Tips & tools for using your phone during your campervan trip
It’s getting easier and cheaper to use a mobile (cell) phone and remain connected while in Europe, but there are still some challenges for our non-EU customers. Read on to find out how to get online and use your phone while on the move…
Hirers with a phone registered in the EU now benefit from an EU-wide cap on mobile call and roaming costs and an all-out ban on EU roaming costs will come into effect by mid-2017.
For non EU-based hirers, here are some of the connection options currently on offer:
- A French “Pay as you go” SIM card from Orange, which can be purchased at an Orange shop or ordered online.
- Wifi in fixed locations: the Internet café concept barely exists anymore in Europe, instead WiFi is available in certain locations, such as campsites, tourist offices and the ubiquitous McDonalds (McDos in French).
- A mobile Wifi hotspot: a personal, rechargeable mobile hotspot that you can connect multiple devices to (including your phone). You can pick up the hotspot at Paris’ Airports, in the city of Paris, or have it sent anywhere in France (including to our depot) so it is there when you arrive. Read more about hotspots in ‘How to avoid high roaming costs in France’.
We have created some ‘tools’ to help you through this minefield of technology, including an invaluable vocabulary sheet for use in the Orange shop, some tips on how to order a SIM card online, and two recommendations for mobile Wifi hotspot companies. Head over to ‘Mobile Communications in France and Europe’ for all the information.