PAYG broadband SIM question for French residents

[mangocrazy]

As many will know, I have a holiday home in the south of France. We're there for roughly 2 months a year (give or take) and being an honorary Yorkshireman for over 20 years and having Scottish antecedents I don't like wasting money. So I'm not really interested in entering into a full-fat broadband contract where I pay for 12 months usage and only get 2 months usage. If anyone knows of a French PAYG broadband offering, or one that can be paused for months at a time, I'm all ears.

Prior to Brexit I bought a Kanguru badged Huawei hotspot 3G/4G device that allowed me to use a UK giffgaff SIM to give me 20Gb of broadband data per calendar month. This wasn't wonderful, but it was just about manageable, as long as I didn't download too much stuff.

Since Brexit that 20Gb data allowance has shrunk to 5Gb, which is nearly unworkable. I can only really use it to keep up with emails and download essentials like boarding passes. Even using forums like this suck up a surprising amount of bandwidth.

So what I'm looking for is a PAYG SIM from a French provider that gives me a decent amount of monthly bandwidth (50Gb or above for preference) at a price that doesn't break the bank. Giffgaff used to give me 20Gb per month for £12 pre-Brexit; even a return to that would be a big improvement on my current situation.

Thanks in advance...

[Noggin]

From what I know (not much really!) they don't have the same sort of offers here that the UK does.

Free - they do a sim that is 2€ per month. Very limited, but you could increase it for the months that you are here

SOSH - cheaper version* of Orange. Generally start you on 9.99€ per month - much more usage within that, but not sure if you can pause it

RED - cheaper version* of SFR. I've seen this at 5€ per month. Again, not sure if you can pause it or how much usage there is

Suspect you will be more likely to be able to pause SOSH and RED than Free. But equally, might be easier to have the 2€ version and bump it up just before you get here and go back to the 2€ when you go back


* - cheaper version is because you can't go into a shop for help (if you go to the Orange or SFR shops, they might help if you get a good staff member, but general it'll be a Non because you get a cheap price due to online only help).
With just a sim, in theory you wouldn't need to though!!


Not sure much help that is, but might help having some names to start looking at?

[DefTrap]

Orange France do 20gb topupable Sims for 40€
https://boutique.orange.fr/vitrine/offr ... s/?MCO=OFR

[ChrisW]

Does it absolutely have to be from a French company?

You can buy an EE data SIM pre-loaded with 120gb for fifty quid (which I have recently,from Argos, for my Dad whose fixed line broadband speeds are terrible). The Data lasts for a year and EU roaming is included for EE PAYG SIMS.

[Count Steer]

Does it absolutely have to be from a French company?

You can buy an EE data SIM pre-loaded with 120gb for fifty quid (which I have recently,from Argos, for my Dad whose fixed line broadband speeds are terrible). The Data lasts for a year and EU roaming is included for EE PAYG SIMS.

Sounds like a really good idea. From what I can see you just do a £50 top up when the data runs out or at the end of the 12 months. If you eke out the data, £4/month seems like a deal.

Argos don't seem very sure about EE roaming which you'd expect them to:

From the information we have available the EE 120GB Pay As You Go Sim Card will work Europe, however you may need to pay daily charges for using the SIM abroad. Please check with EE and their Data Roaming charges to see if they apply to yourself.

[ChrisW]

Does it absolutely have to be from a French company?

You can buy an EE data SIM pre-loaded with 120gb for fifty quid (which I have recently,from Argos, for my Dad whose fixed line broadband speeds are terrible). The Data lasts for a year and EU roaming is included for EE PAYG SIMS.

Sounds like a really good idea. From what I can see you just do a £50 top up when the data runs out or at the end of the 12 months. If you eke out the data, £4/month seems like a deal.

Argos don't seem very sure about EE roaming which you'd expect them to:

From the information we have available the EE 120GB Pay As You Go Sim Card will work Europe, however you may need to pay daily charges for using the SIM abroad. Please check with EE and their Data Roaming charges to see if they apply to yourself.

Roaming's definitely included for EE PAYG - we went to Spain in August and as the house we were staying at had no broadband I bought one and stuck it in an old iphone which we hotspotted.

Actually - here you go: https://ee.co.uk/help/help-new/roaming-costs

[Count Steer]

I assume Argos are just covering themselves with a blanket disclaimer in case things change.

Good solution for the OP I'd think. .

[mangocrazy]

Does it absolutely have to be from a French company?

You can buy an EE data SIM pre-loaded with 120gb for fifty quid (which I have recently,from Argos, for my Dad whose fixed line broadband speeds are terrible). The Data lasts for a year and EU roaming is included for EE PAYG SIMS.

That sounds almost too good to be true. I'd take 120Gb data over 12 months for 50 quid in a heartbeat. That's actually better value than Giffgaff used to be before the roaming data cap was applied, and more flexible.

I might just pop into the local EE shop and start interrogating them, trying to find a flaw...

[ChrisW]

Does it absolutely have to be from a French company?

You can buy an EE data SIM pre-loaded with 120gb for fifty quid (which I have recently,from Argos, for my Dad whose fixed line broadband speeds are terrible). The Data lasts for a year and EU roaming is included for EE PAYG SIMS.

That sounds almost too good to be true. I'd take 120Gb data over 12 months for 50 quid in a heartbeat. That's actually better value than Giffgaff used to be before the roaming data cap was applied, and more flexible.

I might just pop into the local EE shop and start interrogating them, trying to find a flaw...

I've only seen them from Argos, not EE direct. Our normal phones are with EE too and they told me they don't sell them direct for some reason.

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/2152310

We've had three now over the past year and a half or so.

[mangocrazy]

OK, thanks. The big question is whether the full 120Gb is available for roaming use, and I doubt that Argos could give a definitive answer on that. If there's any restriction I'd guess that EE would apply it, not Argos.

[Demannu]

Prixtel are an option, that's what I use. Payg monthly, not had to stop paying, but i cant see there being a problem of knocking it on the head then restarting the following year.
I have a 120gb/ month for €14 for my router and 30gb for the phone €9.99

[mangocrazy]

Prixtel are an option, that's what I use. Payg monthly, not had to stop paying, but i cant see there being a problem of knocking it on the head then restarting the following year.
I have a 120gb/ month for €14 for my router and 30gb for the phone €9.99

That sounds excellent. I can't imagine ever using more than 120Gb in a month, and €14 is about what I used to pay Giffgaff for 20GB. Will check that out.

[Demannu]

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