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The menu and philosophy
Cooking Crepes
Let's go outside!
Building in Place de la Comédie
Please advice what's the best way to obtain a mobile phone in Montpellier? Will be staying there for a month. I don't need an expensive phone. A basic one should be fine to communicate between France, Italy and United States. If I buy a phone, about how much will it cost? Is there such thing as "no contract" with a service provider? Will phone card work with a mobile phone. Thanks!
Assuming you are not now using a GSM phone (AT&T or T-Mobile), the best course of action is to buy a used, tri or quad band, unlock cell phone on eBay. Most of the GSM phones on dBay meet these basic requirements. They can be purchased for about $50 or less.
Phones with prepaid service (no contract) are available widely in Montpellier but they will cost more there. Once you have a phone, select a provider. There is a wide choice with many options. Here is a summary:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/france.html
Are you traveling with a laptop?
VoIP is the least expensive way to communicate if you have an internet connection. There are many, many options: Skype, Gizmo, ekiga, and others. VoIP works well and international calls are only pennies per minute.
Hello Maria,
You can use french operator like Orange (is in all cities), cheaper solution could be to use bigh shop centers like Carrefour,... having there own mobile phone offers (by pre-payed cards, no contract). I don't know if there are some specific deals for international calls. Let me know if you need more information's, I'll try.
- Price is around 25-40 Euros (35-60 $US)
(first price for Orange is 39 Euros)
Carrefour http://mobile.carrefour.fr/packs.html (French)
For Montpellier Carrefour de LATTES (distance : 4.2 km)
Route de Carnon 34973 Lattes - tél : 04.67.99.70.00
But, don't expect too much support (or fluent english) in Carrefour.
Thank you so much for your detailed response. You're very kind and helpful.
Mightymazz, I will try the store in Beziers [Auchan) and get the pay as you go.
Sarastro, I took your advice and purchased a GSM tri band phone from Ebay. I also checked the website for service provider - quite informative with comparable rates. I'm not bringing a laptop, so I'll have to depend on using a cell phone.
Vinc Bilb, I will check with Carrefour when I get there.
Thanks again!
Additional suggestion: good informations on
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/france.html
Virgin have also some solutions...
Wish you a good trip, and I'm happy you didn't come before (it's raining all the days till 7 weeks: neither seen that before, south of France included)
Vincent
I was in Montpellier today and checked the Phone Store for options. There are many and many places to purchase SIMs. You should have no problems.
Anduze is sometimes called ''door to the Cévennes''.
One visit not to miss is the Bambouseraie de Prafrance. For more than a century and a half (1855), it has been growing giant bamboos and is the largest in Europe.
The estate has an area of 34 ha, is 11 km away from Alès and 2 km from Anduze. The estate receives thousands of visitors every year (up to 4000 per day) and is well known worldwide.
All around the actual city, there are smaller towns in the traditional southern sense and old castles and caves with stalagtites and mites that are eerily beautiful.
In Montpellier is a free entrance zoo which is very naturally landscaped and where a lot of people go running. It's great for walks among bird noises.
Along the same vein is the Jardin des Plantes, the botanical garden and just across, the Medical University with an unusual museum of preserved medical anomalies and plain weird stuff!
Just wandering the old town is also a treat as you never know what you'll come across, fountains, steps up, steps down, old furniture shops and avant garde design stores with blaring music!
The beach is also close by with a few festivals in the summer and recently a marathon rave party.
place de la comedie, montpellier, is a beautiful area filled with cafes and bars and restaurants. the town hall and a lovely fountain are there too, it is very clean and has a good atmoshere. good shopping in montpellier.
on up the hill past mcdonalds from comedie are more cafes and les halles for shopping.
from les halles continue up to the statue of Louis XIV, larc de triomphe and the park with magnificant views of a roman viaduct. also in this area are the botanical gardens, used by the university.
Beautiful countryside, golden sweet Muscat wine, a venerable history, a lilting southern (French) accent, and the 3 Graces. All this, plus a great gateway to Toulouse, Carcassonne, Provence, and Spain! What more could you want?
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