Visiting Paris soon? You’ve got to get your hands on a SIM card! But don’t worry; it’s easier than you think. Here’s a complete guide to buying a SIM card in Paris!
First, you’ll need to decide which carrier you want to use. In this guide, we’ll compare the best SIM cards in Paris, and we’ll provide information on eSIMs for France too.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- You can order a prepaid Paris SIM card online on SimOptions.
- The best mobile carriers in Paris are Orange, Free, and SFR.
- The best eSIM deals for Paris are offered by Airalo and AloSIM.
Best SIM Cards In Paris
If you’re traveling to Paris, we recommend using a SIM card from Orange, Free Mobile, or SFR. These mobile carriers offer long-term and short-term plans. As a tourist, it’s better to purchase a short-term prepaid SIM card.
Alternatively, if your device supports eSIM technology, you could get an eSIM for Paris. Keep reading to learn more!
Getting A SIM Card For Paris In Person
You can buy a Paris prepaid SIM card in person at the airport, in carrier stores, Relay stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a Paris SIM card at the airport unless you need data right away.
That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s important to have a backup plan if you need a France SIM card.
Alternatively, if you need data on arrival, you could use an eSIM or purchase a Paris prepaid SIM card online.
If you don’t mind waiting, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store to get the best deals.
Now, let’s talk about the data plans and SIM cards 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 tourist in Paris, 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 and 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 Paris SIM card in person. However, any would do if you need mobile data fast!
Getting A Prepaid SIM Card For Paris Online
If you wish to have your SIM card on arrival, you could purchase a Paris prepaid SIM card online. Buying a prepaid SIM card or an eSIM is convenient because you don’t need to go to a store in person.
Let’s have a look at the best SIM cards for Paris.
Amazon
You’ll find different prepaid SIM cards for France and Europe 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. Orange provides different plans between 8 and 20GB.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and ensure the countries you plan to visit are listed. For example, if you visit France, Spain and Italy, make sure all the destinations are covered.
SimOptions
SimOptions is an online store that offers SIM cards and eSIMs. They offer several plans in France from different providers (O2, Three, Orange, and Bouygues Telecom). Prices start at $24.90.
As always, if you pick a European SIM card, make sure it covers the destinations you’ll be visiting.
Finally, the last option is to buy a Paris eSIM.
Getting A Paris eSIM
If your device supports eSIM technology, we recommend you buy an eSIM for France because it’s one of the best options to get data in France. It’s convenient, fast, and you’ll get access to the Internet on arrival.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. To buy eSIMs, you can use one of the following eSIM providers. I have tested each provider, so the ones listed below are all reliable.
Airalo France
If you want an eSIM for Paris, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM plans (local, regional, and global).
I’ve been using Airalo in Europe for several months, 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
If you’re traveling to other countries in Europe, you could also have a look at their regional plans for Europe.
Here’s an overview of the options available in Europe – Eurolinks offers coverage in 39 countries, including France.
- 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
Alternatively, if you’re traveling to countries other than those mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 124 countries, including France.
Here’s 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 15 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 you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country.
If you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip, it could be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
On Airalo, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country, so take a few screenshots to avoid issues during your trip.
Holafly France
Holafly is a great eSIM provider that offers unlimited plans in Paris, France. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store.
I’ve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine. Their Europe eSIM works in more than 30 countries (including France).
Below are the plans available 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
Nomad is another great eSIM provider.
Here’s an overview of the plans available for Paris, 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
Nomad also offers regional plans for Europe, so it’s worth looking at them if you travel to multiple European countries.
Ubigi France
Ubigi offers eSIMs in France and Europe, which is great if you’re visiting Paris.
Here’s 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.
Here’s 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 Paris SIM Cards
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Paris or an eSIM for your travels in France is pretty easy.
You’ll also have the option to stay connected wherever you go in Europe without changing your SIM card if you purchase a European SIM plan.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Paris if you wish to have access to the Internet upon arrival. Plus, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card in person.
However, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Paris soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
