Buy burner phone in France?

Since this question is being prompted by your travel, what you plan to use the phone
for on your travels is the driver to get to an answer. You can search other posts in
this sub-forum related to calling plans and how to optimize usage vs cost.

Buying a SIM/eSIM in Europe is more or less the same thing as buying a low-cost plan.
You have the option to choose voice/text + data, or just data. Again, it depends on what
you need.

Have you considered just switching carriers and getting a new phone in the bargain?
Then you wouldn't need to purchase a burner phone, although that is definitely an option.

For example, you can get a free Pixel 8a from Google Fi, and then use their seamless
voice/data plan and not have to make any additional choices. There are many articles
on the vagaries of AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile roaming plan options. Again, it comes down
to what you plan to use the phone for in Europe.

All I want for the Europe trip is ability to text my fellow travelers when out and about. My tracfone account is pretty cheap (approx. $210/year for unlimited calls and texts plus all the mobile data I need) so signing up for a different plan doesn't sound good to me. So maybe buying a more up to date phone over there, with wi-fi capability, is really all I need. Can I purchase one in Paris or at the airport? Un magasin de portables?
Thanks

I thought I could use the wi-fi on it and WhatsApp to text fellow travelers, but I'm pretty sure my old phone isn't compatible over there (CSMA vs. G...?

CDMA vs GSM shouldn't be a factor when using wi-fi, which is an entirely different technology.

Upgrading your current phone here in the States would be money better spent than buying a burner phone in Europe. And how much money are you saving using TracFone in this day and age when you can get on full service discount plans like Mint, Consumer Cellular, etc.?

Did you see this earlier post:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/tracfones-in-europe

Buy a cheap Android handset and you can put any SIM you like in it.

Phones in Europe (and most of the rest of the world) are GSM, and need a SIM or eSIM to work. You can buy a phone before you leave and just buy a SIM or eSIM with a European carrier, or buy a travel eSIM if you only want data. You won't find any 'burner' phones with prepaid value in Europe.

Plans - not likely - pretty sure French carriers don't sell plans to non residents. And I think the Netherlands requires photo ID to register your SIM card prior to use.

Have you looked on Amazon? Just make sure the phone is unlocked.

I'd suggest buying it before leaving. This way you can set it up and get used to it before your trip. It will then be good to go when you arrive.

If it takes esims you might be ahead of the game. You can buy the esim ahead of time and activate it when you arrive. No need to go into a shop.

I have used my Tracfone device in Europe, using WhatsApp. If all you intend to do is text or call fellow travelers, you should be able to do that with your current phone. The only caveat is that you must be connected to Wifi and anyone you intend to contact must also have WhatsApp installed on their phone. Have a great trip.

Buy a new unlocked phone here before you leave. There is always a learning curve and better to figure things out at home than in Europe.

If you want to stick with TracFone, make it even easier on yourself. Don't order online. Go to a real store like Best Buy that has phones in stock. You can get an unlocked Motorola or Blu phone for around $100. The store rep should be able to set you up correctly with your TracFone account.

You can then use your phone for Whatsapp and data over WiFi in Europe. If you do want to make calls/texts in Europe, buy a sim on arrival. Just be sure to keep your TracFone sim to reinsert when you are back home.

Good luck

For the purpose you mentioned I think that doing this via you normal Internet services while you are connected to wifi.

Read more about the wifi options in France.

WhatsApp has restricted android systems on which it will work to a minimum of Android 5.0 from the 1st of this year. It won't work on Kit-Kat or earlier.

As your Tracfone is over 5 years old it is worth checking compatibility. I'd advise going to your phone's settings and navigating to "About phone".

> (probably 5+ years old) and I know I can't use it in Europe

Sounds like you got it from Tracfone and it's locked to Tracfone? If so, you won't be able to use an other sim in it. That old, it won't have esim capability. I doubt it would be a CDMA phone unless it is Really Old.

In any event, all the above has nothing to do with wifi, that should still work just fine on any wifi you encounter. And WhatsApp or Google Voice, or other internet-based services should work fine.

If you want something newer, depends on how much newer. At minimum, a used Galaxy S9 or newer would be under $100 on Ebay. Just be VERY sure it's Unlocked. For maybe $240 or more, you could probably find a Galaxy S22 or Pixel phone with esim ability, and maybe 5G. Esim and 5G would be a very good upgrade. As was mentioned, much better to do that now, and learn it and set up all your travel apps, and a few million other things, before your trip.

I don't know much about "burner phones", if you mean the inexpensive ones you see at Walmart, I'm sure those are locked to whatever carrier provides them, and would be no use in the US, and I expect they are pretty basic in terms of hardware.

You need to insure the unlocked phone has the bands used in Europe. Inexpensive unlocked phones sold in the US may not have the LTE bands used in Europe. Link below has bands used by country.

https://docs.eseye.com/Content/GettingStarted/FrequencyBands.htm

Cyndi,

Who's questioning whether your phone will work in Europe? Why wouldn't it work?

My husband has a Motorola Edge and had no problems in UK or Norway. We're on the T-Mobile.