French SIM card

Any ideas where I can get a comparison of French Pay As You Go SIM cards? Or does anyone know which company does good deals?

I%26#39;m looking for a good SIM for voice calls (French domestic) and perhaps also a data plan.

Thank you!

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If you have an unlocked, GSM phone with 900 MHz and 1800 MHz capability, purchase a Breizh SIM from PhoneHouse. Cost is 6.90€. Minutes are sold prepaid in increments of 5€, 52 minutes for 10€ or .19€/min. There is never a charge for inbound calls.

www.phonehouse.fr

Data plans have generally required a one year commitment but you can try Virgin which has a 89€/month data plan with no commitment:

virginmobile.fr/nos-offres/forfaits-sans-eng…

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Thank you, that%26#39;s just the information I was looking for although I don%26#39;t see that specific card on the site. The Virgin Veryvoix looks okay.

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My husband has a French SIM from Leclerc supermarket. It%26#39;s good value, and provided you don%26#39;t have a number you wish to transfer it%26#39;s fairly quick to set up. They did all that was necessary. You do need a French address for this, and identification, though.

GG

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I%26#39;m really just looking for something I can buy %26#39;off the shelf%26#39; and pop straight in to my unlocked phone.

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I suggested the Leclerc way as you seem to be in France a lot, and it never expires, unlike many ways of buying PAYG; my husband reminds me that there is a small monthly charge for it after about a year, depending on terms and conditions at the time of purchase.

I have an Orange SIM which I put in my phone on arrival in France. I buy top ups at French supermarkets or tabacs. I buy according to how long we%26#39;re going to be there each trip, as they expire after a certain length of time, depending on how much you pay. This seems to work for me OK, but I%26#39;m thinking of changing to Leclerc.

I bought the SIM in an electrical shop, and had to give an address; the only one we had was a B %26amp; B we were staying at, which was OK, and no identification was required.

GG

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All of the big box retailers now sell their own SIM card products:

E. Leclerc

http://www.leclercmobile.fr/

uses the SFR network

__________

Carrefour

http://mobile.carrefour.fr/

uses Orange

__________

Auchan

http://www.auchantelecom.fr/

uses SFR

These can be a good value but overall they are not the cheapest and you%26#39;ll probably need to visit one of their stores to purchase recharge minutes.

Several other options include:

__________

Tele2

http://www.tele2mobile.fr/

uses the Orange network

__________

NRJ

http://www.nrjmobile.fr/visiteur/index.html

uses the SFR network

__________

OMER Telecom

http://www.breizhmobile.com/

uses Orange

__________

M6 Mobile

http://www.m6mobile.fr/

uses orange

__________

Simpelo

http://www.simpleo.com/

uses SFR

__________

However that cheapest both in up-front SIM cost and usage per minute costs that I have found is with Breizh as noted above.

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I%26#39;ve got an SFR sim card %26quot;La Carte%26quot;. I keep it current (needs to be topped up at least every six months) by lending it to friends going to France. :) But the rates are nowhere near as good as the Breizh recommended by Sarastro.

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Thanks, I%26#39;m digesting all this. The Breizh card seems good value but only seems to be available in sales outlets in Brittany (figures).

It%26#39;s a nightmare. Perhaps sticking with my UK SIM isn%26#39;t such a bad idea.

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Yours sounds very good value, Sarastro. Does the time expire?

GG

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jdbri - Sarastro has consistently said the Breizh sim card is available from PhoneHouse, which has outlets everywhere (many in Paris).

However, I don%26#39;t see it listed in the list of pre-paid cards on their website:

www.phonehouse.fr/offres_operateurs.php…

Maybe they no longer sell them? That would be a pity as I was thinking about ditching my SFR sim on my next visit and getting one of these.

Sarastro - any thoughts?