French Recommendations

[bobleponge]

Pour toutes les grenouilles,
Not gardening related but French nonetheless. Who is your service provider for internet?
What deal do you have? Do you get free phone calls to the UK? Do you live in the sticks or in an urban area?
I use Alice and they are totally and utterly carp. Carper than a big bag of carp things.
However, I do get unlimited free phone calls to UK landlines (oh why wont my son get a phone put into his house?). I live in the sticks, and my connection regularly drops out, when I say regularly, I mean at least 2 or 3 times a week. Generally in the evenings, although it can happen at any time. The longest disconnect has been over a fortnight but at one stage, it was going off at about 9pm every night.
Around this area I have friends who use the following: Orange, Free, SFR, Talktalk, and 2 others who's name escapes me, and everyone complains of the same thing.
I am trying to find one that is reliable, cheap (I currently pay around €25 a month for 24/7 (HA HA HA HA HA HA HA) internet and telephone, with all calls to landlines in France and most of Europe free.
All suggestions happily received, thanks.

[smallblueplanet]

I have this bookmark in my 'French' folders - I don't know if it will help with any more info, nor how popular it is, but it seems to show what ISPs are available and lists some offers?

Test ADSL et comparatif adsl des FAI (tv, telephone illimité et accès internet)

Have you considered whether you might get better quality service if you get seperate internet & phone bundles?

[TonyF]

We use Orange/Wanadoo, two computers, live box, ADSL etc, fast connection and we're also out in the sticks.

No problem all in all.

[Printemps]

I too use Wanadoo aka Orange, but use my own ADSL router as opposed to the Livebox. I chose not to have the inclusive phone service but to go with one of the cheapo expat phone providers. I too am out in the sticks, only have a 1M connection and at €24,90 month it still makes me baulk when I know how cheap it is in UK these days. My PC is on 24/7 and the only times I lost the connection was when I had power outages, but now I've got an UPS, that never happens now.

In fact I'm away from home right now, but am using a friend's computer to access my own, just as if I was sat in front of it. I use a magic piece of software called LogMeIn; hence why my PC is on all day.

[bobleponge]

Having done some more research amongst the locals today, over the course of a few demi's, it seems that the problem is particular to this area. There is a reasonable (for France) sized town nearby, and I was talking to a couple of guys from there. They both use different providers, and both complained of constant connection outages.
I dont think it matters which provider I use, I am going to be stuck with this problem for the foreseeable. The only thing that might make me change to Orange is that there is a shop about half an hours drive away where I can go and poke fingers in chests and show my displeasure. All of the others that are used locally are call centre operated, which isnt frustrating enough.
Thanks all for the replies, just going to have to grin and bear it I guess.

[Printemps]

Lidl offers tomorrow: 8th April

Just spotted that in Lidl's tomorrow they will be selling:

• Pieds de vigne (grafted grapevines) for 3,99 euros; different varieties available.
  
• Packs of 6 Zonal or Ivyleaf geraniums for 3,99 euros.
  
• Pots of herbs including rosemary, oregano, thyme and mint at 2,79 each.
  
• Pots of flowering plants including begonia, gerbera and kalanchoe for 3,79 euros each.

[dw.collier@yahoo.co.uk]

Hi We use Teleconnect,broadband @ 2 Megs ,2hrs to U.K. Australia, States etc.

29.90 per month. Unlimited to English zones an extra 5 Euros a month.
Unlimited to France 5 Euros a month. Up to now it has been very good but this weekend they changed servers and the service is a little bit iffy until they have sorted it out.

All the Best.

Dave
France 79.

[Nicos]

Oh hello there dw collier!!!...and welcome the Vine!

Do join us in our other chatty/veg bits and bobs!!!

ps- we are with neuf..and yup- we quite often lose the internet and phone and have to phone up on a mobile to get them to sort it out. Interestingly it was always our fault for the first year- now they just seem to press a button and all is OK.
Our neighbours are with orange and have no probs!....at least I'm able to chat to the uk for an hour or so each day for free!!!

[Printemps]

Welcome too DW - give my love to Beryl !!!!!

[Nicos]

Welcome too DW - give my love to Beryl !!!!!

Ah ha!!!!..the penny has dropped!

Has she also warned you we're a nut house of knowledge????

[TonyF]

Just a reminder for those down 24 way, Sunday next (19) there's the small plant fair at Le Buisson and the Sunday after (26th) the very large plant fair at Le Bugue. Both worth a visit, the one on the 19th is small, the one on the 26th is superb!

[TonyF]

Plant fair tomorrow at Cadoin (24) usually lots of rarer plants, perennials, more interesting stuff. Has to be better than Le Bugue last weekend, very disappointing this year tho it was wet and miserable too.

[TonyF]

Thompson and Morgan (fr) are offering some 3 for 2 seeds on their web site atm, may be of interest to some people.

All seeds that can be set in May like basils, some veggies and some nice flowers.

[tootles]

I got an email offering that - but it expired midnight on the 8th. (They sent the email at 18.46!).
My local Espace Emeraude has marigolds at 1.25Euros for 12 - could be nationwide??

[bobleponge]

French types:

I am considering my options re fuel at the mo. I am intending to change the cooker I have for an Aga/Rayburn type thing. I have a Rayburn that runs on gas, although that can easily be changed to run on solid fuel.
I intend it to do my cooking obviously, but also to heat the domestic hot water and run central heating. As most of us know living here, old stone houses arent especially warm, so obviously having this thing on in the winter will be a real blessing.

A corde of wood locally costs around 145 euro including delivery, last time the house was full all through the winter about 4 cordes were used.
My Primagaz tank costs around 1200 euro to fill completely, and it doesnt really last a full winter.
As you can see, thats a lot of cash if the house is full and all rads are on.
This doesnt include the electric to heat all the domestic water, as the boiler currently only runs the central heating.

What, in your opinion, is the cheapest fuel to use?
Gas? Fuele (sp) Electricity? Solid fuel (probably wood) or something else that I havent thought of.

All help and opinions gladly received