A question we are often asked is about a good phone plan and internet options whilst travelling in France. If you are coming to France from outside of Europe then you can easily be hit with huge roaming costs and data charges. Or for those trying to put a French SIM card in their handset it can be really tricky to book a SIM card in advance without a permanent local address, and often your phone is locked to the provider back home. It can be a real pain and takes some of the joy out of travelling. Well good news… we might just have found the solution you need…!
The best phone plan when travelling in France
What if I told you there was a way of having a smartphone waiting for you when you arrive in France, charged, with a local phone number and with 3GB per day and 4G data connection?
INSIDR can provide you with a smartphone that acts as a WIFI hotspot that you can tether to your laptop or other devices and also make unlimited local calls and texts from as little as 3 euros per day. (Pricing correct at Feb 2019 but also depends on length of stay and options selected.)
AND you also have 24/7 access to local experts for local information or help should you need it! It’s kind of like having a virtual concierge on your travels!
They have combined the functionality of a smartphone and all the data and phone features you’ll need with a personal service – the concept is clever.
Although these days we all love digital we also want services personalised to us and INSIDR have nailed that balance really well!
No more worrying about whether your phone is unlocked and how to order a local SIM card.
I know I have often been caught out with data roaming and other charges when travelling.
INSIDR takes the stress out of travelling and they make arriving in France/Europe so much easier!
Sounds too good to be true? That’s what we thought so we tried it out! We were really impressed…
So how does it work?
You make the booking before your French adventure begins using INSIDR’s online booking system and voilà ! the smartphone is ready for you on arrival!
INSIDR enables you to have….
- FULL CONNECTIVITY IN FRANCE AND EUROPE: 3Gb per day 4G LTE data connection all over Europe, unlimited local calls and texts, and pocket WiFi hotspot for all electronic devices.
- BEST APPS IN EUROPE: the best travel apps for navigation and travel in Europe are all pre – downloaded and ready to use on their 4G LG smartphone.
- EUROPE TRAVEL ASSISTANT: Real-time chat with INSIDR’s expert local team. Their team have native speakers of 16 different languages including Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Hindi and 10 others! INSIDR are there to support you, with instant travel tips, help booking restaurants, activities, and more!
- CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND TECHNICAL HOTLINE: A hotline to the INSIDR team and real-time tech and emergency support is always available.
What do you get?
A smartphone with 3Gb per day and 4G data connection, unlimited local calls and texts, and a WiFi hotspot in your pocket.
Options for European and/or International calls/ texts are available at an additional cost.
Or you can use skype, WhatsApp and other apps to make your calls using the included internet data so these extra options are not always necessary.
What are the smartphone delivery and return options?
Delivery
For the most economic option you can pick it up and return it to INSIDR’s office located at 23, rue des Lombards, 75004 PARIS, otherwise to make life easier you can choose, for a small extra fee, to pick it up on arrival at Paris CDG airport or have it sent to your address in Paris or anywhere in Europe.
All the options and prices are given at the booking stage so you have no hidden costs.
Returning the phone
There is no charge for returning it to INSIDR’s office, otherwise a small charge is added and a pre-paid envelope included in your pouch to return it from either France or Europe at the end of your trip.
Just remember to post it in the mailbox before heading to the airport!
Insurance
Optional insurance can be purchased to reduce the amount due in the event of damage, loss or theft.
Check out the FAQ on INSIDR’S website for more information about booking one of their smartphones.
Our experience
We weren’t able to test the phone in Paris so we had it sent to our home, which is currently up a mountain in the French Alps!
To our delight the reception on the phone worked better than our usual French provider and we had no problem tethering our laptop to it, sending emails and watching a bit of Netflix!
We figured if it works high up in a remote village that’s a good sign!
The phone arrived really well presented in a pouch with the charger and codes etc. along with a guide to shopping in Paris. It is fully charged when you un-pack it so you are ready to go!
==> Check out the INSIDR smartphone plan! <==
Good to know….
- The smartphone can be booked for arrival in lots of European cities and can be used across multiple countries and mailed back using the return pouch at the end of your trip.
- INSIDR’s website is in 9 different languages!
- INSIDR have useful partnerships providing money off shopping and ideas for tours and experiences around Paris.
- INSIDR have some great guides for ideas on 4 day itineraries, shopping and visiting Paris. Download their city guides for free from their website before travelling.
- You’ll also find lots of other useful information on their site and if you get stuck whilst in the country you can live message the INSIDR team for help!
- We found the apps that are pre-loaded super helpful and saved time.
- The live message group to the INSIDR team was easy to access.
What we love about Insidr…
- It’s a French, Paris based start-up with a big vision and a lot of passion about what they do. Nina and Ben are the sister-brother team that head up INSIDR and are really friendly and helpful.
- INSIDR have a great attitude and are totally customer focussed.
- They have a physical office in Paris where you can go say “bonjour” and pick up/ drop off your phone if you prefer to save on delivery costs.
- They are all about making your trip as smooth as possible and the whole concept was born out of Nina and Ben’s own travel experiences.
After testing it, I can highly recommend this amazing phone plan from INSIDR.
==> Get you INSIDR smartphone now! <==
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Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post but French Moments has chosen to partner with INSIDR as we genuinely love their smartphone service. We earn a small amount of commission if you click through the links to their site. We work with carefully selected affiliate partners to help fund this blog and enable us to keep it going with quality content.