Keeping In Touch Overseas
Keeping In TouchPhoning Home
The majority of French payphones no longer accept change but require instead a small card called a télécarte, a prepaid card, that can be purchased in any Tabac (look for the red sign) or post office once in France .
There are two types of cards: one with a micro-chip (avec une puce), which is inserted into the telephone like a bank card, and another with a code, which must be manually entered. For tourists, the card with the code (avec un code) is a better choice as you can use it from any phone (including your hotel) when making long distance calls.
There are also cards for local calls only and cards just for international calling. To call abroad you'll want a télécarte internationale avec un code, which gives you the best rates for calling overseas.
To operate the card, just follow the directions on the back of the card, which are often in English as well as French. Usually this entails dialing an initial number (either a toll-free 4-digit number or a local number), entering your code (which you have uncovered by scratching off the metallic covering), and dialing the number. An operator will even tell you how many minutes you have left for each call.
Telephones Like most telephone numbers in the US these days, French telephone numbers have 10 digits--but they are broken up into pairs (ex. 01-43-55-55-55)
Paris and Ile de France numbers always begin with 01, and cell numbers begin with 06.
NOTE: If you are calling France from abroad, you leave off the initial 0.
The country code for France is 33.
So, to call a number in Paris from the US you would dial: 011 (for international calls from the US ), 33 (country code for France ) and then number minus the inititial 0.
Example: 011-33-1-55-55-55-55
To call abroad from France you'll need to dial 00 and then the country code. The country code for the US is 1, so you would dial 001 and then the area code and number.
To use your calling card and to reach an English speaking operator dial one of the following numbers.
AT&T
08.00.99.00.11
MCI
08.00.99.00.19
Sprint
08.00.99.00.87
Post offices, or La Poste, can be found in every arrondissement and are generally open from 8am-7pm Monday-Friday and from 9am-noon on Saturdays. The main branch of the post office is open 24/7 and can be found in the 1st arrondissement (52 rue du Louvre).
You can purchase pre-stamped international envelopes that can be mailed to any country from France . It's a good idea to use these envelopes when mailing post cards as well, as they tend to arrive a lot quicker.
If it's just stamps you're after, however, you're better off going to a Tabac, which sell cigarettes of course, but also stamps and envelopes.
To mail a letter, look for the yellow boxes on street corners and at La Poste. Post boxes are marked étranger for destinations outside of France . Overseas letters take one to five days to arrive, depending on the country.
At many post offices you can buy prepaid boxes for mailing goods home; they are priced according to size and have a maximum allowable weight. These boxes are handy, as once you buy one and pack it you don’t have again to stand in line to mail it.
