Cell phone, cable/satellite television, land line

Hi Michelle,

Having recently done exactly what you're doing, albeit ending up in rather than near Lyon, I feel qualified to give you some advice.

Cellphone contracts are available through several providers (Bouygues, Free, SFR, Wanadoo), all of whom offer 3G and (spotty) 4G plans. If you go for one of SFR's so-called Red plans, which offer online support only, you save a lot more than getting an "offline" deal. However, these online plans do *not* come with a cellphone. If you already have a phone, great. Just make sure it's SIM-unlocked by your former Canadian provider (VERY important!) because it won't work otherwise. It's not done automatically when you unsubscribe, so ask your former provider for a walk-through.

Incidentally, in contrast to the US and possibly Canada, cellphone minutes are billed ONLY to the person who is making the call, NOT the one who receives it. In other words, European providers don't "double-dip"! That means you need far fewer minutes.

As far as triple play packages (TV, Internet & land line) go, the company Free offers various subscription-free packages that feature some - though not many - English-language channels: mainly CNN and BBC World. You can check which on the Web site. I'm not sure (anymore) what the other providers offer, though it's roughly the same. You generally get a standard "bouquet" of channels to which you can add other packages. I believe only Free allows you to add individual channels rather than having to buy a load you don't want.

If I remember correctly, my cellphone subscription includes unlimited calls to land lines in Europe and North America. My triple play deal with Free (see below) also does, I think. However calls to cell phones outside France get expensive quickly.

One really important thing to remember as far as broadband Internet access is concerned is that bandwidths (i.e. upload and download data transmission speeds) vary *hugely* in and around Lyon, and will in all likelihood be far below what you enjoyed in Canada. Before signing anything, you *must* get the relevant provider to check - and confirm (ideally in writing) - the bandwidth for your particular apartment or house. They can do this directly on their system. But watch out: they don't always tell the truth (hence the written confirmation, in case you end up with far less)! For example, SFR claimed they could offer me a fiberoptic connection with a bandwidth of 200mbps, though that turned out to be a complete fabrication. Wanadoo said it has a 100mbps fiberoptic connection into my apartment building, which was true. But since this is split amongst all my neighbours who sign up with them, I could have ended up with just a tiny fraction of that. Free was the only honest provider, whose technician admitted that the maximum I could get (with anyone) was about 16mbps, so I signed up with them. I actually get about 10-12. And some days less than 1. 

Whomever you choose, be prepared to wait about a month (yes, 30 days!) to get your Internet etc. connected, though cellphone SIM cards are available immediately.

Good luck with your move!