very difficult for me to figure out how to set up my message and even then at the end of the message the voice says in French, wait for the tone or something to that effect and after the message is left you know stuff like if you wish other options press 1 in French...now of course believe me I understand nobody is obligated to set voice mesnus to English but most of the vodafone companies I have dealth with do..
Not trying to be argumentive but you may be able to speak to cs and maybe they know something to people who responded to my e mail don't.
Regards,
xyz123
Nov 27th, 2005, 05:14 AM
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I thank both of you, StCirq and xyz123, for your continued assistance.
Some of the so-called international cell phone "advice" websites said that it was important to buy a French SIM before one left because one must be a resident. That did not sound right to me, a fact that you two have confirmed. I suspect it is a ploy to drum up Telestial and CellularOne prepaid SIM business.
I suspect that since one cannot recharge a SIM in a tabac unless one had a French phone number (aka, a French SIM), that so-called "truth" is being used to create a 50% markup on the card.
It is a relief to know that my biggest obstacle now is only to practice my little French speech to the store clerk and to shop for comparative prices on a ringback card. Again, I am most appreciative of your taking the time to help.
Some of the so-called international cell phone "advice" websites said that it was important to buy a French SIM before one left because one must be a resident. That did not sound right to me, a fact that you two have confirmed. I suspect it is a ploy to drum up Telestial and CellularOne prepaid SIM business.
I suspect that since one cannot recharge a SIM in a tabac unless one had a French phone number (aka, a French SIM), that so-called "truth" is being used to create a 50% markup on the card.
It is a relief to know that my biggest obstacle now is only to practice my little French speech to the store clerk and to shop for comparative prices on a ringback card. Again, I am most appreciative of your taking the time to help.
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