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Mobile network/signal?

Tiran

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Via Gebennensis (2013)
I don't know if you call it that in english, network/signal? (I'm from Sweden...), but anyway, my question is if you can make phonecalls from the route? I am going to walk the last part of the Via Gebennensis (Geneve - Le Puy), or more specifically from a village called Clonas-sur-Varèze (south of Lyon) to Le-Puy-en-Velay. What do you think? Should I even need to get a french phone number (that is to say, change to a french sim-card ( is what I would say in Sweden))?

I'm NOT asking because I want to walk and talk on the phone all the way. It's just that I'm walking alone, so I would feel safer if I knew that I could call someone if something happened to me.

I really hope someone could give me an advice on this. I'ts also that I'm leavin on monday allready, so it would be great if I got an advice on this before then!

All the best!
Maria
 
Camino Inglés Walking Holiday - UK
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Swedish phone will cost a bit more. But outside of the higher roaming costs should work just the same.

If you aren't making a lot of calls the cost of buying a French SIM will be more then what you save on the calls.
 
For five to ten Euro, you will get French SIM and phone number with five to ten Euro of credit on it. Roaming charges are likely to be that much on your first call. That said, foreign calls may be expensive; only calls to France are free or low cost.
 
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Hello again!

Thank you everyone! I really appreciate your fast replies!

BUT, I'm NOT asking about the costs... Unfortunately.

My question is about the NETWORK / SIGNAL / CELLULAR COVERAGE (still don't really know what it's called in english) for the route that I'm walking (I described it above). Will there be any signal on the route?

I only want to know if I will be able to call someone, if something happens to me during my walk. That's all I want. It's nice to know about the costs, but they are secondary, in this case.

The reason I asked about a french company, is that I wanted to know if there is one company that will give me better network/signal/cellular coverage in this area? Because, if I travel with my swedish phone company, my phone will just kind of pick up on a french phone company when I cross the border, that my swedish phone company cooperates with or something like that. So I can't be sure that "my phone chooses" the company with the best cellular covrage .

So, if anyone knows anything about this, please advice me! I'm leaving on monday. I hopeI described my question better this time! I can understand if it was easy to misunderstand me last time...

Thank you and all the best!

Maria
 
Nothing is for sure everywhere!

Orange has excellent coverage, but not in the valleys, remote countryside, or buildings with thick walls. My brother's US carrier could access both Orange and SFR, so he had fewer gaps. Only a satellite phone will always have coverage, and that will take a thousand dollar phone and charge about 2€ a minute.
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

Actually the companies often have relationships with multiple companies when it comes to roaming. Check the website for your Swedish carrier. It'll likely show which French companies they roam on. You might find they roam with more then one carrier. Your phone switching to the one that has coverage.
 
Orange had the best coverage, as best I can recall. You should be able to access phone and/or wifi (pronounced vee-fee in French) at least every other day.
 
I used Orange walking on the Cluny route, which has some pretty remote places, and I had excellent coverage. There were a few times when I was in historic buildings with thick walls that I couldn't call, but otherwise I had coverage all the time.
Margaret
 
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Thank you everyone!

Then I shall check up Orange! And also talk with my swedish phone company, about what you said NicoZ, that I didn't think of.

Thank you again, and all the best!

Maria
 
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