Internet for part-time Frenchies?
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susan
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Internet for part-time Frenchies?
Lets have your advice?
We are going to be having blocks of 2,3 or 4 weeks in France and wonder what is he best/cheapest way to get internet. We have a landline which is not yet connected but think the future is probably 3g. I found a 3g sim for a tablet with orange which seemed to fit the bill but a credit card registered in France was necessary. Any ideas, however wild are welcome?
Sue
Ps WE aren't looking for the ability to play games online or anything like that - just email and skype probably
We are going to be having blocks of 2,3 or 4 weeks in France and wonder what is he best/cheapest way to get internet. We have a landline which is not yet connected but think the future is probably 3g. I found a 3g sim for a tablet with orange which seemed to fit the bill but a credit card registered in France was necessary. Any ideas, however wild are welcome?
Sue
Ps WE aren't looking for the ability to play games online or anything like that - just email and skype probably
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Santiago
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There are lots of new things coming on the market at the moment. I also think, if you could buy one, a PAYG 3G SIM might be best but perhaps not the cheapest.
A lot of people are going for the "Free" service which offers internet, wifi, telephone, internet TV and a mobile phone package for a pretty reasonable monthly fee. This might work out cheaper than trying to pay just for your 3-4 week periods.
Darty have a lot of interesting packages too.
Perhaps you should pop into Darty and Boulanger when you are here and see what they've got on offer.
Alternatively, is there not a UK based 3G roaming service for your device?
A lot of people are going for the "Free" service which offers internet, wifi, telephone, internet TV and a mobile phone package for a pretty reasonable monthly fee. This might work out cheaper than trying to pay just for your 3-4 week periods.
Darty have a lot of interesting packages too.
Perhaps you should pop into Darty and Boulanger when you are here and see what they've got on offer.
Alternatively, is there not a UK based 3G roaming service for your device?
Domaine Treloar - Vineyard and Winery - www.domainetreloar.com - 04 68 95 02 29
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Sue
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We live here permanently and I am sure we are on a very expensive deal. We pay around 39€ a month for line rental and broadband only paying extra for landline calls (all with Orange/ FT) and SFR mobile calls. Could someone point us in the right direction of a better deal bearing in mind my french is only intermediate.
Dylan
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rhys
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If you own a place with a landline which you are intending to have connected, then I suspect that your cheapest solution would be to go with a basic phoneline plus internet from France Telecom.
[ Maybe someone will clarify but I think what was France Telecom has sort of changed its name to Orange ?? ]
Anyway, when I had a landline that was what I did.
The point is, with France Telecom as was, you could [ and I hope still can ] have the service as a 'Re'sidence Secondaire' . With this option you can have the line suspended, eg for six months of the year and you pay no rental for this suspended period. [ I am not sure how this works with the internet part. Would pay to enquire closely .]
I had heard about this option but always assumed it was only for people who already had one permanent line in France, but in fact this is not so. And of course the France Telecom / Orange office in Perpignan is well used to people seeking a Re's Secondaire connection.
Perhaps the situation has changed in 2012 but the last couple of years I have enquired about the Cle' thingy it has always seemed extraordinarily expensive - far far more so than in UK. Plus even if you get one, I suspect they don't work nearly as well as a fixed line connection.
Oh, and France Telecom do have an English language service - very difficult to get connected to, as it is a very small no. of staff to serve the whole of France, but I always found them very helpful once I got through. Googling 'france telecom english language service' should do the trick.
[ Maybe someone will clarify but I think what was France Telecom has sort of changed its name to Orange ?? ]
Anyway, when I had a landline that was what I did.
The point is, with France Telecom as was, you could [ and I hope still can ] have the service as a 'Re'sidence Secondaire' . With this option you can have the line suspended, eg for six months of the year and you pay no rental for this suspended period. [ I am not sure how this works with the internet part. Would pay to enquire closely .]
I had heard about this option but always assumed it was only for people who already had one permanent line in France, but in fact this is not so. And of course the France Telecom / Orange office in Perpignan is well used to people seeking a Re's Secondaire connection.
Perhaps the situation has changed in 2012 but the last couple of years I have enquired about the Cle' thingy it has always seemed extraordinarily expensive - far far more so than in UK. Plus even if you get one, I suspect they don't work nearly as well as a fixed line connection.
Oh, and France Telecom do have an English language service - very difficult to get connected to, as it is a very small no. of staff to serve the whole of France, but I always found them very helpful once I got through. Googling 'france telecom english language service' should do the trick.
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Sue
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monsans
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phone query
France telecom and Orange all require a contract for a certain period of time i.e. a year or +. SFR.fr is one where you can sign up for a land line, internet etc. and sign off with a short notice period - same as the car insurance - . I pay 31.00 euros per month with added cost if a mobile phone or outside U.K., Ireland and other countries phone me - minimum cost -.
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John & Elaine
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rhys
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If I had the option [ I don't simply because I have moved to an area of the
Camping where the nearest telegraph pole is some distance and would cost a fortune to extend ] I would revert to the Ligne Secondaire even if it meant having to pay for the internet year round.
i like using a chunky handset rather than minimalist mobiles, and the call quality is always better , not to mention less irradiation.
I suspect it would still be cheaper than the Cle' solution [ though if any provider is now doing French Cle's at reasonable prices and with a fast connection pl. let us all know ] and would work a whole lot better, esp. if you wish to Skype.
Camping where the nearest telegraph pole is some distance and would cost a fortune to extend ] I would revert to the Ligne Secondaire even if it meant having to pay for the internet year round.
i like using a chunky handset rather than minimalist mobiles, and the call quality is always better , not to mention less irradiation.
I suspect it would still be cheaper than the Cle' solution [ though if any provider is now doing French Cle's at reasonable prices and with a fast connection pl. let us all know ] and would work a whole lot better, esp. if you wish to Skype.