I would like to have a cell phone to use while I'm in France for confirming reservations, etc. (I do not have a cell phone in U.S. And, though I've traveled quite a bit, I've never taken a cell phone.) I've heard I can just rent one at the airport (CDG). Can anyone confirm that? What are the options or suggestions you would give? I would also consider buying a phone before going and get the appropriate card to use it in France. Not knowing much about the technology (I last had a cell phone, as they say, "back in the day"), I would guess that the best options would be different for the two main uses I might have for a cell phoneusing it within Europe or using it for calls to and from the US. I want a low-cost option without excessive roaming charges. (I have heard horror stories about returning from Europe to find an $800 bill.) Thanks for any tips!
The easiest option for you would probably be to buy a cheap phone and SIM card once you arrive. These usually come with some minutes loaded and you can add more if you need them. You can use such phones for calls home to the US, also. When I was in Spain in May, my SIM card was 9 euro and had 9 euro credit on it. Over the three weeks I was there, I made several local calls and three calls to the US. I spent as long as I wanted on the US calls, and I never ran out of credit. If you are just going to be in France, there would be no roaming charges. Buying a phone here before you go, and getting a SIM card there, might be unnecessarily complex for you for no real cost savings.
Sue Ann, I bought a TIM phone in Italy two years ago for about 30 euro (with 10 minutes on it) and just bought additional minutes from kiosks or stores when I needed them. I'm sure France has an equivalent bargain. My phone does nothing fancy, but it can be set so that English is the default language. I also use it as an alarm clock. After every call I make, I get a text message in English showing how many euro are left. Calls to the US from my TIM phone were less than 1 euro per minute, and since I was paying as I went, there were no surprises.
Before going to France in the Spring I bought an unlocked Blu quad band cell phone for $30+, and a French SIM card through Amazon, before I left. It worked fine, but from what I've read since it would have been just as easy, and probably cheaper, to have bought one on arrival at the airport or in a city.