Phone for France - pls help

[Tommy3putts]

Mexico now is included in most AT&T plans. Which is nice for us.

 

I will never buy a locked iPhone again for the reasons you stated. I've been a huge fan of the savings of using the local prepaid sim in The UK for our extended land vacations there.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[Hlitner]

Mexico now is included in most AT&T plans. Which is nice for us.

 

I will never buy a locked iPhone again for the reasons you stated. I've been a huge fan of the savings of using the local prepaid sim in The UK for our extended land vacations there.

 

The problem with local or national SIMS is that they are too limited. For example, we have an upcoming cruise that goes to the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Russia, and Iceland! MOBAL Sims do work in that situation, but you cannot keep your own phone number and there are data limitations. One could purchase a local SIM in each country...but you would get a different phone number in each country!

 

For the past 10 years we have carried a MOBAL phone (with a UK phone number) that works in about 200 countries. But it is a basic phone (although you can text) and it costs about $1.25 per minute for calls. The big advantage of the T-Mobile account is that it works in all those countries, there is no extra cost (above our normal $50 per month US cost) and we keep our USA phone number. We can forward our home phone to the cell number and everyone can reach us via our regular cell number. The extra cost is 20 cents per minute. Hard to beat.

 

Yes, we understand that some folks (especially young people that are totally addicted to the internet) simply want 4LTE or high speed all the time. We could care less :). As long as our phone and text works, and we have access to data...we are fine. If we do need higher speed to stream text or video we simply wait until we can log onto a decent WiFi signal. Our AMEX card gives us free access to BOINGO which can be found around the world. And of course there are our hotels, good ole McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. Since we are out of the country about 6 months a year, messing around with multiple SIMS is just not practical, and would be a Royal pain in the behind.

 

Hank

[Langoustine]

I agree, Hank. When out of the country, I carry two flip-phones; one has the Mobal SIM card in it, the other has the SIM cards I buy in each country for the local calls I need to make to hotels, taxis, etc. There is a message on my US landline and Consumer Cellular cell phone telling people that if they absolutely need to reach me they must call the Mobal UK number (which is free to me for incoming calls); my close friends and relatives also get the Mobal US number (which does cost me for incoming calls, so I make it very clear that somebody better be deathly ill or dead before they call me on that number). For our next trip in the fall, I'm looking into getting a dual-SIM phone, which I figure will cut down the weight in my right pocket. But I still don't see the need (for me, at least) for a smart phone, since all I really need to do, even in the US, is send and receive voice calls; I carry an iPad Mini (wifi-only) when we're overseas, and I find I'm able to do everything I need (email, read the NY TIMES, pay bills, etc.), thanks to the wifi in our hotels.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Langoustine

[Bowie MeMe]

I am planning on only using my phone at Wi-Fi (hotels/Starbucks etc) connections and the rest of the time no phone. I am considering an ATT passport account for my I phone 6 +. I will have some computer time on the 18 day cruise (gotta pay the bills) and for the 12 days in France will have Wi-Fi in hotel lobbies at least. $60 for the middle ATT international passport . Anyone used this and is it worth the $2 day for the 30 days. I guess I am asking what I would get from the passport in reality as opposed to always looking for Wi-Fi as I have done on other long trips. Apps I use most: FB, bank, text, kindle, some general information lookup.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Mexico now is included in most AT&T plans. Which is nice for us.

 

I will never buy a locked iPhone again for the reasons you stated. I've been a huge fan of the savings of using the local prepaid sim in The UK for our extended land vacations there.

 

 

Recently, one of our older AT&T iPhones was having some screen issues (now fixed) and I stopped by the local AT&T store to check out the iPhone 6s.

 

Because we are legacy PacBell wireless residential and retired state university customers, we have a tremendous AT&T discount plan (incl. Mexico), no contract requirements, etc.

 

When I asked the rep about an outright phone purchase (no payment plan), he did not hesitate to recommend buying an unlocked phone directly from Apple and just having AT&T activate it (no charge). Got the same answer when I called AT&T

 

If we're headed overseas, we usually buy an AT&T international voice and small to mid-sized data plan* because they have what is arguably the largest partner network (even in some fairly remote locations) and the price is minimal.

 

[ * Because our preferred cruise line (Oceania) now includes free unlimited Internet, we only need AT&T (or partner) data occasionally when onshore. ]

[Tommy3putts]

The problem with local or national SIMS is that they are too limited. For example, we have an upcoming cruise that goes to the UK, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Russia, and Iceland! MOBAL Sims do work in that situation, but you cannot keep your own phone number and there are data limitations. One could purchase a local SIM in each country...but you would get a different phone number in each country!

 

 

 

For the past 10 years we have carried a MOBAL phone (with a UK phone number) that works in about 200 countries. But it is a basic phone (although you can text) and it costs about $1.25 per minute for calls. The big advantage of the T-Mobile account is that it works in all those countries, there is no extra cost (above our normal $50 per month US cost) and we keep our USA phone number. We can forward our home phone to the cell number and everyone can reach us via our regular cell number. The extra cost is 20 cents per minute. Hard to beat.

 

 

 

Yes, we understand that some folks (especially young people that are totally addicted to the internet) simply want 4LTE or high speed all the time. We could care less :). As long as our phone and text works, and we have access to data...we are fine. If we do need higher speed to stream text or video we simply wait until we can log onto a decent WiFi signal. Our AMEX card gives us free access to BOINGO which can be found around the world. And of course there are our hotels, good ole McDonalds, Starbucks, etc. Since we are out of the country about 6 months a year, messing around with multiple SIMS is just not practical, and would be a Royal pain in the behind.

 

 

 

Hank

 

 

 

Hank

 

There is a fix for the multiple international sim and corresponding phone number dilemma. It's called "RoamerApp" It's a call forwarding app. It forwards your local "home sim" phone number to the international SIM. This App allows friends and family to make and receive calls to and from your regular home cell phone number. It does cost a few cents a call when used with a prepaid international Sim card but it works like a charm. I've used it on several long land vacations and it's great!

 

Here is a link to a short video explaining

 

 

The knowroaming service I'm looking at getting has a similar call forwarding feature.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[Hlitner]

Hank

 

There is a fix for the multiple international sim and corresponding phone number dilemma. It's called "RoamerApp" It's a call forwarding app. It forwards your local "home sim" phone number to the international SIM. This App allows friends and family to make and receive calls to and from your regular home cell phone number. It does cost a few cents a call when used with a prepaid international Sim card but it works like a charm. I've used it on several long land vacations and it's great!

 

Here is a link to a short video explaining

 

 

The knowroaming service I'm looking at getting has a similar call forwarding feature.

 

Not a great option for us since we visit many different countries. And when we are on one of our extensive European driving trips, we often drive into other countries for lunch, or a few hours in the evening (such as from Strasbourg France to Baden Baden. Having to spend the time (and effort) to get separate SIMS in multiple countries, change call forwarding every time we change our SIM, etc. is just not worth the trouble. Now, we simply put our home land line on Call Forwarding to our cell number (before we leave on our trip) and are all set. To us, it just totally seamless and effort free. We have finally found the simple solution which means we can jump on a flight (or ship) to nearly anywhere without having to even think about phones. Our phone just works everywhere.

 

Hank

Edited June 12, 2016 by Hlitner

[MATHA531]

Just as an update to all of this, in a next to unbelievable move announced today, T Mobile will be offering unlimited 4g data on its simple choice plans in Europe for the months of July and August. Too bad I'm home already from my trip but the need for local sims becomes less pressing with each passing day.

[Tommy3putts]

Just as an update to all of this, in a next to unbelievable move announced today, T Mobile will be offering unlimited 4g data on its simple choice plans in Europe for the months of July and August. Too bad I'm home already from my trip but the need for local sims becomes less pressing with each passing day.

 

 

 

Saw this. Sadly it doesn't help me for my October cruise. Looking more and more like we will give "knowroaming" a try this fall.

 

Agree with each passing day the local SIM will be less important. No more roaming charges in EU as of June 2017.

[hollon]

my daughter is in france now and we are only using "Viber" we really messed up here! :( US Cellular said her samsung 6 is unlocked and to go to a phone company in Paris to get them to put in a sim card - Do you think this will work? Any advice here will really help - she is only 20 yrs old - In the meantime, I bought her a us cellular (small plan) to get her by for a little while - but expensive - If anybody can help - please do :)

[MATHA531]

my daughter is in france now and we are only using "Viber" we really messed up here! :( US Cellular said her samsung 6 is unlocked and to go to a phone company in Paris to get them to put in a sim card - Do you think this will work? Any advice here will really help - she is only 20 yrs old - In the meantime, I bought her a us cellular (small plan) to get her by for a little while - but expensive - If anybody can help - please do :)

 

Absolutely. Tell her to go to a Relay store and get a Lebarra sim card. She can read about the plans onn lebarra.fr and there is an option for English.

[hollon]

Absolutely. Tell her to go to a Relay store and get a Lebarra sim card. She can read about the plans onn lebarra.fr and there is an option for English.

 

Thank you!!!! I'm so mad I didn't do this before she left, I just texted her the information, I knew I could get my answers from cruise people :)

[Hlitner]

Had to smile at the latest T-Mobile promotion of 4G service throughout Europe for July and August. Although our T-Mobile account gets us service throughout Europe (at no additional charge other then 20 cents a min for phone calls) it normally would be at a 2 or 3G speed. As we mentioned before, T-Mobile can cost as little as $50 per month (with North American 4LTE Service) which also includes service around the world. What is nice is that we can simply hop on a plane to most countries without even thinking about phone service. Once we land, our phone just works (for both phone and data). And there are zero international roaming fees. An article in the most recent addition of "Fortune" mentions how T-Mobile is quickly growing in the USA due to its innovative service options. They recently surpassed Sprint and are now the number 3 USA phone provider (behind Verizon and ATT).

 

As to buying unlocked iPhones....that is not a problem as they are sold (unlocked) at every Apple store or online.

 

Hank

Edited July 12, 2016 by Hlitner

[Tommy3putts]

Thank you!!!! I'm so mad I didn't do this before she left, I just texted her the information, I knew I could get my answers from cruise people :)

 

 

 

If she has time, shop around. She can get any local SIM. Data plans are dirt cheap compared to US rates. I'm not familiar with all the French providers but Vodafone and Orange are two that come to mind.

[MATHA531]

If she has time, shop around. She can get any local SIM. Data plans are dirt cheap compared to US rates. I'm not familiar with all the French providers but Vodafone and Orange are two that come to mind.

 

You won't find vodafone in France. They are affiliated with SFR, however.

 

Lebarra is cheaper than either of them.

[hollon]

Had to smile at the latest T-Mobile promotion of 4G service throughout Europe for July and August. Although our T-Mobile account gets us service throughout Europe (at no additional charge other then 20 cents a min for phone calls) it normally would be at a 2 or 3G speed. As we mentioned before, T-Mobile can cost as little as $50 per month (with North American 4LTE Service) which also includes service around the world. What is nice is that we can simply hop on a plane to most countries without even thinking about phone service. Once we land, our phone just works (for both phone and data). And there are zero international roaming fees. An article in the most recent addition of "Fortune" mentions how T-Mobile is quickly growing in the USA due to its innovative service options. They recently surpassed Sprint and are now the number 3 USA phone provider (behind Verizon and ATT).

 

As to buying unlocked iPhones....that is not a problem as they are sold (unlocked) at every Apple store or online.

 

Hank

 

I've been stressed out about all this for hours, I just called TMobile and they are sending me a free sim card overnight b/c of all you said above. They said put the card in my phone and call tmobile and tell them I want the simply global plan and it's only 15.00/a month and I have 20 days to cancel if I don't want to stay w/ TMobile - Problem is I don't know if my daughter's samsung phone 6 is "unlocked" they say it is but can't say for sure. I know I'm just a mom worrying about her daughter, I just want it for gps, emergencies. Hope this works (If my daughter will get back intouch w/ me)

[hollon]

If she has time, shop around. She can get any local SIM. Data plans are dirt cheap compared to US rates. I'm not familiar with all the French providers but Vodafone and Orange are two that come to mind.

 

Thank you, I did tell her to do this as well :)

[hollon]

Sorry, I keep bothering yall about this, if my daughters phone is locked on a samsung 6, is there a way to unlock it while she is in the Orange store, can they do it? If not, can yall suggest a phone to buy over in France? Any plans, phones, etc? She's going to the store tomorrow, w/ everything going on over there, I really need some advice - thanks again, so so very much and thanks for being patient w/ me :)

[Tommy3putts]

Sorry, I keep bothering yall about this, if my daughters phone is locked on a samsung 6, is there a way to unlock it while she is in the Orange store, can they do it? If not, can yall suggest a phone to buy over in France? Any plans, phones, etc? She's going to the store tomorrow, w/ everything going on over there, I really need some advice - thanks again, so so very much and thanks for being patient w/ me :)

 

 

 

Sorry. I'm an iPhone guy. I would contact your carrier here in the US and see if they will unlock the phone for you. For example AT&T has a web site to request a factory unlock.

[hollon]

Sorry. I'm an iPhone guy. I would contact your carrier here in the US and see if they will unlock the phone for you. For example AT&T has a web site to request a factory unlock.

 

Thank you - I'll call right now

[gatorphin]

Don't know if this works for you but I just found this in France. I have AT&T and they wanted a minimum of $40 per line for 200mb data, unlimited texts, & $1/minute calling. Ummmm, NO! Found a company called travel-wife dot com where I can rent a mobile hotspot for the amount of days I need it and connect up to 10 devices with unlimited data. They deliver it to my hotel and I just pop it in the mailbox before I leave. My family all have iPhone 6S phones so we can use iMessaging and wifi calling free of charge! Problem solved. Costs me a little more than what 1 line would've cost through AT&T and the data is limited. I'll post again after my vacation next week in Paris.

[hollon]

I hope you'll share your experiences with us. I'm not sold on the T-Mobile option due to its speed limitation to 2G. I've heard mixed results so far from a friend who switched to T-mobile last year.

 

Ironically I predict this whole international data roaming issue will be history in the coming years. For example EU roaming tariffs will be gone next June.

 

Is Tmobile 2G in Europe or for the US as well?

[MATHA531]

Is Tmobile 2G in Europe or for the US as well?

 

T Mobile unlimited data is 2g in Europe (4g is available this summer through 31 August depending on your phone and its abilities). It is 4g in the USA through its LTE network which has been very much upgraded in recent years.

[Tommy3putts]

I am a AT&T customer. TMobile's US Network is growing/upgrading, but still not as good as Verizon and AT&T. The company however is rapidly growing its customer base with expanding its international presence and bold moves such as this summer's offering.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Tommy3putts

[Hlitner]

Just returned from a month in Northern Europe and thought we would provide some late info on cell phones. This was our first extended European trip using our T Mobile account (with an iPhone6). We visited quite a few different places (some quite rural) including Russia, Finland, Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Estonia. Our T-Mobile phone connected in every place and usually gave is 3-5 bars. In most places we got LTE speed with a few spots dropping to 3G (fast enough for all our needs). We used our phone as a personal "hotspot" whenever near a port (our phone would often work when within 20 miles of shore) to retrive our e-mails on our iPad (would also work on any laptop). As a result, we had no need to purchase any internet time from our ship (many complained the ship;s Wifi did not usually work).

 

Others on the ship with ATT told us they got little to no service. Those with Verizon, who paid extra for European service, had few complaints about phone service. But unlike T mobile (who provides data at no extra charge and only charges 20 cents per minute for phone calls), Verizon does have extra fees.

 

Despite extensive use of both phone (20 cents a min) and data/texting (no extra charges above our usual US monthly fee) we incurred no extra charges for roaming or otherwise. Must admit we were really surprised that our phone service was good wherever we went in rural areas of both Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

 

Hank