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I will be traveling on a family holiday to Paris. During this trip I need to have some (short) videoconf (Skype/Google hangout) calls. There is no option to do this at the place where I stay. Since I will need to talk, I guess an internet cafe/coworking place is not an option.

What are my options to engage in a video conference call, if it is not possible to do so at the place where I stay in Paris?

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    I am lost, are you looking for a place to sit and talk where no one might complain and has internet at the same time?
    – Nean Der Thal
    Apr 6 '15 at 16:57
  • @MeNoTalk indeed!
    – user141
    Apr 6 '15 at 17:02
  • Are you asking only for a free alternative? If not, what's your budget?
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 6 '15 at 18:31
  • @GayotFow Actually, I rather not have a free alternative, since usually the quality of connections is questionable with free options. I would say 10-15 eur/hour would be acceptable
    – user141
    Apr 6 '15 at 19:11
  • I can't suggest anything for less than about 50 Euro per hour. I can give some public places that are likely to be quiet. Important also: what time zone are you video conferencing with?
    – Gayot Fow
    Apr 6 '15 at 19:28
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There are two logical answers - one a lot cheaper than the other:

  • office hire. If this is an important call, you could look at hiring office space for a half a day. There are various companies that offer this service. A very quick search showed me companies like instantoffices.com - http://www.instantoffices.com/en/fr/office-space/paris?for=0-3&size=1
  • headset. I have successfully used this option in busy locations, such as internet cafes. A good headset will pick up your voice and very little else, and only you will be able to hear the person speaking to you

Both will need wifi, but that should be relatively straightforward.

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Sharedesk lists a couple options for hourly coworking within your budget of under 15 euro/hour, depending on the time.

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You can try heading for a hostel to use their chillout room. You might need to ask for the WiFi password, and if you fell guilty about the fact that you're not a guest there you can always buy something at the hostel bar, if any. Moreover some hostels do not have passwords protected WiFi networks.

One example hostel where this might work is the St Christopher Canal's Inn in the Crimée neighborhood. For starters they have a bar you can use without being a hotel guest, hence you can purchase something and ask for the WiFi password. They also have a calm chillout room where you can sit and talk.

Whichever option you should chose, remember to bring along a serious headset, and avoid using the inbuilt laptop microphone since that will pick up all the ambient noises.

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If the weather is good, one of the outside free options might do for you, depending on how good your computer/phone is in connecting. I remember sitting near the east end of Notre Dame cathedral in a relatively quiet garden. Use a headset with a good mike and you can talk in very low tones.

Besides, I have seen many a person do skype type calls in internet cafes, again using a headset. Bring your own headset as I doubt the internet cafes do supply them. Paris internet cafes are not cheap, at least I have never found a cheap one when I was still traveling without my own computer and used wifi.

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    Yes, you speak of the garden next to "Shakespeare and Co.". However, off late I have found the internet iffy there.
    – dearN
    Apr 11 '15 at 14:35
  • Ah! I didn't ever check if the Square Jean XXIII had internet. Useful note to myself. With coffee shop WiFi, what I found was that in a few coffee shops, the steward never got me the WiFi password until he handed me the bill, despite asking him/her for it a few times.
    – dearN
    Apr 12 '15 at 5:57

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