The Best SIM Cards for Travel to France
France is the N#1 tourist destination country in the World, with a staggering 90 Million international tourists visiting each year. Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport is one of the busiest and cheapest flights for international arrivals in Europe, so it’s not a place you’ll want to stick around for long. There is a subway that will take you directly into downtown Paris however it is a hotbed for scammers taking advantage of naïve tourists, definitely don’t flash your wallet with any cash you took out of an ATM. If you arrive after dark, you may prefer to take a taxi directly to your hotel.
For this article, we will include the best value, best price and the biggest data plans (MONSTER DATA). If you are travelling in a larger group, consider picking up an ‘All-in-1’ Wi-Fi hotspot rental or buy one to own and use it with your Prepaid SIM Card. We included links to the proper websites, however some may only be in french so you may need to use the Chrome browser and right click to translate the page to English. “Forfaite Sans Engagement” in french means Prepaid without a contract. All the plans below are prepaid then adding on a monthly plan from your account credit.
SIM Cards in France
There are a lot of options out there for France SIM Cards and factors to consider before selecting one.
- How long is your trip?
- Will you be travelling from Europe? From the UK or US?
- Will your phone work on France Cellular Networks?
This article is a little lengthier than our usual ones. But do take the time to check out the requirements and your phones compatibility with France SIM Card providers. It’s important to know your phone will work in the country.
Where to Buy a SIM Card?
You can pick up a SIM card in store all over France, stores can be found easily, including in international airports and in vending machines. Here is a list of specific shops to look out for:
- Phone Stores & Kiosks: France Mobile, Orange Boutique, Vivre Mobile Kiosk, Bouygues telecom stores, Stop Phone Kiosks, Boutique SFR
- Supermarkets: Super U, Auchan, Price Express, Costco, E. Leclerc, Aldi, Carrefour
- Tabac (Tobacco Shops): Le Lotus, Tabac du Palais, La Civette, Auchan, Carrefour
- Arriving at Paris Charles Gaulle Airport: FNAC Stores in Terminal 1, 2 and 3, Carte SIM 4G Kiosk Terminal 1 and Terminal 2EFG Area
There are very few large supermarket stores in downtown Paris, so if you don’t pick one up on the way, or at the airport, then you can try looking for corners stores or tabacco shops and they may have SIM cards available (under the counter).
France SIM Card Requirements
- It is better to purchase a SIM card in store in France as you will be required to show a valid ID which will be used to validate your account for use beyond the first 15 days.
- If you buy a SIM online, you have to register your ID by sending a copy of your ID by mail which is very inconvenient. If a network has the option to upload your ID photo for verification, just be aware your ID will be out there on the web which isn’t ideal. The number to call and mailing address is included on the SIM instructions paper, so don’t throw it out.
- Even if the SIM card is working at first, and you didn’t register your ID, it may be shut off within a few hours.
Check Your Phone Compatability
Your phone needs to be compatible with the SIM provider’s network. What does this mean?
There are two network types worldwide: CDMA and GSM. AT&T & T-Mobile are GSM which is what is used in most countries including the UK, EU & Canada.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to know the details because nice internet people have come through for us! Check out WillMyPhoneWork.NET. Here is what you need:
- Your Phone Brand (Apple ,Samsung, LG, HTC, Huawei etc…)
- Your Phone Model (Samsung Galaxy S9, IPhone X, etc…)
- Your Phone Sub-Model Number (Model A1532) May also have to know your carrier (Verizon, Sprint, Rogers etc…)
- The country you are visiting (United States, Japan etc…)
- The carrier whose network you’ll be using (AT&T or T-Mobile)
Example of Compatibility
- Brand: Apple
- Model: IPhone 5C
- Sub-Model: N# on the back of the phone A1532.
- There are two options: Verizon CDMA and GSM (other carriers). I’m not with Verizon so it must be GSM (North America)
- Country: United States
- Carrier: AT&T
Compatibility Result: 3G & 4G. Next I checked T-Mobile, but I only had 2G, 3G and only maybe 4G compatibility on their network. So AT&T is probably better. You can do the same network compatibility test for any country, just select the country and network.
Best Value SIM Cards
Top Choice: Réglo Mobile 9.95€
- Network: SFR 3G, 4G LTE
- Validity: 30 Day Calendar Month
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to any France local address
- Available Locations: E. Leclerc Stores, Parapharmacie
- Top Ups: Visa or Mastercard online. Or in stores.
- Note: 3 Hour maximum single call length
- Note2: To check your balance, send an empty SMS to 950
SIM Price:
- 3.50€ 60 minutes Talk and 100 SMS Texts, 250 MB of Data for 30 Days.
- 5.95€ 180 minutes Talk and Unlimited SMS Texts, 5 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 9.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 60 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 14.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 100 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 19.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 150 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 15.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 60 GB of Data for 30 Days. (5G Package)
- 23.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 130 GB of Data for 30 Days. (5G Package)
Réglo Mobile is owned by French corner store and supermarket conglomerate E.Leclerc, while is offers the best value for international travellers, it does come with some disadvantages.
- Firstly that it can be hard to find since E.Leclerc stores are mostly located in the suburbs, think like Costco. So you won’t be able to just pick one up after arriving at the airport in Paris then heading downtown, since there aren’t any stores in downtown Paris.
- Second, the SIM card isn’t free so you’ll pay a SIM fee and you usually have to load more credit on the SIM than you actually need for the prepaid package you want since you need to carry a small balance 2-3€s otherwise the SIM card automatically deactivates if there is no balance.
So the 9.95 prepaid package will cost closer to 20.00€ with the SIM fee and loading additional credit onto the account.
Runner Up: Free Mobile
- Network: Free Mobile Network
- Pre-purchase Online: Only contract SIMs are sold online, Prepaid are only sold in vending machines.
- Available Locations: Can be difficult to find since they are in vending machines, check out map of locations here
- Top Ups: Online
- Note: You can buy eSIM or a physical SIM card online but they only work for prepaid plans on month to month contracts that you need to pay a cancellation fee when you are done to close the account. True Prepaid packages are only sold in the vending machines.
SIM Price:
- 2.00€ 120 minutes Talk and Unlimited SMS Texts, 50 MB of Data for 30 Days.
- 11.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 90 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 19.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 210 GB of Data for 30 Days.
Free Mobile only has 3 plans in their true prepaid option called ‘Forfaits Free’. Be careful because they have rolling contract ‘abonnés’ versions of the same prepaid packages. The rolling contracts are month to month but require a 5€ cancellation fee when you want to close the account. The true prepaid packages are only sold through vending machines located across France and once you are done, you can just toss them, no need for any contracts or cancellations. Free Mobile is also one of the few carriers of 5G speeds for prepaid packages which is nice for those who need to livestream a surgery or play esports on the go. For 99% of people, 4G is more than enough speed for all your internet needs, including streaming.
3rd Choice: Lebara France
- Network: Bouygues Network 3G, 4G LTE
- Validity: 30 Days
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to a local France address
- Available Locations: Tobacco shops, Phone Kiosks
- Top Ups: Online with a Visa or Mastercard
- Note: Check credit balance and data allowances by *131#.
- Note2: 43 Countries included in Unlimited Calls are EU, UK, United States, Canada, China, India, Switzerland, Bengladesh, Thailand and Malaysia
SIM Price: Free +
- 2.00€ 60 minutes Talk in France
- 4.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 1 GB of Data.
- 9.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 10 GB of Data, Unlimited Calls to 43 countries.
- 9.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 40 GB of Data.
- 14.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 70 GB of Data, Unlimited Calls to 43 countries.
- 19.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 130 GB of Data, Unlimited Calls to 43 countries.
- 24.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 200 GB of Data, Unlimited Calls to 43 countries.
Data Only Plans
- 4.99€ for 1 GB of Data
- 9.99€ for 3 GB of Data
- 19.99€ for 10 GB of Data
- 29.99€ for 20 GB of Data
- 49.99€ for 40 GB of Data
Best Price SIM Cards
Top Choice: SYMA MOBILE
- Network: Orange 3G & 4G LTE
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, 4.90€ delivered to any France address.
- Available Locations: Tabacco Shops, Phone Kiosks, Chain Corner Stores
- Top Ups: Online
- Note: Register sim by calling (in french) or online when you make an account. Dial *148#. PIN code is set by default to 0000
- Note2: Each plan includes a modest amount of data in Europe, including EU zone, Lichtenstein and Norway.
SIM Price:
Order SIM Card is 4.90€ online or in store, then you can add one of the following plans
- 2.00€ 120 minutes Talk, Unlimited SMS Texts, 1 GB of Data, 1 GB of Roaming Data in Europe
- 4.90€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 20 GB of Data, 4 GB of Roaming Data in Europe.
- 9.90€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 150 GB of Data, 7 GB of Roaming Data in Europe, Unlimited Calls to 100 countries.
- 19.90€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 150 GB of Data, 14 GB of Roaming Data in Europe, Unlimited Calls to 100 countries.
SYMA offers a really nice basic plan that lasts 30 calendar days. You still need to buy the SIM card, but you can have it delivered to your hotel and top up the credit you need for your preferred plan. 4.90€ + 2.00€ for the cheapest plan, although it may be a bit more if you need to top up credit. The larger plans also include unlimited international calls to over 100 countries and overseas territories which is a great value for those who want to make regular calls home. Check out the photo below for the full list of international calling destinations.
Runner Up: VECTONE MOBILE
- Network: SFR 3G , 4G LTE
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to any France address
- Available Locations: Postefone, Dia Supermarket, Tobacco shops, Phone Kiosks
- Top Ups: Voucher sold in stores
- Note: Check number by *105#, check credit balance with *102#
- Note2: Each plan includes international calling within European Union, deducted from plan
- Note3: The PROMO offers are for the first month only, which is great for a short trip, but you’ll have to pay the regular price monthly on longer trips.
SIM Price:
Order the SIM online for Free, pay for shipping, then add a plan below
- 0.99€ 100 minutes Talk, 100 SMS Texts, 100 MB of Data
- 2.99€ 250 minutes Talk and 250 SMS Texts,250 MB of Data
- 4.99€ 300 minutes Talk and 300 SMS Texts, 3 GB of Data
- 7.99€ 500 minutes Talk and Unlimited SMS Texts, 4 GB of Data
- 9.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 10 GB of Data, 100 international minutes
- 7.49€ Promo/ 14.99€ Reg. Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 20 GB of Data, 120 international minutes
- 9.99€ Promo/ 19.99€ Reg. Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 25 GB of Data, 120 international minutes
- 12.49€ Promo/ 24.99€Reg. Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 30 GB of Data, 120 international minutes
- 14.99€ Promo/ 29.99€ Reg. Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 60 GB of Data, 120 international minutes
3rd Choice: Bouygues Telecom
- Network: 4G LTE
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to a local France address
- Available Locations: Store Locator, Tobacco Shops, Phone Kiosks
- Top Ups: Online or Call 630 and top up over the phone (if you linked a credit card to your account)
- Note: All plans Talk and Text can be used roaming in Europe but only a portion (40-50%) of the data allowance can be used while roaming in Europe.
SIM Price:
- 4.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 5 GB of Data
- 12.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 100 GB of Data
- 14.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 200 GB of Data
- 24.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 130 GB of 5G Speed Data
Monster Data SIM Cards
Top Choice: FREE Mobile 210GB
- Network: Free Mobile Network
- Pre-purchase Online: Only contract SIMs are sold online, Prepaid are only sold in vending machines.
- Available Locations: Can be difficult to find since they are in vending machines, check out map of locations here
- Top Ups: Online
- Note: You can buy eSIM or a physical SIM card online but they only work for prepaid plans on month to month contracts that you need to pay a cancellation fee when you are done to close the account. True Prepaid packages are only sold in the vending machines.
SIM Price:
- 2.00€ 120 minutes Talk and Unlimited SMS Texts, 50 MB of Data for 30 Days.
- 11.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 90 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 19.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 210 GB of Data for 30 Days.
FREE Mobile offers a nice 210GB data plan on 4G LTE speeds. The plans are on a calendar month, which is annoying if you are arriving in the middle of the month.
A fixed rate data plan like this 210 GB is usually better than ‘unlimited data’ plans because networks usually throttle the speeds after a set soft cap amount of data is used and you can find these listed in the terms of service. Usually start throttling at 50-80GB. So going for a data plan with a specific data allowance is generally better.
Runner Up: Bouygues 200GB
- Network: 4G LTE
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to a local France address
- Available Locations: Store Locator, Tobacco Shops, Phone Kiosks
- Top Ups: Online or Call 630 and top up over the phone (if you linked a credit card to your account)
- Note: All plans Talk and Text can be used roaming in Europe but only a portion (40-50%) of the data allowance can be used while roaming in Europe.
SIM Price:
Buy SIM online or in Store for 10€ then add a plan.
- 4.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 5 GB of Data
- 12.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 100 GB of Data
- 14.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 200 GB of Data
- 24.99€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 130 GB of 5G Speed Data
3rd Choice: Réglo Mobile 150GB
- Network: SFR 3G, 4G LTE
- Validity: 30 Day Calendar Month
- Pre-purchase Online: Yes, shipped to any France local address
- Available Locations: E. Leclerc Stores, Parapharmacie
- Top Ups: Visa or Mastercard online. Or in stores.
- Note: 3 Hour maximum single call length
- Note2: To check your balance, send an empty SMS to 950
SIM Price:
- 3.50€ 60 minutes Talk and 100 SMS Texts, 250 MB of Data for 30 Days.
- 5.95€ 180 minutes Talk and Unlimited SMS Texts, 5 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 9.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 60 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 14.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 100 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 19.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 150 GB of Data for 30 Days.
- 15.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 60 GB of Data for 30 Days. (5G Package)
- 23.95€ Unlimited Talk and SMS Texts, 130 GB of Data for 30 Days. (5G Package)
Réglo Mobile offers both 4G LTE and a 5G speed plan with a large data allowance. Personally I think unless you are performing a livestreaming surgery or playing eSport gaming with your data, 5G is really unnecessary so I would go for with 4G LTE. I often only need 3G speeds for most of my internet use, but 4G LTE allows you to stream in 1080p which is nice.
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