USING CELL PHONES IN FRANCE

To use your cell phone in Europe it has to conform to a few standards first, and the roaming fees just might ruin you. So be careful and sure to check with your provider if you need to activate overseas roaming, or if you can get onto a French network for far less money!!! Otherwise be prepared for a small financial disaster!

In order to work in Europe your portable (cell phone)needs to:
1) Be a tri-band phone, meaning that it can work on the band in France.
U.S. cellphones are on the 1900 band, but Europe uses 900 and 1800 bands.

2) You need a GSM phone, short for Global System for Mobile Technology, a standard in Europe. While some English speaking countries commonly use this ( like the U.K.), most phones in the U.S. are not GSM.
AT&T, Cingular and T-Mobile are the carriers that either are GSM or are switching to it. If you have a newer phone from these carriers, you probably have a GSM phone. If you have Sprint or Nextel, you most likely don’t but they may offer GSM phones for rent so make sure to ask.

3) Check to see if your wireless company has arrangements for using your phone overseas (Cingular, AT&T and T-Mobile do, but it MUST be activated by contacting them first). If it doesn't, you can find several companies online that will unlock your phone.
http://cellphones.about.com

So if you lucked out and your phone is unlocked, tri-band and GSM, the next step is to purchase a pre-paid SIM card for 30 euros when you arrive in France. (DO save the existing SIM card you’ll need it when you return home). These pre-paid SIM cards can be purchased in mobile phone shops in France (the primary companies are Orange, Bouygues Telecom and SFR). You can also purchase these before you go from Internet companies such as
http://www.cellularabroad.com

If your phone isn't ready for international jet setting, you can buy phones that will work anywhere in the world at these Internet shops as well.

Otherwise rent a phone for travel; T-Mobile has such offers. You can also rent phones in France once you arrive. Many airports now have stands where you can rent phones near or at the car rental desks Last I heard http://www.fonquest.com
had a stand at the Charles De Gaulle airport - Terminal 2D.

You can also go to :
http://cellularexpressphonerentals.com
http://intouchglobal.com
http://www.fonlight.fr