For the first time, I am considering unlocking my cell phone and purchasing a SIM card in France (because my ATT international data options are not economical).
Can anyone tell me whether I can easily buy one at the CDG airport, upon my arrival?
And if so, will it likely be (significantly) more expensive there as opposed to in "downtown" Paris?
Many thanks in advance!
People report buying them at Relay shops at CDG.
If you don't want to mess with setting up a SIM upon arrival and want a working phone when you land in Paris, consider buying a SIM ahead of time like I did - from countries like the UK and the Netherlands that don't require registering with a passport to activate one. Here's my Dutch Vodafone experience:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tech-tips/dutch-vodafone-sim-card-for-use-in-europe
If you are leaving in less than two weeks, though, might be too late to order one.
FYI, careful with your AT&T phone - AT&T locks their phones though they will unlock them upon request if the phone has been paid off. If you've never unlocked your phone, I'd go to AT&T's site now and request an unlock code. You need to enter that code only once, after you have inserted a SIM that wants to use a non-AT&T network; enter the unlock code the first time and if successful, that's it. The code doesn't expire and would be the same now or in six months if you request one.
Thank you, Andrew. That is exactly what I wanted to know!
My cell phone is unlocked, bought directly from Apple, so I didn't have to go through the hassle of unlocking it.
Last December I did just what you are asking at CDG. My card had ?500 minutes of talk and plenty of data and texting to last us the week. It was maybe $30? Sorry, can't recall the exact amount. But I was willing to possibly pay more at CDG and just be done with it, rather than try to find another place while wandering around Paris.
