Is there a kiosk for getting a T-Mobile SIM card at Charles de Gaulle airport. We aren't going into Paris from the airport, but would like to be able to use my cell phone. Or are there other options??
Posted by
Atlanta, GA, USA
2791 posts
Is the phone unlocked?
Because if not, the SIM card alone won't help based on what I have learned.
Posted by
chicago, il, usa
1 posts
Can I piggy back on here Meg? I have the same question. Was wondering if anyone knew of a kiosk or store in CDG that sells SIM cards. And, yes, I have an unlocked GSM phone...
Posted by
Reseda, CA, USA
196 posts
I used Call in Europe and they sent me the sim card a week before I left. It worked great on my unlocked t-mobile Nokia and the prices were very reasonable.
Posted by
OP
Bel Air, MD, USA
261 posts
OK, dumb question: How do I know if the phone is unlocked?? I know it has a sim card, does that make it unlocked. I have since found sim cards on ebay, but now I'm not sure they will work.
Posted by
Tuscaloosa, AL
1152 posts
Easiest way to tell: Borrow a SIM card from a friend who uses a different cell company. T-Mobile if you have AT&T and AT&T if you have T-Mobile. The phone will tell you when you turn it on if it is locked (but it'll be some more cryptic message -- the upshot is it won't work).
If you have no friends, you can go to a corporate store (or a Wal-Mart) and buy the cheapest prepaid SIM setup you can for the other carrier. (If you go the Wal-Mart route, you'd have to buy the phone, too.)
If you got your phone from your carrier, the odds are it is LOCKED. If you've been with your carrier for some period of time (it varies, 90 days may be the norm), call them, give them the IMEI number on your phone (dial *#06#), and they should email you the unlock code.
Note that all this only applies to a GSM carrier such as T-Mobile and AT&T. Sprint and Verizon use different, incompatible with Europe, technology.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
2 posts
I have T-Mobile and was told they would send me an Unlock code...haven't received it yet but they told me once I get it I need to activate it, remove the SIM card, purchase a SIM card in Paris and install it, then simply replace my TMobile sim card when I return home. My question is--if all I need to do is make one phone call when I arrive to let my landlord know I have landed so she can get to the apartment I have rented to meet me, are there pay phones in CDG that I can use to do that without the hassle of sim cards and cell phones?
Posted by
Miami, Florida, USA
12 posts
I have an Iphone thru a cheap company called Red Pocket and took it to a local cell phone store, they unlocked the phone for a fee and I was able to use the sim card in Italy and then the sim card in Spain as well. Worked out great cause the calls were a penny or 2 per minute in Spain and less then 10 cents in Italy. You will have a different phone # obviously and it will be a long distance for anyone from the states calling you but they can send u a message or just tell them more or less what time you will call. There are different plans, be careful with the wifi on as it will eat up those minutes. I opted to turn off my internet service.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
1005 posts
Getting back to the original question, you can buy SIM cards at any Relay store at CDG. These are convenience stores in all the terminals. Try to buy Lebara SIM cards, because you can access their website in English and even have the company switch your voicemail and text messages to English. If Relay doesn't carry them, they'll have SFR and Orange for certain.