If you want to use your mobile phone, you'll need to check with your phone provider whether it will work in France, and what the call charges are. In the UK, for all but the very top-of-the-range packages, you'll have to inform your phone provider before going abroad to get international access switched on. You may get charged extra for this depending on your existing package and where you are travelling to. You are also likely to be charged extra for incoming calls when abroad, as the people calling you will be paying the usual rate. If you want to retrieve messages while you're away, you'll have to ask your provider for a new access code, as your home one is unlikely to work abroad. Most UK mobiles use GSM, which gives access to most places worldwide, except the US. For further information about using your phone abroad, check out www.telecomsadvice.org.uk/features/using_your_mobile_abroad.htm. Unless you have a tri-band phone, it's unlikely that a mobile bought for use in the US will work outside the States, with many only working within the region designated by the area code in the phone number, ie 212, 415 etc. They tend to be very expensive to own in the US, too, as users are billed for both incoming and outgoing calls. Calling a US mobile, however, costs no more than making a call to a landline in that area code. For details of which mobiles will work outside the US, contact your mobile service provider. Most mobiles in Australia and New Zealand use GSM, which works well in Europe.
|
