Bonjour! That’s the French word for “hello”. As simple as the word is, once it is spoken into the mouthpiece of a telephone, it can kick-start a series of conversation capable of causing your bank account to read red. To those that travel to France for visits, business trips, etc, you will agree with me that making phone calls in France can be tricky and expensive. This is so, not because there are no cheaper ways to make calls while you are away in France but because you fail to update yourself on recent development in the telecom world. Some even find it difficult to leave the norms and accept changes; therefore, they remain tenacious of the two well-known options for obtaining cellular service while in France. Unfortunately, these two options are rather expensive. They include, renting a cell phone and using roaming services.
Ironically, renting a cell phone which is very common among visitors to France is also the most expensive and inconvenient. This is because you pay for renting the cell phone and also for the airtime usage. Many cell phone rental operators in France are feeding fat from this. You will find a lot of these rental agencies in most international airports. However, renting a cell phone may be a practical solution for those who are time-constrained and could to make less expensive arrangement.
The second common option is by using roaming services. Roaming enables you to use your current US, Canadian or whichever country’s phone line, right in France, whenever you are away from the country you bought the phone line. This works if your phone carrier offers international service and although less expensive than renting a cell phone, it is still on the high side compared to a cheaper method of phone call which I will introduce to you now.
The cheapest and most convenient way to make calls while you are in France is by using the France Calling Cards. You can use the France calling cards with virtually any phone and save yourself up to 80%. Apart from reduced cost, France phone cards offer you, flexibility, convenience, availability and security. To start enjoying these benefits, simply purchase your France calling card, either online or offline. Then, use the steps below to make calls with your calling cards whenever you are in France.
1. Dial the TOLL FREE Access Number found on the phone card
2. At the prompt, enter the PIN number of the card
3. For international calls, dial, 011 + country code + area code + the phone number you wish to call.
011 represent the international access code. The French country code is 033. The area code (city code) is the code of the city you are calling. You may consult the internet for a comprehensive list of all France city codes.
Having mentioned everything you need to know about making cheap phone calls in France, I believe you now know better and will no longer make use of the other expensive options you knew before. I just saved you some good money, didn’t I? Now, if I have to charge you a fee for saving you so much money how much will that be? Well, according to the saying, “there is joy in sharing”. So I am delighted that by sharing my knowledge with you I have been able to add value and make life easier for someone out there. For that alone I desire nothing than a big thank-you in French. Did I hear you say, “Merci beaucoup”?
Foto: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1147330