Mobile broadband

[Derek M]

Hi

As I'll be in France for a month during the summer I'd like to have the facility of "broadband on the move" while I'm there. I checked this out a couple of years ago and it seemed much more expensive compared to the UK and I avoided it. I'm just wondering what the current situation is and can you get decent, cheapish and reliable coverage on a pay-as-you-go option now? I'll be staying along the Cote Vermeille coast near Perpignan. Any advice would be received most gratefully.

Many thanks

Derek

[Simon-the-censored]

Hi Derek M

Here's an orange offer for their pay-as-you-go dongle for 39€. Just need to check you've got a good Orange signal near you.

Not the cheapest way of doing things but for a short stay without any contract etc - about the best you'll get.

http://boutique.orange.fr/ESHOP_mx_orange/?tp=F&ref=39008&IDCible=1&type=11&donnee_appel=ORESH

Simon :-)

[Derek M]

Thanks for that. As you say it is probably OK for a month. My French isn't quite up to the task and I can't see how much it costs to recharge the 3G+ and how much surf time one gets with a recharge. And it might be difficult to get the 30€ reimbursement as I'll be in different addresses while in France and I wonder would they send it to the UK? Nothing is ever simple when people are trying to get money from you, is it [:D]

[Quillan]

Orange have a dedicated English speaking Sales and Helpdesk number, you can use the link below to find it.

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1801254/ShowPost.aspx

Hope that helps.

[Derek M]

Great, thanks!

[Roddy]

An alternative is a new service from Abroadband.

You buy their dongle for just under £50 & the it's 59 cents a MB - you just pay when you use it, no monthly charge, etc.

You need an Orange FR or SFR signal to use it in France

See http://www.abroadband.com/en/GB/home for details.

I'm thinking of buying one as it seems to be cheaper for my needs (in Brittany 10 -12 weeks annually).

Has anyone else tried it?

Many thanks.

[Théière]

Go buy it Roddy and let us know, sounds good [:)]

[EuroTrash]

[quote user="Derek M"] it might be difficult to get the 30€ reimbursement as I'll be in different addresses while in France and I wonder would they send it to the UK[/quote] Usually with these cashback deals the only way they will do it is to credit it into a French bank account. In my experience McDo or other interet cafes are by far the quickest and most reliable and hassle-free way to get a connection when you are travelling, not to mention the cheapest.

[BJSLIV]

Now I always get my megabytes and gigabytes confused, but I think there are 1024 megabytes in a gigabyte.

This dongle charges you 59cents for each megabyte.

In a month I get through about 15 Gigabytes just for normal surfing , emails etc, no heavy Torrenting etc.

Assuming I could restrain myself to 10% of that usage while in France that amounts to about 358 megabytes per week just over 210 Euros per week.

I think I will stick with line rental and basic Orange!

[britgirl]

I've got a 3 mobile internet dongle,(monthly contract) which I use in the U.K. Has anyone had any experience of using their UK dongle in France?.

Thanks

[EuroTrash]

Using internet on roaming would probably cost you a small fortune and on a contract you won't find out how much it has cost until you get your bill. I suspect it wouldn't take long to get through 100 pounds. At least with payg you know when your credit is used up.

[Quillan]

[quote user="EuroTrash"][quote user="Derek M"] it might be difficult to get the 30€ reimbursement as I'll be in different addresses while in France and I wonder would they send it to the UK[/quote] Usually with these cashback deals the only way they will do it is to credit it into a French bank account. In my experience McDo or other interet cafes are by far the quickest and most reliable and hassle-free way to get a connection when you are travelling, not to mention the cheapest.[/quote]

Sometimes you don't have to go that far. In my local town square I can pick up severn or eight different personal wireless networks and out of that lot at least three have no security. [;-)]

[Simon-the-censored]

[quote user="britgirl"]

I've got a 3 mobile internet dongle,(monthly contract) which I use in the U.K. Has anyone had any experience of using their UK dongle in France?.

Thanks

[/quote]

Vodaphone charge £9.99 a day for up to 50MB usage - very very expensive.

Simon

[Roddy]

Yes, it depends on how you use it BJSLIV.

For someone like me who isn't resident in France & just needs to check email, it should be cheaper than the alternatives.

I'd never surf at that price!

[Jacqui Too]

 

I have the same problem as the OP, I need a mobile Broadband P A Y G,
Last time I was over I brought my laptop hoping to keep in touch with emails and my 'watch list' on eBay[;-)] I brought with me my 3 dongle from home (which was quiet resonable when I needed BB for 3 weeks when we had no phone) topped it up with £20 foreign use, the first time I used it I had reasonable signal but after 13 mins I had used £7 + [:-))] so only two more short connection and I was done! not doing that again thank you! If I had got the samish value for money tarif as back home I would have been happy.

I need about 1 hour a day on mobile BB whilst in France, any other services out there?

 

 

 

[Simon-the-censored]

Simple , for an hour a day just pick up a PAYG dongle in any of the French network operator shops (see above in post), or on-line, or in, most large supermarkets.

Or - just go and put yourself in a free wifi hotspot for an hour a day (e.g. any McDonalds, hotels etc) - again full maps and details available on-line.

Never use a UK dongle in France - costs a fortune.

Simon