Best way to call home from Paris ?

Is a phone card easy to obtain and use in Paris? How about using cellular service like Verizon ?

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You can buy phone cards in the tabacs - this will be the easiest and potentially cheapest method.

Cell phones work if:

- you have at least a dual-band, tri-band is better, quad is best.

- must have 900/1800mhz to work in Europe (US is mostly 1900)

- I know T-Mobile and ATT have %26#39;world phone%26#39; plans, don%26#39;t know if Verizon does.

- you need to get the international plan ok%26#39;d and %26#39;activated%26#39; by your service well in advance of departure

- your US service, if applicable, will ROAM in Europe, therefore per-minute charges will be quite expensive

- you can buy a cell phone and get a local (ie. French) SIM card and pay lower per-minute rates

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the cheapest way to phone if you use anappartment telephonw will be to use a number that you will find there:

http://www.nolimitelecom.com/

then you have to choose which country you want to call (only from france), then make a long number, and then the code for the country (they give it) and the number, with this it will cost you the price of a local phone call. otherwise phone cards are sold everywhere, maybe you can use the number on the website with a phone card.

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There are also many pay as you go cell phone services that can be activated on the spot in many phone shops....and they can be recharged as you use up the time...I usually pick one up when my niece shows up, so I can always make sure I can get in touch with her. The long distance rates may be expensive though.

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Many news stands also sell telephone cards- domestic and international- and you can use them in most pay phones and normal phones for USA calling- this lets me control my niece%26#39;s long distance calls to her friends without blowing out my phone bill.

The two ways I mentioned may be the quickest and easiest way to get phone access...

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In australia we have pretty much two versions of phonecards, ones a chip card (and awfully expensive when used to call overseas) - these you stick into the public telephones. And another prepaid version of phonecard which provides a number to dial and it will prompt you for your phonecard number etc.... the rates are like much much cheaper -no need to stick in telephone.

Are there these sort of cards available in paris? If so, which kind would you recommend for cheap rates?

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I picked up an MCI calling card at the local Costco before we left. There is a toll-free number to call from France, then enter the worldwide code and PIN number. Then you dial as if you were in the US. 1+areacode and number.

Cost $30 and I still have a few hundred minutes on the card, even after calling every couple of days for three weeks.

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UConn.....buy a phone card from any tabac. I think the 30 minute card was 7.5 euros. The reception to Canada was so good my Mom swore it sounded like I was calling from the same city. You%26#39;ll need to know the dialing code to the US...which I think is 0-0-1, or 0-1-1, then the area code, then the phone number. Double check on the dialing code....can%26#39;t quite remember. It will be listed in any travel book I%26#39;m sure.

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I agree with Canuck317 and the others who suggest buying a phone card (telecarte). It%26#39;s about 7.50 euro. Get the phone card with a scratch off code.

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Verizon is CDMA network phone which will not work in europe. ATT/Cingular or T-Mobile are GSM network phones which offer the multiple band phones that will work in europe once you buy the country specific SIM card. I dont know about how much it costs or if say cingular charges you...