 Poster: A snowHead
|
Can anybody please advise me on PAYG costs on French Mobile Networks?.
We may have a couple or three trips next season and I was considering using our spare phones (unlocked) and installing French Sim cards as a cheaper option that using UK roaming facilities.
Bas
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
|
|
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?
|
^ 
Orange mobicarte (PAYG) is 30 euros in the shops and 15 euros online. If you think you'll rack much more than that in roaming costs, then probably worth grabbing one. Virgin Mobile is also new here and their plans are substantially better than Orange, so that's worth looking at also.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Also bear in mind that a foreign SIM will pick up any network that is available whilst a local one will only work with one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Basil, Have you looked at http://www.sim4travel.com/
Same as having a local country SIM i.e. free incoming calls. I have used successfully in France and Austria. Saves having different SIMS.
Not sure how the prices compares to other operators now though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Basil wrote: |
Can anybody please advise me on PAYG costs on French Mobile Networks?.
We may have a couple or three trips next season and I was considering using our spare phones (unlocked) and installing French Sim cards as a cheaper option that using UK roaming facilities.
Bas |
Did a season last year and didn't really think it was worth as costs were some 40c / minute. I don't think I spent more than about 20 quid each month on calls and that was with quite a few 'meet at lift at 10:30 sms and 'where are you calls' but lets look at some recent figures and I'll ignore the Vodafone 'free deal', as it isn't necessarily going to be in place for next winter season
This PDF is a recent Orange.fr tariff plan from earlier this year, and it's 55c for a call and some 10c for a text which @ 1.16 euros to the gpb, comes to around 47p. O2 roaming gives a price of 35p per minute for all calls in zone (similar to the Orange deal). On o2 you're texts are free too, provided they're inside your bundle - you're charged at a rate of 4 to 1. It's 18p per minute to receive calls on O2 so if you both had O2 mobiles and one rang the other then you'd be paying 53p on O2 mobiles roaming (in total) compared with a 47p.
The French Prepays also have shockingly short validity periods (also in the PDF) but you'll need to topup with more than 15 euro for it to be able to last between trips.
Don't really think it's worth the hassle anymore, unless of course
(a) you need to receive lots of calls from home
(b) you need/want a local mobile if you're looking for work.
(c) you're going to be spending all day pretending you're Tarquin and Tabatha in Courchevel...No I'm on the white piste dahling...
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
you can go into the Carrefour pay €15 and walk out with a new handset & PAYG sim card - just thought I'd add current PAYG prices it into the debate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What Marcellus said. Le Clerc do one too, and the money on it doesn't run out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
Helen Beaumont, do you mean that the credit you put on the phone lasts a long time? We use our mobiles rather little, and have never bought a French SIM because of the ludicrous validity times - we'd have to try really hard to use up the credit before it expired.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
pam w, yes. It doesn'r expire nearly so quickly. I haven't bought one myself yet , as LeClerc is quite a way to drive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I don't think the Bouygtel credit expires in a short time either if you buy on line and get the right tarif........in fact just checked up the receipt from Mrs M top up for €10 which I did today and expires 16th March 2010..... I could have only topped up with €5 too!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
| marcellus wrote: |
| I don't think the Bouygtel credit expires in a short time either if you buy on line and get the right tarif........in fact just checked up the receipt from Mrs M top up for €10 which I did today and expires 16th March 2010..... I could have only topped up with €5 too!!! |
A bouygues 10 E credit expires in 15 days.  , that may not be important to you, you can keep your number for 8 months after.
http://www.carte.bouyguestelecom.fr/catalogueformules.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
davidof, just relooked at the reciept and I will amend my previous post to say that the €10 I bought yesterday expires on the 14th September so that's valid for 3 months... my mistake.
Which is what the table you linked to says!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Helen Beaumont, I did look at that, but my eyes glazed over a bit at the sight of the complex tarif, which seems to depend on useage. I must have another look when I'm feeling stronger. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
| marcellus wrote: |
davidof, just relooked at the reciept and I will amend my previous post to say that the €10 I bought yesterday expires on the 14th September so that's valid for 3 months... my mistake.
Which is what the table you linked to says!! |
On the link I can only see 15 days for €10
10€ 20min 83 SMS 15 jours
are you sure the receipt doesn't mean you have to enter the code before teh 14th September?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
TBH I am totally confused now... I see exactly what you're saying davidof, and agree with you on the €10 15 days validity from the site but............ bollox and double bollox I was looking at my receipt for €25 not Mrs M for €10 (I did them both on the same day).... she's going to peeved at me!
I've never looked before this topic... might have to reconsider what we do for phones 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| davidof wrote: |
| marcellus wrote: |
davidof, just relooked at the reciept and I will amend my previous post to say that the €10 I bought yesterday expires on the 14th September so that's valid for 3 months... my mistake.
Which is what the table you linked to says!! |
On the link I can only see 15 days for €10
10€ 20min 83 SMS 15 jours
|
On those rates that's 50c per minute ~ = 43p - kind of proves my point that it's not really worth it for short term stays..
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Basil, I now use a sim4travel card, I did have a french SIM from Bouygtel, gave it up for two reasons, short expiry of credit and my french wasn't good enough to manage the top ups! We have a couple of sim4travel ones which we use in any country. With the french SIM we didn't use it enough and probably wasted some credit.manicpb, makes a good point in that roaming in Europe is changing and worth waiting to see what happens after the summer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| marcellus wrote: |
bollox and double bollox I was looking at my receipt for €25 not Mrs M for €10 (I did them both on the same day).... she's going to peeved at me!
|
well if it cheers you up I just bought a 60 euro recharge, thought I was set for 6 months, I don't call much. Tonight I'm in the French jura. Wife calls and chats for 20 minutes then an urgent work call, after about 10 minutes the phone cuts off. Very odd I thought. Tried calling out to get told my credit was out. My phone had locked onto a Swiss signal despite the fact that the Bouygtel signal was the strongest. So I got hit for roaming charges at whatever extortionate rate the French charge. 60 euros blown into thin air. My phone always locks onto the signal that costs me most !
bollox bollox and mega bollax. French phones are a total rip, hopefully Virgin, Auchan, le Clerc and co will shake things up but it is a bit of a cartel. 3G Internet charges are worse. We got stung for 600 euros on the work computer when the 3G card locked onto a French signal from Switzerland. That for an hours internet usage!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
^ i feel your pain... the french mobile market is shocking. i've probably lost 150+ euros worth of credit over the last few couple of years purely because of ridiculous validity periods. what you get for contract phones compared to the UK and north america is just as bad.
i think the upstarts will push things along a little bit. a couple of weeks ago when i was looking for a new phone the staff in different stores were very forceful about recommending virgin mobile for longer validity, cheaper rates, etc. as much as they hate competition here sometimes, the big players will have to take notice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
Thanks all for your replies, interesting debate. Sorry I have not responded sooner but have been away. Think I'll wait and see what happens with roaming charges nearer the time, and consider some walkie talkies instead.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
it's not really worth it for short term stays..
|
we've not yet found it worthwhile for longer stays either - though I've not properly explored that LeClerc one. We put big top ups on our UK PAYG (Tesco Mobile) in case of emergencies which demand long talking but so far it's not happened. I just got back after 6 weeks, with a £55 credit to start with, and over £53 left when I returned. We use texts wherever possible (e.g. if delayed and likely to be late home from the airport) and use the apartment landline. There are still also quite a lot of public payphones around. But then we hardly use any credit in the UK either - half the time I forget to even take my phone with me. I guess someone who's used to constantly chatting on a mobile would find it irksome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
