Having been away since September last year it’s interesting to note differences since last time, where they have stood out.
Prices:
Diesel seems more expensive now at 1.71 the best price I’ve seen, and often 1.80+.
Food in general, but especially some things - the large apple tarts we used to buy in supermarkets are now over 7 euros, when I’m sure they were 5 euros max last year.
Mobile data: the previous 2 years we came mobile signal was great, fast internet, solid and reliable. This year both our phones keep losing signal, regaining it a few min later only to drop again. It’s cycled 3 or 4 times since I began writing this. Because it happens to both phones I’m confident it’s not the handsets. It was happening during our drive down to, and isn’t just a local issue.
Solar panels: suddenly there’s lots of places with them, above supermarket parking, on barns and houses, in fields. The have become normal, which is obviously good.
To add insult to injury, I brought a spare phone with the Lebara SIM in it that I mentioned recently in another thread. That has no roaming here at all, even connecting to the Orange 4G network this computer is connected to through my usual phone.
Over close to 30 years here, no less often than every 2 years the network(s) available here have been constantly changing.
The network basically seems to decide not to broadcast a signal that reaches where it did before (SFR, Bouygues). Or the new network market entrant got thrown off Orange’s transmitter the day the few years’ grace period Orange was obliged to host them, for anti-monopolistic reasons, ended (Free). Or they were an MVNO running on Orange, but got bought by SFR that pulled out of our area 15 years ago so sudden no signal (SYMA). etc.
Note networks won’t tell you this proactively and even their Customer Service is highly unlikely to be able to tell you. Seriously. I have several of the T-shirts for this, each one with a different network’s name on it.
If you’re lucky your normal transmitter might be undergoing maintenance, so you might (or might not) have your signal routed via a further away weaker transmitter. There are websites you can look this up on, ariase might be one and I found a maintenance page for Orange by googling.
Are you using Settngs on your phone to manually scan for available networks and test each one in turn? It’s also worth checking your network settings with your home network. In particular, ask them whether you have the correct APN as these do change from tme to time.
We went over at Easter and the cost of basic food was a shock as was the hike in diesel from last summer although this offset by being able to bring back lots of cheap wine.
I did do a network scan. The network symbol in the top bar of the phone is an ‘O’ with a small R inside - presumably Orange. But when I went scanning for networks the phone told me I had 4G through Bougyes. I can see many networks, but only Orange and Bougyes have 4G.
More exploration may be required, but thanks Karen.
That’s weird - I use Lebara and had no roaming issues on my last visit in September - that was everywhere from Dieppe to the Loire Valley and back again.
Lebara actually have a French subsidiary, which uses Orange FR as the carrier, so it should work!
Hopefully a temporary glitch, or perhaps a local transmitter issue.
Re “pricing”… a lot has changed since last year. Then… many Fuel prices were capped… (yippee) and Now… they’ve been uncapped…
Farmers and Vignerons are now asking for decent payment for their products…
Restaurants etc… those which survived 4 years of Covid Chaos… are trying to rebuild their work and pay their bills…
Frankly, I know that many things are more expensive… and, of course, one can shop-around.
I buy locally as much as possible. Knowing many of the growers/suppliers, I feel better thinking that I am helping them… just a little.
Friends in the hospitality trade had a terrible covid time. Many are out of work now, with ruined business ventures. Many are trying to regain their previous worklife… it’s a battle.
Was it used in the UK before roaming in France? If not, it won’t roam.
I know from personal experience that a new mast carrying all four operators does not have 2G or 3G which may catch a few people using older phones. As it’s 500 metres from the property 4G connections are very fast and 90Mbps are the norm. My wife’s 2G basic phone still has to rely on a 2G mast at some distance away and at the extreme edge of reception 'cos she refuses to use a smart phone.
