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Best mobile set up for season in France.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi, Apologies for being unable to search this one( living on site in caravan with only mobile) My lad is working this season in France, and has contract with Vodafone until the spring. Is it best to buy a French pay as you go sim for this phone, or is there a better solution. Thank you
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
le French mobile is one of the easiest, redbysfr is probably cheaper, or you can just buy a payg sim from a lot of places. if he doesn't speak any French it'll be difficult to navigate though. lefrenchmobile will suit him better.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Most UK provides now include the EU in their plan, admittedly you will not quite get all the data you'd have in the UK, but I still get all my unlimited texts and calls included and enough data.
Worth looking at to see if he already has it with his Vodafone deal or if it would be possible for him to upgrade it maybe?
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Vodafone Eurotraveller is £3 per day , so it would work out expensive over the season. They didn't include it in plans at my last upgrade, but that may have changed. 3's Feel at Home seems to be the best UK deal.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hells Bells wrote:
Vodafone Eurotraveller is £3 per day , so it would work out expensive over the season. They didn't include it in plans at my last upgrade, but that may have changed. 3's Feel at Home seems to be the best UK deal.


I upgraded with Vodafone recently and have it included. I do think it is dependant on which 'plan' you take out though, and it is always worth haggling a little bit and playing them off against each other, saved 50% on my deal by doing so.
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3s feel at home has been brilliant for me when in France. I'm paying 18pm and can pretty much use the same as here. I think now you pay 21ish for the same unlimited data but that works great especially if you use FaceTime or the google equivalent
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I researched this extensively last year. Best UK solution is idmobile (Carphone warehouse network using 3) takeaway. Unlimited use of UK plan in about 30 countries. I've used it for 10 months out of the last 12 in France. According to 3's t&c's you can't use unlimited.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I think you're best in foinding out which French provider has a good signal in the resort where your lad is and then by a cheap PAYG for that network.

Whilst you may (or may not) get 3s Feel at home for the duration or pay £3 per day (£450 for the season) to Vodaphone to use UK allowance his mates won't appreciate having to call/text a UK mobile number to find out what time he's getting to the lift or pub!
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Worth having a dual SIM phone with UK and French sims.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I think 3's Feels Like Home is limited to 30 days of overseas travel per year; so says a family member who spends a lot of time abroad and fell foul of that fact!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@Charliegolf, We used 3 feel at home while cycletouring in France and Spain for 3 months this summer - on the contract phone no problems for full three months, but on a PAYG SIM in a tablet roaming was blocked after 2 months.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Now that you mention it, hers is PAYG, and 60 days does ring a bell.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Thanks, all good feedback. Looks like the rest of the Vodafone contract is a write-off with their charges. French sim in resort then, I guess
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
There is a new French network called "Free" check it out.
People were queuing out the door to pick up a PAYG sim card from their shop in Nice a few weeks ago.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Is nobody going to mention Whatsapp? No data obviously but free calls and texts.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Whatsapp isn't a phone network and without a connection U can't use what's app.

As it's meant for UK residents who travel rather than people living abroad, the official line on 3 Feel At Home is that it will be cut off if used exclusively abroad over 2 consecutive billing cycles.
It seems, from above, that this may not always the case in practice though.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@cstreat, have a read of the T/Cs and try and potentially find a more detailed on.

However having looked at the Vodafone site, it does not say anything about having it used exclusively abroad (would check).
Also if you brought a unlimited plan you would not be charged for calls / texts to other numbers within the Euro traveller zone, and if you didnt have unlimited it would just come out of you allowance, which with most is ridiculous amount now. Obviously if you then had data you could use whatsapp, but thats not really the point as you need a plan that won't charge for doing so.

I have always found Vodafone to have fairly good signal in the EU since it is a multi national company with its own networks out there too.

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/explore/costs/travelling-abroad/inclusive-roaming/index.htm

Saying all that, try googling some French mobile phone companies and see what they have to offer price / allowance wise.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@DrLawn, Free isn't at all new. But they are quite innovative on pricing.
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The cheap(er) French phone companies piggy back on the larger networks just like in the UK. Off the top of my head this includes Free (actually been around for years cf above) , Prixtel and La Poste. You can get really cheap monthly or PAYG deals with them but have to be careful about phoning foreign numbers, especially mobiles as the costs quickly ramp up (but not as much as if you are stupid enough to leave Google maps and data roaming switched on when travelling over the border to Geneva airport rolling eyes !)
As already mentioned the most important thing is to see what networks are best where you are skiing.
Our Prixtel SIM is cheap but the signal on our local hill is lousy.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@admin, Thanks for your comments, it's my plan to use WhatsApp for the season so I'll let you know how it goes!
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From the experience both my kids had doing seasons. They both had EE contracts that allowed you to use minutes and texts abroad - my son already had it on his contract, and we upgraded my daughter's before she went, it was an extra £3 per month I think (but we weren't allowed to downgrade it again when she got back).
They both found that the companies they were working for (Crystal and Inghams) provided a french mobile per chalet, so a lot of arranging meeting up etc got done on those.
For both of them, relying on whatsapp would not have worked well, as neither had wifi in their accommodation, and when they were in their chalets they were working so there was no chance to use the chalet wifi. Changeover day was the only realistic day to use wifi.
Hard to know what is the best option until you know what the set up will be in resort, and if most people have uk mobiles, they won't want to be calling you on a french one.
Also, roaming charges are so low now (whilst we're still in the eu...), that unless you are going to have long chats on the phone, moderate use isn't going to cost all that much. Just so long as you opt out of the £3 per day in the EU kind of options.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
kelse wrote:
@admin, Thanks for your comments, it's my plan to use WhatsApp for the season so I'll let you know how it goes!
Yes, but to use it, you will need a data connection. Either via wifi or over a phone network. If you happen to have crap wifi or if you want to communicate when away from your wifi you'll need to have an affordable data plan for your phone.
This topic is about how best to get that affordable plan.

OTOH, you may have so much money that £3/mb is not a worry to you and you can Whatsapp to your heart's content using your UK contract on standard roaming rates, shrugging off the £1000 bill for your time in La Tania Wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
For calls you best bet is to squeeze the best out of your existing companies' roaming and data add-ons. In France ou can also get a PAYG data SIM and combine it with a 3G or 4G dongle for your Whatsapp, but this will be expensive. Most people go to a bar with Free Wifi and shout at their phones over a few beers.

www.sosh.fr works on a mont by month 'no contract' price plan and is great if you are non-resident. Most phone companies won't accept you on a price plan of you aren't resident (which you won't be). You may also have difficulty paying with a foreign bank card.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
admin wrote:
OTOH, you may have so much money that £3/mb is not a worry to you


I've tethered my laptop to my phone to catch up on some work. MS updates immediately sucked up £40-worth of data transfer. Ouch. Won't do that one again.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Back in the day, when most mountain people thought the internet was just some weird thing that city folk thought they needed, being in resort for the EoSB and a few days or the week beforehand, would cost me £400 in data!
...and believe me, I'd shopped around for the best deal there was!

Though not necessary, it's still quite possible to rack up bills like that if you're not careful. Case in point:the Japanese athlete who got a bill for £3700 for playing Pokemon Go in Rio.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
This is how I manage based on only 9 weeks in UK in last year. Some relevant to seasonnaires, some to longer term, owners etc.

Mobile - idmobile sim only £15/month. 500 mins/5000 texts/1Gb. Unlimited use of plan in 29 countries so calls to UK numbers covered and full use of data allowance. It is expensive for french mobiles to call me but cheap for me to call them. Also use whatsapp and FB Messenger extensively. Speech only really possible with wifi.

Fixed/Broadband - I have Orange Broadband (only 10Mb possible) with à fixed line in my apartment, 37€/month. Calls via IP are free to fixed lines in about 100 countries. Also gives me access to Orange Wifi whilst out and about where it exists.

I tend to make calls to UK or French fixed via phone in apartment. Calls to UK mobiles via my UK mobile. To french mobiles it is actually cheaper via my UK mobile than french fixed. For long frequent calls to french mobiles I use whatsapp or FB Messenger but usually pre-arranged from my apartment with wifi.

Works well for me Very Happy
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Thanks for all the valueable advice
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
The new 4GEE Max Plans allow max 15Gb month roaming and unlimited consecutive months in many countries. 15Gb plan is £35.99 but includes a phone eg iphone 5S. I might go for it and sell the sealed unused iphone after 6 months and a day - owned by EE for 6 months.

Free is 50Gb 4G data for €19.99 but I think less if data is 3G. Great if only in France. Also have a €2 plan, not many mb but unlimited wifi on Free hotspots.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
colinstone wrote:
The new 4GEE Max Plans allow max 15Gb month roaming and unlimited consecutive months in many countries. 15Gb plan is £35.99 but includes a phone eg iphone 5S. I might go for it and sell the sealed unused iphone after 6 months and a day - owned by EE for 6 months.

Free is 50Gb 4G data for €19.99 but I think less if data is 3G. Great if only in France. Also have a €2 plan, not many mb but unlimited wifi on Free hotspots.


I'm on 3, which works fine (as I'm back & forth, and now all the countries i travel in seem to be covered) except i think i only get 3G when roaming and tethering is not allowed.

Do we know if any of the networks have a deal like the one above that do allow tethering ( and 4G preferably)?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Went into 3 today and they reckoned Feel at Home for 60 days/year only. Really difficult to find in their T&Cs and whether they really check??

EE allows tethering. Just had a phone from Vodafone and they allow 2 or 4GB/month roaming, with tethering. Phone sucked up just under 2GB in 8/9 days with everything minimised. So returned under their 30 day guarantee.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Top marks to the young lady from Vodafone this afternoon for sorting out my issues with Eurotraveller. I called them last week and had the usual runaround, computer says no, etc etc, and was told my only option was Eurotraveller at £3 per day. I wasn't convinced, so I requested a callback from the business team, and have now been transferred to a business plan with inclusive roaming, (10Gb per month) and she is sending a mifi device to share the data, so obviously tethering is allowed. Tariff has been discounted to a similar level to my old tariff, so it will save us about £250 per year, and hubby can now text me from the supermarket without it costing £3 a go.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Does anyone know how much Free care about a permanent French postal address ?

Their website suggests that all receipts are by email but they wanted a postal address as part of the application process.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@colinstone,
Quote:

Went into 3 today and they reckoned Feel at Home for 60 days/year only. Really difficult to find in their T&Cs and whether they really check??

This summer our PAYG SIM had roaming blocked after 60 days. Our Pay Monthly ones worked for three months (the whole trip), despite the fact that their T&Cs do state 60 days only. They even messaged me to congratulate me on how much in the way of roaming charges we had saved!

As we are going for 5 months this winter we will see how long we can get away with free roaming with 3, then if it is stopped just buy a French SIM. As we only pay £8 per month to 3 we won't lose much even if we end not being able to use them for a couple of months.
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Straight out of 3's T's & c@s

"In any case, in the event the customer’s plan includes all-you-can-eat data and/or an add-on with additional data, voice or SMS the following limits per month shall apply: 
Data: 12GB, SMS: 5,000, Voice 3,000 minutes
Three may contact the customer if the above limits are exceeded in any given month.
Three reserves the right to suspend the international roaming when in a selected destination if the customer’s use exceeds any of the above limits for two (2) months within a twelve (12) month period. The service will be reinstated once the customer returns to the UK. 
This offer is intended to be used by UK residents travelling abroad, and Three reserves the right to suspend the service in the event the UK allowance is used exclusively abroad for two (2) months within a twelve (12) month period. "

@RobinS,

Seems like you will get 2 months then they may or may not stop it. If they do send the sim home get someone to use it in the UK, send it back to you and carry on.
Tethering is not allowed in "feel at home" destinations for phones. Data plans for mobile Wi-Fi devices can roam under Feel at home but with the same restrictions above.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I have used a Three 12Gb data sim off and on in France in a mifi device when the wifi in my building is not working. The sim is valid for 12 months and I have not had a problem using it on several occasions.

Currently there is an offer on Amazon for a 24GB Three data sim for £28 which is valid for 2 years from activation which is good value. Two or three of these could go a long way in a season as long as you don't hammer it.

I use a Three sim in my phone for calls and data and whilst I probably do 4 months in France every year, never much longer than two months iat one time but again never had a problem.
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