Data SIM in France
Does anyone know which company sells the best value data SIM (for use in a mifi) in France?
Also, which company provides the best coverage in France?
(I know that I can use a Three SIM, but wondered about French companies)
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I would have thought SFR has one of the best networks. Don't know if they have relaxed the rules but you used to have to have a French address to get anything to do with mobiles in France although I am sure there are ways round it. When I have looked in the past they have also not been particularly good value compared to the UK. Probably the best way of getting one would be to visit one of their shops in person and they would be able to set it up for you. It would seem a lot simpler just to use the Three SIM?
David
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I would agree, why make it complicated. We used 3 this summer, got a good deal on a couple of 3GB sims for our "dongle", £12 each from Amazon back in February. just used one of them, so have the other ready for next year, when it will be even better with so many countries now on the "feel at home" list.
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Before 3 started their "Feel at Home", I used to use "local SIM", so, I had SIM's for Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal. But, I see no advantage in doing this now, unless you are visiting a Country not on the "feel at home" list. On the particular
topic of French SIM PAYG cards, I used Orange-France, I found the SIM initially expensive to buy (ie 10Euro), and, very difficult to top up.In short, unless you are visiting a non "feel at home" country, use 3. Use Ebay and/or Amazon to source cheapest SIM. The time limit starts from first use, so, there is no problem in carrying spare(s).
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Thanks......just trying to save a few pennies
I assume that these time limits on SIMs only starts when you plug it into your device?
Yes, the pre-loaded ones we buy have no expiry date. The time starts from first use.
Write
That's interesting. When you buy direct from 3 the time starts when you buy it. Must look at Amazon when my current sim runs out.
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Thanks......just trying to save a few pennies
I assume that these time limits on SIMs only starts when you plug it into your device?
Yes, the pre-loaded ones we buy have no expiry date. The time starts from first use.
Write
That's interesting. When you buy direct from 3 the time starts when you buy it. Must look at Amazon when my current sim runs out.
Are you sure? That would preclude you buying more than 1 x 1 month 1GB SIM at a time. Tricky if you want to take a few abroad for a longer trip.
We have bought from 3 in the past, do not remember the time starting before first log on.
If you top them up, then the time starts immediately. We do not top up, just dispose of the used one and start a fresh one when required.
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just checked the latest Vodafone 'deal' for roaming...as explained by my local shop
looks like Vodafone customers (sim only or phone) can just get Customer Services to add the roaming extra to their current deal...this amounts to a separate 2gb eurpoe-only allowance each month...
so, with (say) 4gb on a phone already, this is kept for uk use and is not affected by the use of the 2gb of euro data while away.
will be calling for mine soon....
ps....its free apparently
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Vodafone is on my 'never again' list after having a phone contract with them for some years and never understanding why everyone else seemed to access the internet on their phones so much quicker than me......wasn't sure if it was poor coverage or the phone
itself.MrsH then had a Carphone Warehouse phone (their network runs on the back of Vodafone) and also got rubbish coverage (including at home).
Got an iPhone on Three and it was 10x better. We are now both on sim-only deals with Three.
We have found Three to be vastly better coverage in the UK and their Feel at Home deal just makes them streets ahead of the rest, in our view.
My only gripe is that you cannot use the Feel at Home for tethering / personal hot-spot.....hence the purchase of a mifi.
I'll call into the local Three shop this week to buy a sim for the mifi and will double check the 'start date' for the time limit while I'm there.
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none of the major networks have coverage that seems to match their advertising....
however, Vodafone is as good (disappointing) as any....
we also carry spare SIMs from EE and O2, should we feel the need to use these.
the Vodafone roaming deal (2 extra GB a month) does not exclude tethering while away, so will be useful for our browsing, and a free addition to my already cheap bundle.
in some locations EE is 'better', similarly with Three or with O2.
VF does a pretty good job and for unlimited mins/texts and 4GB data (now plus another free 2GB tethering data for Europe) all for just over £11 a month, im pretty happy.
as i say, if we really need coverage (not that desperate while away) in the uk, we can turn on one of the other SIMs.
Ian, if you cant tether with the Three SIM, what do you put in the mifi when away?...a local sim?
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Quoting:
My only gripe is that you cannot use the Feel at Home for tethering / personal hot-spot.....hence the purchase of a mifi.
I'll call into the local Three shop this week to buy a sim for the mifi and will double check the 'start date' for the time limit while I'm there.
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I can use my Three, monthly contract, SIM only, tethering both in the UK and in France on the "Feel-at-home". Used via my own Samsung S4, purchase independent of Three [Tesco Direct stock clearance].
Been doing the UK tethering for many years, up to three years ago via an HTC Desire S; never been any issue. My SIM only monthly contract, now including 2.5GB data is very old, certainly having origins over 16 years, possibly near 20 years ago. They offered me a FOC G3/4 up grade when that came on line.
I have zero cause to complain of the roaming coverage anywhere we have travelled in France.
Rural coverage in UK is not too good, but I carry a Tesco [O2] and that is much the same but occassionally it copes where the Three fails.
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BB - what I meant to say is that I cannot use my Three phone contract to 'tether' abroad - this is standard with Three. But a data sim can be used in a mifi and used abroad (in a Feel at Home country).
Ocsid - I think we've had this discussion before and it appears that you have an older Three contract that does allow tethering abroad. It's something that's not been available with Three for some time now.
KjeIINN - I called at the Three shop today and they confirmed that the time period for a data sim doesn't start until you start using it.
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Thanks......just trying to save a few pennies
I assume that these time limits on SIMs only starts when you plug it into your device?
Yes, the pre-loaded ones we buy have no expiry date. The time starts from first use.
Write
That's interesting. When you buy direct from 3 the time starts when you buy it. Must look at Amazon when my current sim runs out.
Are you sure? That would preclude you buying more than 1 x 1 month 1GB SIM at a time. Tricky if you want to take a few abroad for a longer trip.
We have bought from 3 in the past, do not remember the time starting before first log on.
If you top them up, then the time starts immediately. We do not top up, just dispose of the used one and start a fresh one when required.
Write
I buy a 12 month sim. Much better value than buying monthly. No I am not sure, but I did phone 3 when I bought the first one and that is what they told me. Doesn't really affect me with a 12 month sim, as I always buy just before I need to use it.
Paul
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How much does a 12 month SIM cost? How many GB, or is it unlimited?
Our thinking is that a 12 month one would be a waste for us as we would only need it for a max of 4 months in any year.
In UK we are mainly on CC sites for parts of March/April, June/July and September/October, so we buy the £25 12 month wifi, and only use the 3 dongle when abroad April/May/June usually.
So many places in UK now have free wifi, we don't feel the need to have our own available all the time.
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A Three 12GB sim costs £30 and lasts for 12 months.
You can buy them a little bit cheaper off Ebay / Amazon etc but I preferred not to take the risk.
Current price of a 3GB is £16 and lasts 3 months, so the 12GB seemed better value to me, than buying two 3GB sims.
All down to how and when you use them, I guess.
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Have just used a 3 data SIM in Europe but found the data usage through this whilst we were away was proably 6 times greater than when we are on our home connection, doing the same things. I'm not a tech person but we used the same phones and ipad so don't
understand this.0 -
Have just used a 3 data SIM in Europe but found the data usage through this whilst we were away was proably 6 times greater than when we are on our home connection, doing the same things. I'm not a tech person but we used the same phones and ipad so don't
understand this.Write your comments here...
Probably because your devices connect to wifi at home so don't use data allowance?
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We also used the 3 sim in France in a mi-fi.
We found that the mi-fi got a far better signal than either of our phones (also on 3) and that data speeds were far quicker when connecting to the mi-fi than when using the phone's own data.
Write your comments here...
I agree. I often get 4g on mifi when only 3g on both phones, and 3g when only H+ on phones.
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The 12Gb Data SIM from 3 can be had from MyMemory for £23.95. You just throw it away when finished so unless there is free wifi with a strong signal then it is quick, cheap and convenient for this country and abroad.
Unless you have a big data allowance on your phone.
Mine is unlimited but capped at 30gig if tethering and no tethering in Europe.
Suits me so far but no reason not to get a mifi as well if you really need to keep in contact with the outside world. Additionally, texts need less signal so will often work when a call fails.
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