Visiting France soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a France SIM card.
In this guide, weâll explain where to buy a SIM card in France in person and online. Weâll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them.
That said, if youâre traveling to other countries in Europe, you should be able to use the same SIM card because most SIM card providers also offer coverage in other European countries.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in France. If you donât mind not having Internet, youâll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call an Uber, or translate French â you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in France.
Note that your mobile phone provider may already offer France coverage if youâre European. If thatâs the case, you wonât need a SIM card for your adventures in France.
Best SIM Cards In France
If youâre traveling in France, we recommend using a SIM card from Orange, Free Mobile, SFR, or Airalo. (Iâll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if youâre planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Europe, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other European countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In France
You can buy a Europe prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we donât recommend buying a SIM card at the airport.
That said, you wonât necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so itâs essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, Iâd recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you wonât get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online.
Now, letâs take a look at the data plans offered by Orange, Free Mobile, and SFR.
Orange SIM Cards
Orange is currently the largest mobile provider in France and offers three different types of plans:
- Mobicard Mini: Unlimited calls & texts in the evening for EUR 2.99 / month
- Mobicard World Holidays: 10 GB data (worldwide) for EUR 29.99 / month
- Orange holiday: 20 GB data and unlimited calls to the EU for EUR 39.99
As a visitor, the best option is probably the last one, depending on the length of your trip.
Free Mobile SIM Cards
Free Mobile has one relevant plan available for tourists / digital nomads.
With this plan, you receive the following:
- 210 GB of data per month
- Unlimited calls & texts
- 25 GB data for 70 destinations across the world
- For EUR 19.99
This plan would be best if you are planning to stay for a month in France.
SFR SIM Cards
SFR offers a SIM-only plan for EUR 1, which comes with EUR 5 credit.
You can also access the following add-ons:
- 35 GB data from EUR 5 per month
- Calls & texts within France & data for EUR 5 per month
Overall, we think Orange is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you canât find their store!
How To Buy A France Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
Youâll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the Orange Holiday Europe Prepaid SIM Card works in more than 30 countries and gives you 20BG of data for 14 days. France is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and ensure the countries you plan to visit are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid European SIM card on SimOptions.
They currently offer various data plans in France.
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Europe.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For France
eSIM is a new concept that allows you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards â itâs definitely one of the best options to get data in France.
Curious? Learn more about eSIMs for France.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo.
Keep reading to learn more about the best France eSIMs France.
Airalo France
If you want to buy an eSIM for France, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Europe and France.
Iâve been using Airalo in Europe for several years, and it works fine.
Here are the options available in France:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
- 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $7.50
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $10
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $14
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $23
- 20 GB, valid for 30 days for $36
Hereâs an overview of the options available in Europe:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
- 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185
The options mentioned above are part of Eurolink and offer coverage in 39 countries, including France.
Alternatively, if youâre traveling in other countries not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including France.
Hereâs an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 2 GB, valid for 15 days for $17
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 60 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 180 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 365 days for $69
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that youâll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.
Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because youâre connecting automatically to networks and must select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, youâll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly France
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
Iâve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine.
They offer the following plans in France:
- Unlimited data for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data for 7 days for $27
- Unlimited data for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data for 60 days for $87
- Unlimited data for 90 days for $99
Nomad France
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider.
Hereâs an overview of the plans available for France:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $12
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $14
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $18
- 15GB, valid for 30 days for $27
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $33
Ubigi France
Ubigi offers eSIMs in France and Europe, which is great if youâre visiting Paris.
Hereâs an overview of the eSIM plans for France:
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for EUR 8
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for EUR 15
- 50GB, valid for 30 days for EUR 49
AloSIM France
AloSIM offers eSIMs in France and multiple regional plans in Europe, which is great if you visit Paris during your trip.
Hereâs an overview of the eSIM plans for France:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $4.50
- 2GB, valid for 15 days for $7.50
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $10
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $14
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $23
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $36
Final Thoughts On French SIM Cards
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in France or even an eSIM for your travels in France is pretty easy.
Youâll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Europe without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase a European SIM card.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in France if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you wonât need to go to a store to buy a SIM card.
However, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to France soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
