Where to purchase a pre-paid SIM card

Airport, Nord, every other block in the main part of the city.

Thank you. Also, in one of the prior posts, someone mentioned getting a OneSimCard from USA, rather than one in France. Do you know anything about that? Is it better?

Much better for OneSim. You have my other post to refer to.

Whether or not OneSim is better depends on how you want to use your phone. In general, a local SIM will be cheaper. OneSim would be better if you are going to multiple countries.

@ Nancy... thank you. I've wondered about that! My experience has been that SIM's are free, like Ireland or have a nominal fee and one adds money as needed...

If you're planning one country, a local SIM is more than likely your cheapest option for in-country calls. If you plan mutiple countries, it starts getting iffy. You have to judge different options based on the countries visited, how much time in those countries and how many calls you plan to make. For calls home, I'll probably always use Skype with my Ipod (from a wifi area). Finding wifi isn't hard but I still like a cell phone for local calls, for example booking my lodging for the night, while I'm moving.

John, there are basically two kinds of SIM cards. One, like the cheap, local ones you buy abroad provide a phone number and a certain amount of time (on my May Spain trip, I bought a SIM at Orange that cost 9 euro and had 9 euro credit on it). You can add time if you run out. The downside of those is that any time you change SIMs (like when you change countries) you get a new phone number. The other kind is the type offered by Mobal, Eurobuzz, and others, which provide a permanent number. The calls are charged to your credit card as you make them, so you basically never run out of minutes. The downside of that kind is that the per-minute cost is higher. It depends on how you wish to use your phone (long calls to the US? multiple trips? multiple countries?) as to which is the best option.

If you want the SIM card in your hand before you go then order a prepaid SIM card from a US company. There are several listed at Prepaid GSM (www.prepaidgsm.net). I've tried SIMsmart Prepaid - www.simsmartprepaid.com before and they're pretty good. $20 gets you the SIM card and $20 of credit and there's free shipping too.

You can buy a pre-paid SIM card at any RELAY convenience store in CDG. When I bought one, the English-speaking clerk was kind enough to activate it for me, show me my phone number, and add credit to the account. You might not be so lucky, so my advice is to wait until you get into Paris and go to a mobile phone store. Chances are excellent that the sales clerks will speak English. They can help you activate the phone, set up voice mail, and show you how to add credit to the account. Also, I'd shop for a SIM card that has the option of switching to voice mail prompts and phone company messages in English. Try Vodaphone. I bought an SFR SIM card and there was no option for switching messages into English.

We didn't have time to buy a SIM card at the airport, as we were rushing to take the train to Paris (a long delay as the tracks were being repaired! again!) and catch a train from Gare St. Lazare (no SIM card) to Rouen, where NO ONE knew of any SIM card. All they were selling was pre-paid phones. Several days later, we found a store in Caen that sold SIM cards (Orange). My husband's worked; mine never did. He could call me, but I couldn't call anyone. And in all the places we drove through Normandy, not one wifi cafe. Plus, there was no service anyway in Calvados. We even purchased a phone card from the post office to work in a phone booth, but that managed not to work, too. Eight days later, when we were in our Paris apartment, there was Wifi, which enabled me to get e-mails. No texting, no phone. But we had a great time anyway.

Bought a Lebara Sim at Gare de L'Est 2 weeks ago. 19 Euro including 7.50 Euro phone time. Sales clerk was very helpful and it was working when I left the shop. Worked great.

It is more economical to pick up a local SIM in each country, for the free incoming calls.You can purchase a international sim card from the site http://www.cellomobile.com/Default.aspx through online .To use the sim card make sure that your mobile is unlocked .If it locked means unlock it with the service of an online vendor like http://www.unbblock.com/blackberry/rs18wp8/

If you miss your chance to pick up a SIM card at CDG, there's a mobile phone shop as you exit the RER at Gare du Nord (look to the right and a bit behind you, if I remember correctly). I bought a SIM card there and the guy made sure it worked before I left the shop.