Mobile Roaming: Cheapest Calls When You're Abroad

Renaze_Peche

Hi, not SUCH a newbie as may first appear, but more of a returning after a while away person! I moved to France some time ago and simply lost touch, oh that and all my passwords thanks to a rather problematic PC!

BUT here I am anyway? OK So I am after a cheap way to call from a UK mobile while in FRANCE. And this is to French numbers please? Contract or PAYG not really bothered. But as 99% of French mobiles do NOT hold any credit for any length of time and the cost of a contract is HORRENDOUS I use a UK mobile. But I have seen recently that I can get a UK contract/PAYG and use the free minutes to use in France as if I was in the UK. Anyone able to back this up please? I have also emailed the companies but am of course not expecting them to rush to get back to me....

Anyone able to offer any sort of hope please? And Mr Lewis is I assure you well and kicking some backsides even in France! (Metaphorically speaking of course!)

Chris

buglawton

Sign up with 18185, add your mobile number and then try calling their 0208 access number from your UK registered mobile in France. If it 'recognizes' your phone then your free mins get the 1st leg of call, 2nd leg is to dial the other party's mobile at around 10p/min, cheaper at weekends.

redux

buglawton wrote: »

Sign up with 18185, add your mobile number and then try calling their 0208 access number from your UK registered mobile in France. If it 'recognizes' your phone then your free mins get the 1st leg of call, 2nd leg is to dial the other party's mobile at around 10p/min, cheaper at weekends.

This will be more expensive, as the call to the UK number is the same price as calling directly to France

buglawton

Renaze said "But I have seen recently that I can get a UK contract/PAYG and use the free minutes to use in France as if I was in the UK" so on that assumption, calls to French landlines 2p, French Mobiles say 15p and to UK mobiles 10p.

redux

Renaze_Peche wrote: »

But I have seen recently that I can get a UK contract/PAYG and use the free minutes to use in France as if I was in the UK. Anyone able to back this up please? I have also emailed the companies but am of course not expecting them to rush to get back to me....

You might look at Vodafone Passport, and use their Freedom Packs on pay as you talk.

But due to the 75 pence connection free per call, this is only going to be worthwhile for longer calls.

redux

buglawton wrote: »

Renaze said "But I have seen recently that I can get a UK contract/PAYG and use the free minutes to use in France as if I was in the UK" so on that assumption, calls to French landlines 2p, French Mobiles say 15p and to UK mobiles 10p.

What assumption? The 10p to UK mobiles makes the least sense, even if you thought it worthwhile for French-bound calls.

When the phone is roaming, calls to UK and calls to France are the same price as each other, so there is no point in using callthrough via the UK.

That also applies on Vodafone Passport that I just mentioned

buglawton

Isn't Renaze comparing running a contract French mobile with a contract UK one, and asking if there is a way to "call from a UK mobile while in FRANCE"?

redux

buglawton wrote: »

Isn't Renaze comparing running a contract French mobile with a contract UK one, and asking if there is a way to "call from a UK mobile while in FRANCE"?

Yes, and why are you recommending using a callthtough method based in the UK, when the access call will be exactly the same price as calling direct to the French destination, thus the callthrough provider tariff is just unnecessary extra cost?

buglawton

Take the case of a call back to France from a UK contract phone that is located in France. Renaze apparently could have free to-UK mins available while roaming in France - but needs to confirm this, I haven't heard of such deals.

Providing that the callthrough is recognized by 18185, the first leg to the 0208 gateway is free, the 2nd leg say 2p per min.

The same call made direct back to France without using the gateway would be charged a the mobile provider's international rate, much higher.

redux

buglawton wrote: »

Take the case of a call back to France from a UK contract phone that is located in France. Renaze apparently could have free to-UK mins available while roaming in France - but needs to confirm this, I haven't heard of such deals.

Providing that the callthrough is recognized by 18185, the first leg to the 0208 gateway is free, the 2nd leg say 2p per min.

The same call made direct back to France without using the gateway would be charged a the mobile provider's international rate, much higher.

Perhaps it would be wise to refrain from misinforming other readers by inventing such flights of fantasy.

There aren't any UK mobile companies with free calls while in the UK, let alone while roaming in France.

When a UK mobile is roaming in France, the cost of a call to UK and the cost of a call to France are identical.

On most main networks, the roaming calls cost 35 pence a minute. This rate applies to both UK and France - so there would be no point in calling a French destination via a callthrough in the UK, which I've said 3 times now.

Some networks have optional add-ons for cheaper roaming, such as 25 pence a minute or so with O2 or with Orange. Again, the rate applies to calls to UK and calls to France

On Vodafone Passport, contract or PAYT bundled inclusive minutes can be used, but there is that 75 pence connection fee to be take into account. Inclusive calls do actually cost something, not free. And on that product, or certainly on the contract version, calls to both UK and to France are identical tariffs.

And roaming calls to 18185's freephone access number will not be free. On anything except giffgaff or BT Mobile, they aren't free even when called from within the UK. So there is just no way for you to call a French landline via 18185's service from a UK mobile roaming in France for 2 pence a minute.

The cheapest French payg brands have calls within France for 15 cents a minute. Including to other mobiles. It's fairly difficult to undercut that with Vodafone Passport when the connection fee is counted.