Should I Buy a Pre-Paid Cell Phone?

This phone doesn't appear to be a quad band GSM phone, which is what you need to be able to use it in Europe. I suspect that the "international plan" is for you to call other countries, not to USE in other countries. I am not aware of any Straight Talk phones being usable overseas.

Exactly. I was in similar position. I was lucky and a friend in France gave me his old cell phone to use. When I went into Orange to get new sim card the guy went on and on saying my "foreign" phone would not work in France even with the new sim card, and he didn't shut up till I took the cell phone out of the case and showed him it was in fact a french one, and an Orange one to boot.
So I go the sim card , and bought 20 extra euros of minutes, ( the sim card came with 5 ) . The phone worked for only two calls, last each only about 5 minntues before it said my time was up,, it wasn't but he had screwed up and not registered my extra time.. it took too much of my time up to deal with this on my holiday, so I just went and bought a phone card. This was great while I was in France as my family at home could have my apartment phone number and my hotel ( i stayed in both) to phone me for emergencies, and I was able to call them every few days with my card, the card was only 7.5 euros andd worked great. My trip involved travel to another country ( spain) so it was a bit more complicated then yours . Frankly if you are just in Paris I wouldn't get a cell, its not like you Just give family and friends hotel number and call in daily if you wish.

www.rangeroamer.com It probably isn't the best, or the cheapest, but at 79 cents a minute for calls anywhere in Europe and to USA, it ain't bad.

Donna, As the previous reply indicated, WalMart may not be the best option. They appear to use TracPhone as their provider, which is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator and doesn't actually operate a cell network. Although they do contract with both AT&T and T-Mobile (which should work in Europe if the phone handset is a quad-band model), it should be noted that reportedly these phones will NOT operate with other SIM cards, even if they're unlocked. That means you'll have to use their service and pay whatever rates they charge. IMHO, you'd be better to buy a PAYG phone either when you arrive in Europe OR buy a phone from one of the travel phone firms. Have a look at the websites for Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial, EuroBuzz, BrightRoam or TruPhone. The advantages of the "travel phones" mentioned above: > You'd have a working phone as soon as you step off the plane. No need to search for a cell shop, deal with menus in a foreign language or have to top-up when minutes are depleted. > Charges are usually post-paid (calls charged to a credit card), so no need to top-up. > Rates are consistent throughout most countries in western Europe, and quite reasonable. > Some of the above firms can provide a local number (*usually for a small additional charge) so that relatives or friends only need to dial a familiar local number rather than an international long distance number, and the call will be routed to wherever you are. If any of your relatives use cell phones, text messages are by far the cheapest way to stay in touch. Depending on which provider you choose, rates are typically about 60¢ each for outgoing texts while incoming texts are FREE. Happy travels!

You can buy a 35 euro French phone with some minutes on it when you arrive. I've was told by a Charles de Gaulle Airport employee that they are for sale at the Rally newspaper stands in all the terminals. Otherwise, you can pick one up in any phone store in France. Then you can email the number back to your family.
Or you could get an iPad to take with you and use skype to keep in touch.

If you decide to purchase a prepaid mobile phone when you arrive in France, you'll find something for about €39. The phone may come with some minutes but add €10-20 for comfort level. Be aware that incoming calls to European mobiles are free to the recipient as the caller is charged to make the call. However, US phone companies charge more to call European mobiles from a US land line! I noticed higher charges on my AT&T bill despite the calling plan and when I asked it was because the call was free to the recipient. Hmmmmm....
There are phone stores all over and it will be easier when you have to add money. Two big companies offering mobile phones in France are: http://www.sfr.fr/ and http://www.orange.fr/ You can do some homework ahead of time. Having a phone is always handy... e.g.restaurants will call when your table is ready! And it's nice to have the contact info :)

This may not apply to your situation, since it sounds like you need to be available for a possible phone call from home, but I thought I would mention a new app I discovered recently that allows one to make calls, receive calls, text, and receive texts anywhere in the world completely free. The app is called KakaoTalk...download it from App Store for Apple or Play Store for Android. It was developed in Korea, but it quickly became one of CNET's top app recommendations for 2012. We've personally used it in three different countries this summer, and the quality is just as good as Skype calling. It's VoIP, so all you need is a mobile device and a Wi-Fi connection & you'll be good to go. You don't even need a smartphone...an iPod Touch will work, as will an iPad (or any mobile device that allows app downloads and allows you to connect to Wi-Fi). The only drawback is that you need to be connected to Wi-Fi, so it's not like you can walk all over town and get a call (which is why it might not work for you). But if you're looking for a free way to connect on your own terms, it's as easy as Skype calling (but Skype calling isn't free, and this is...Skype video is free, however). Oh, you can also set up a chat room, and facilitate texting/chatting with several people simultaneously. It's a really sweet app. BTW, this app isn't just for Wi-Fi...it will work when you're connected, but it uses your data plan. That's okay in the States, but you had better have all of your data turned off when roaming, else you might get one of those $35k bills in the mail. Hope this info helps someone!

Donna, If you need to be readily accessible from home, without forcing your family to pay expensive international long distance calls, using one of the travel phone firms with a local number option seems to be about the best choice. Cheers!

Another option: Help me sort out a phone for limited use in Europe. Check out the links in my post about T-Mobile prepaid use. If you can get a phone with the necessary radio frequencies, it will be a heck of a lot cheaper than what you listed from Straight Talk. I agree with the others that Straight Talk might not even work outside the U.S.

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. I'm in "foreign" territory with this phone business! I'll check out the pre-paid plans and if nothing pans out, I'll get a calling card and phone home more frequently. I appreciate all of your suggestions. Donna

You might be able to find a cheap one there.. If you travel often it may be worth it. I bought a very basic Nokia phone in London at 'Orange' for £9, and used just £10 of minutes on it last trip. I just get a new SIM card every trip I take. But since I go to the UK every year, it is worth it for me to hang on to, especially since overseas, prepaid phones dont get charged for incoming calls/texts, just outgoing, so my UK friends get a hold of me and I can text them to let them know when I am almost at our meeting place. :)