how do I sign up for Free, the French ISP

[mjb2646]

I would like to sign up for Free, the free French ISP, before leaving my home in upstate NY for Paris. I get stuck when I put in my telephone number. Obviously, the format of the number is not French. How can I get around this? Do I have to us a French number? Address?

[OG1]

Of course. Would you use a French address for an American ISP?

In France, "Free ISPs" bill your telephone per call so there is no such thing as free. If you use it, you will be charged for the length of your call which is very expensive. For the unknowing like you, you could run up a phone bill of hundreds of dollars/Francs!!

[plodr]

 http://www.netcafes.com/country.asp?selectcountry=France 
149 cybercafes in France listed here. Print out the ones for areas you are going to be in and either use one or sign up from one of them once you know your French phone number.

Here's another list
 http://kiosek.com/eurocybercafes/hfra_nf.html 

I was in Australia for 5 weeks and found it very easy to use cybercafes. I had a harder time when I returned to the states (Oahu, Hawaii) to find a cybercafe there but I did find one. Of course the hotel had access to computers but it was more expensive than a cybercafe.

[jerry4dos]

Hi mjb:

If you really want to use your own computer with a DUN connection while traveling abroad, you might check out
 http://www.maglobe.com/ 

Not free, but "prepaid" -- you're only charged for what you use. Works well for me.

Although, as noted above, internet cafes are cheap and plentiful in Paris if you don't mind using computers with strange keyboard layouts.

Jerry

[wary]

mjb2646, did you ever see the americansinfrance.net website? Kind of a heads-up about services and attractions in France.

 http://www.americansinfrance.net/DailyLife...France.cfm 
 http://www.americansinfrance.net