There are telecartes available at tabacs (tobacco shops) all over. You can buy them in varying amounts for calls within France and for international calls. You specify which type you want and for the length of time needed when purchasing the cards. Since most of the public phones do not accept coins, these telecartes are necessary to make calls. Instructions for use are posted in the telephone booths. The minutes used are deducted from the original amount and the remainder is available for future use.
As far as cell phones go, the cheapest way for U.S. and Canadian residents is to buy a used cell phone through the internet and then purchase time. Alternatively, you can visit a cell phone store in Paris or another city in France and purchase a pay as you go phone/SIM card combination. While there are several carriers, the best for calling internationally is called Mobiho. They cater to foreigners living in and traveling to France and needing inexpensive calling back home. Cellular Abroad sells and rents Mobiho online at www.cellularabroad.com. If you are travelling with others then 2 cell phones are handy for meeting up purposes. They can be used in other EU countries with the appropriate SIM cards. Incoming calls are free so for international calls home during a lengthy trip, it is easy for people back home to get an international calling program for a month or more and use this to call the cell phone. Use the cell just to signal for a call back. This allows you to chat freely. Alternatively, some U.S. and Canadian cellphones can be used abroad. Check with your phone's manufacturer to check it will work and check with your provider for information on call charges.
Other option is to rent a cell phone before your departure, with a local line from France, you'll have the benefit of low calling rates, including incoming calls free of charge. You'll find several companies offering this kind of service, be aware of those that use call back since the voice quality is very poor. Some good options are www.cellularabroad.com , http://www.phonerentalusa.com/, www.worldcell.com and www.planetfone.com
British residents are better off taking their mobile phone to France - it will work and rates are usually quite good. Check with your network provider.
A very good deal is also available in Post Offices around the country. Here, you can purchase telephone cards for 7.5-20 euros which work on 2 different systems: 1) you can call a number directly and be charged quite a bit, or 2) call a special number that actually calls you back in the phone booth, and then you dial your number. This way, you have 10x more minutes to use (7.5 euros = approx. 400 minutes to North America).
00 is the International Direct Dial code you use to call overseas from within France.
33 is the International Country Code for France.
Telephone numbers
French telephone numbers consist of ten digits. The first two digits indicate one of the five broad geographical areas:
- 01 for Paris and l'Île-de-France,
- 02 for the north west,
- 03 for the north east,
- 04 for the south east and Corsica,
- 05 for the south west.