Today, smartphones have become indispensable companions when travelling. On the spot, we use them to find our way around, to find information and addresses of the sites we want to visit or to book activities or a night in an accommodation. The mobile phone is also the tool used to communicate with loved ones, via phone calls or social networks. However, people who are about to travel to Europe or nearby countries must absolutely check before leaving if their package allows them to call and use the Internet from abroad, without exceeding the package. If not, no one is safe from a nasty surprise on the next bill. Here are some tips on how to use your mobile phone from abroad.
Why subscribe to a border or international package?
On the one hand, many people in France who live near borders have to work abroad. This is the case for people working in Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland or Germany. For them, it is essential to be able to use the mobile phone on the other side of the border, to surf the Internet or to make calls. They must therefore find out whether they can subscribe to a so-called cross-border package.
On the other hand, many people in Europe have to travel from one country to another, for leisure or work. For Europeans, a simple identity card allows them to cross borders and air and rail communications as well as roads make travel very simple.
In France, many people are turning to no-commitment packages, which remain a good alternative in terms of value for money. However, behind these low prices lies a reality that you need to be aware of, especially when travelling in Europe and nearby countries. No-commitment plans can lead to additional costs if you use your smartphone abroad to call your friends and family or to surf the Internet. So to use your mobile phone from abroad, it is advisable to turn to mobile packages for Europe with a commitment, whose offer is more complete, or to a border package for people who work on the other side of a French border.
By browsing through a package comparison, travellers and border workers will discover that most French operators offer packages that allow them to make free calls to and from European Union countries; to use a mobile data envelope to use the Internet from abroad; to subscribe to a border package to be able to use their smartphone while working in border countries, but also to subscribe to paid options to be able to call from other territories such as the Maghreb countries for example.
How to find the best offer for a border or international package?
Before canvassing all the operators to compare the offers for border and international packages available, it is recommended to take stock of your current package. By going back to the contract or talking to an advisor in a shop, you can easily find out if the package includes calls from Europe (and often the French overseas departments) and limited Internet use from abroad, which is the case for most packages with a commitment today.
Then, the use of a package comparator allows to know the offers and rates for each operator. Border, international or options for calls and Internet use from certain countries outside the European Union, everything is possible, and it is up to each traveller to define his or her criteria, according to his or her needs.
