Calls to the UK and buying a SIM card

[Graye]

We will be living in France for a while from mid September. We will probably not have a landline in our rented house.  Can anyone recommend a mobile company where we can just buy a SIM card on PAYG please?  Is buying the SIM straightforward or do they make it as difficult as possible as in Spain (where we are now living) where you have to produce every bit of paper you ever owned to get anything done?

Here there is a cheap phone option where you can dial 902902952 before the foreign number you want to dial and the call only cost 4c per minute.  Can anyone let me know whether there is anything similar in France and whether it will work from either call boxes or mobiles please?

[Deimos]

[quote user="Graye"]

Here there is a cheap phone option where you can dial 902902952 before the foreign number you want to dial and the call only cost 4c per minute.

[/quote]

http://www.telerabais.com/index2.php - no accounts, no set-up, just use it when you want (and normally less than 4centimes per minute international. Only from a landline though

[quote user="Graye"]

Can anyone recommend a mobile company where we can just buy a SIM card on PAYG please?  Is buying the SIM straightforward or do they make it as difficult as possible as in Spain (where we are now living) where you have to produce every bit of paper you ever owned to get anything done?a

[/quote]

Pretty easy. A lost of shopping centres have outlets for all the main providers and when I took out my contract just needed some form of ID, a utility bill and a bank account (though I was going for a contract). Walked-in and a short time later walked out with my SIM and by the time I got home it was all working. I actually went for an Orange contract for 7€ per month. Cancel at any time and calls are slightly cheaper than the PAYG call rates. Easier for me as I never have to worry about topping it up (and more relevant to me is never having to worry about losing the number when the unused top-ups expire after a few months).

If you may have difficulty with a utility bill, try getting an attestation from somebody official (the Maire, a notaire so somebody and that might be accepted).

Ian

[Graye]

Thanks for that Deimos.

I looked at the Telerebais site and that looks pretty straightforward - they even give some mobile rates and information on using call boxes.  I had spent some time trawling around looking for that sort of info - it obviously isn't quite as common as in Spain where every free paper has nothing but cheap phone call systems!  I think we will try to persuade our "landlady" to have the phone connected or reconnected when she is over next month and we will just pay the cost.  I found this information on this, does it look about right in terms of cost please?  http://www.parisfranceguide.com:81/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=32

A contract with the mobile might be more difficult as we had not originally planned on opening a French bank account (we can use cash cards drawing on our Spanish account).  We will not have utility bills as the rent is inclusive but thanks for the idea about getting some sort of official acknowledgement to cover that aspect.  I'll try to find out more about PAYG or just rely on our Spanish mobile and check out the Telefonica site for rate info.

Talking of French bank accounts - are they easy to open? (In Spain the banks have to open an account for you by law but I also remember the UK system where they make it almost impossible).  I did wonder whether one might not be such a bad idea if for no other reason than to get hold of one of those cards everyone uses in the self-service petrol stations.  I live in dread of needing fuel and being in France on a Sunday!

[YCCMB]

You could try NRJ mobile. I'm not sure, but I think I'm right in saying it's currently the only French PAYG mobile company offering PAYG where your credit remains valid as long as you use the phone once every 6 months. Most of the other PAYG providers still operate on a "use it or lose it" system where your credit is only valid for a fixed time (e.g. Orange France €10 credit is only valid for 2 weeks.) NRJ's SIM only deal only costs you €15 and you can order it for delivery to a French address over the internet, or in person from Carrefour, Darty and a couple of other places. However, I don't think you can pay over the net with a non-French credit card. In fact, I know you can't 'cos I tried and failed.[:$]

[Cassis]

I can second what Croixblanches has written - NRJ is an easily obtained PAYG SIM.

[Deimos]

 

[quote user="Graye"]

Talking of French bank accounts - are they easy to open? (In Spain the banks have to open an account for you by law but I also remember the UK system where they make it almost impossible).  I did wonder whether one might not be such a bad idea if for no other reason than to get hold of one of those cards everyone uses in the self-service petrol stations.  I live in dread of needing fuel and being in France on a Sunday!

[/quote]

I had no problems opening one (in fact I opened one whilst I was in the UK then a 2nd when I moved to France).

When I lived in the UK I opened my French account with Britline. It was pretty easy, no need to go to the offices (in Caen), etc. all done via the post and all with no French address. You may find it easier to do that from you current Spain address where you have utility bills, etc. if you have time before you move as it might be harder once in France with no "utility bills", etc. You do have to pay for the French cards (at least I have to pay and keep paying for both of mine). Some people have had bad experiences with Britline but I've never had any problems.

I agree about the cards though. I have no idea if Spanish cards are accepted. From what others say the UK Chip and Pin are OK in some places but not others.

Ian