Cell phone PARIS

Don't know if you already have the answer to this, but we recently returned from a trip to France, and were advised to get a disposable cell phone at CDG. Unfortunately, our experience seemed to be different from others, as we could not find one at the airport, despite asking numerous people at tourist desks etc,. and in fact couldn't even find one in Paris. Perhaps someone can give you more specific advice as to where to find a phone when you land at CDG.

Buy a cheap, unlocked GSM phone in the States before you leave. I bought a used BLU phone at Amazon for $30--and it has two slots for SIM cards. At CDG you can buy a SIM card at any RELAY convenience store. When I did it, the clerk was kind enough to help me place it inside my phone, show me my new number, and even help me top up an extra 10 euros (which also proves that French sales clerks can be very helpful). Keep the BLU phone and use it next time you're in Europe.

We just returned from 8 days in Paris which were very nice. My wife has a I-5 phone which she had her internet turned off while there which saves money. She bought a ATT $50.00 plan which allows you to send a whole lot of texts or pictures from Europe. I ended up buying a $29.00 unlocked phone from E-bay which would work in France. I then had to buy a French sims card which is unlimited usage in France for 1 year. The card was about $60.00. You had to go on line before your trip and activate it. It does have it's own phone number. My wife and I were able to communicate fine while in Paris. We rented a apartment and I phoned the hostess from the airport to meet us at the apartment. So the total bill for the phone was about $90.00. It just depends on if you need a phone that bad.

Phillip, if you had waited to buy your SIM card once you arrived in France you could have saved a lot of money. You can buy a local SIM for just a few euros that comes with minutes already on it. For example, I bought an Orange SIM last May in Spain. It was 9 euros with 9 euros' credit on it. I was in Spain three weeks and never used up the credit. I have actually never heard of a SIM that cost as much as what you paid. But now that you have your phone, you can buy a new SIM for it the next time you travel. Just stop into a phone store once you arrive and buy one. They will activate it for you.

Phillip, It would help to know whether you're currently using a Cell phone, and if so which network you're with? Buying an inexpensive PAYG Phone is certainly one option, but I'm not sure if I'd consider it a "disposable" phone. It would make more sense to keep it for future trips rather than throwing it in the bin. Buying a cheap phone on Amazon or whatever and then using with a French SIM is also an option, but you'll need to ensure that it's a quad-band unlocked phone or it may not work in Europe. I don't remember where the Cell shops are located at CDG (ie: inside or outside of security). You'd be better to wait until you get into the city, as you shouldn't have any trouble finding shops there. You may find it very helpful to have a look at THIS website. Another option would be to buy an inexpensive Cell phone from one of the travel phone firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Telestial, Mobal or others. That way you'd have a working phone as soon as you step off the plane. Happy travels!

A woman working at CDG told me that the Relay newspaper shops at Cdg sell 35 euro phones that come with minutes. Barbara, above, wrote that she couldn't locate phone t the airport. I'm curious to know if she tried the Relay shop. I have a French phone for which I buy a sim card each year for 14 euros and about 30 euros of minutes which last several months.