Cell Phones for France

Update: 3/2019
So much has changed in the years since I originally wrote this post so I thought I'd update it.

Most people have a smart phone of some sort. And many of them are global ready - just check your phone's specs or call your carrier. Most (if not all) carriers also have some sort of international plan so be sure to check with them to find out about coverage, pricing, etc. And don't forget family members left at home. They need to have call access to France. You may need to activate their accounts with international access so they can call you if needed, just as back up.

Then their are app, so many that I can't list them all. But I do have WhatsApp and Messenger which I'll be trying out for when I'm on Wi-fi, standard in most places you rent now.

While I miss the ease of that cute little phone (below) that fit into my hand, I do like having the smartphone. It takes great photos (though I still carry my camera) and does many of the things I used to need my laptop for. And it saves space for books and has amazing mapping abilities.

Just be warned: don't be glued to it and use proper social etiquette when using it in public. Look up and enjoy the sights and people!
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I've had Call In Europe on my page for two years as a good source for getting cell phone service in France. Two years ago, I had an excellent experience with them, so easy to to deal with. I actually bought two little cell phones which came with chargers for American current and an adapter French electrical outlets, and   SIM cards

In case SIM card means nothing to you, per WiseGeek, SIM cards are: "A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card is a portable memory chip used mostly in cell phones that operate on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network. These cards hold the personal information of the account holder, including his or her phone number, address book, text messages, and other data.") 

Once activated, Call in Europe billed us, at a very reasonable cell rate, for what we used. I let the account lag when I got back (per the instructions) and expected that when I was ready, I would simply reactivate the account again.

But the 1-800 number routes you to France. And although I speak decent French, there was NO WAY I could understand the automated voice on the other end except to "press 2" if you wanted blah de blah blah, etc. The email I sent in English was replied to in French (and said to call), and when I left my phone number (the cell that will accept international calls - since you must set that up with your carrier,) I never received a call back. 

So - disappointingly, off they go from my list. 

So what will I do? After a bit of panic, since I really want each adult to have a cell phone while in Paris, I have purchased some prepaid SIM cards from Amazon. Yes, don't they just have everything??

Now I can charge up the phones before I leave, AND have a French phone number to distribute to my family on this side of the Pond. All calls from them will be free for me, and we pay a reasonable rate for calls to each other and also to numbers outside of France. 

I chose Orange as the cell company. It is a the flagship mark for France Telecom and has been around a long time. When (if) we need more minutes, we will go to an Orange cellular store or a Tabac and buy more minutes. Just like in the States, you call the number carrier's number, enter the code you just bought, and the minutes will be added to the SIM card automatically! I have the option of having my US calls routed to my French phone - but I just say NO to that idea!! This plan also includes 3G internet, but we won't need that.

If you don't need a phone number ahead of time, your least expensive option is just to buy an inexpensive pay-as-you-go cell phone when you land. Unless you travel internationally a lot, your phone will most likely not work in Europe - contact your carrier if you don't know. If it does, you'll just buy a SIM card. Be warned - you will probably have to do the purchase in French, so I suggest you look up the vocabulary before hand. These options are generally much more affordable than bringing your phone from the US (provided you have a tri-band phone) and using your carrier's international plan. 

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