Key takeaways
Updated October 2026- Best for calling home: SFR Discover, €9.99 per 30 days for 200 GB of 5G and unlimited calls to 100 destinations, no French bank account.
- Lebara and Lycamobile have the cheapest data but include no calls abroad: you pay from credit or a pass. RED by SFR and Sosh Voyage include none either.
- For the USA, Canada and China: Pass Free L (€14.99, French residents only) or SFR 500 GB 5G+ (€24.99, €19.99 with an SFR box).
- Only prepaid skips the French bank account. Syma Mobile is sold in tabacs, but its contract needs a RIB.
- Keep your number with a RIO (dial 3179): free, up to 3 working days.
Updated October 2026. SFR Discover is the best SIM for calling home from France: €9.99 per 30 days buys 200 GB of 5G and unlimited calls to 100 destinations, with no French bank account. Orange Mobicarte 200 GB Zen (€16.99) adds 2 hours to Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada on the Orange network. Lebara (€9.99, 200 GB) and Lycamobile (€8.99, 250 GB) win on data but bill calls abroad from credit. For contacts on WhatsApp, an app call costs only data.
Which SIMs Are Best for Calling Abroad from France?
SFR Discover is the only prepaid SIM in our October 2026 catalogue that bundles unlimited calls to 100 destinations into a €9.99 plan. We rank the SIMs below by what they include for calls to foreign numbers, then by price. The cheapest data plans, Lebara and Lycamobile, sit lower because their calls abroad are paid from credit, not included.
1. SFR Discover
SFR Discover is SFR's wallet-based prepaid brand, sold at sfr-discover.fr and through agreed resellers. You fund a wallet, and each 30-day bundle renews from it while the wallet holds enough credit. The €9.99 bundle gives 200 GB of 5G (32 GB usable in the EU), unlimited calls in France and unlimited calls to 100 international destinations. The €19.99 bundle raises data to 350 GB with the same destinations. You need ID to activate, but no French bank account and no address. Fair-use caps apply: 3 hours per call and 200 different recipients. Check that your country is on the destination list before you buy.
Why we recommend it: Unlimited calls to 100 destinations and 200 GB of 5G for €9.99 per 30 days, with no French bank account needed.
Pros
- +Calls to 100 destinations included in the price
- +No French bank account or address needed
- +Renews from the wallet, no contract to cancel
Cons
- −Physical SIM only: eSIM announced but not shipped
- −The bundle skips renewal if the wallet runs dry
- −SFR network: 3rd of four in ARCEP's 2025 call tests (87%)
- €9.99 / 30 days: 200 GB 5G + unlimited calls to 100 destinations
- €19.99 / 30 days: 350 GB 5G, same 100 destinations
- Caps: 3 hours per call, 200 different recipients
2. Orange Mobicarte 200 GB Zen
Mobicarte is Orange's prepaid range, sold in tabacs, supermarkets and on orange.fr, with no bank account or address needed. The Zen bundle costs €16.99 a month for 200 GB (25 GB usable in the EU), unlimited calls in France, 2 hours of calls to Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada, and 30 minutes to mobiles on Orange's African networks. The Premium bundle (€19.99, 300 GB) raises the international allowance to 2 hours 30. The cheaper 150 GB Start bundle (€9.99) includes no international minutes. Every Mobicarte is 4G only, and you renew each bundle by hand every month.
Why we recommend it: Prepaid on ARCEP's top-rated network, with 2 hours to Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada plus 30 minutes to Orange Africa mobiles.
Pros
- +Orange network: 1st in ARCEP's 2025 call tests (91%)
- +No bank account or address needed
- +Minutes to Orange Africa mobiles included
Cons
- −4G only: no 5G on any Mobicarte
- −€16.99 costs more than rival 200 GB contracts
- −Only 30 minutes a month to Africa
- Zen €16.99/month: 200 GB, 2 h to Europe/UK/USA/Canada + 30 min to Orange Africa mobiles
- Premium €19.99/month: 300 GB, 2 h 30 to Europe/UK/USA/Canada + 30 min to Orange Africa mobiles
- Start €9.99/month: 150 GB, no international minutes
3. Free Mobile Pass Free
Pass Free is Free Mobile's prepaid range, sold online only at prepaye.free.fr with a €5 SIM. Pass M costs €9.99 for 30 days and includes 200 GB, 100 minutes to mobiles in the USA, Canada, China and the French overseas departments (DOM), and calls to landlines in 100 destinations. Pass L costs €14.99 for 300 GB and makes those mobile calls unlimited. Free's terms reserve Pass Free for French residents, and the site and support are in French only, so it suits settled residents rather than new arrivals. Free refunds unused prepaid credit automatically when you port your number out.
Why we recommend it: Landlines in 100 destinations plus mobiles in the USA, Canada and China, from €9.99 per 30 days, for settled French residents only.
Pros
- +Landlines in 100 destinations included
- +No bank account needed, €5 SIM
- +Unused credit refunded when you port out
Cons
- −French residents only, per Free's terms
- −Website and support in French only
- −Mobiles covered only in the USA, Canada, China and DOM
- Pass M €9.99 / 30 days: 200 GB, 100 min to USA/Canada/China/DOM mobiles
- Pass L €14.99 / 30 days: 300 GB, unlimited to those mobiles
- Both: calls to landlines in 100 destinations
4. SFR 500 GB 5G+
SFR's 500 GB 5G+ forfait costs €24.99 a month, or €19.99 if you also have an SFR box. It includes unlimited calls and SMS to the USA, Canada, China and Israel, and 35 GB of data usable from 70 destinations. It is a no-commitment contract, so you need a French bank account (RIB), a billing address and a €10 SIM. SFR raised prices for existing subscribers by €0.99 to €4.99 a month in October 2026. You can refuse a hike in your espace client, or cancel free within 4 months under article L224-33 of the Code de la consommation.
Why we recommend it: The only contract here with unlimited calls and SMS to the USA, Canada, China and Israel, plus 500 GB of 5G+.
Pros
- +Unlimited calls and SMS to 4 countries
- +No commitment, eSIM available
- +35 GB of data from 70 destinations
Cons
- −French bank account (RIB) required
- −October 2026 price rises for existing subscribers
- −Only 4 countries named for calls abroad
- €24.99/month (€19.99 with an SFR box): 500 GB 5G+
- Unlimited calls/SMS to USA, Canada, China, Israel
- 35 GB usable from 70 destinations; €10 SIM
5. Lebara
Lebara is an MVNO on the SFR network that sells 30-day prepaid plans paid by card or cash, with no French bank account. The SIM and eSIM are free, and support is available in English. Plans cost €7.99 for 30 GB (4G), €9.99 for 200 GB of 5G and €13.99 for 350 GB of 5G. International calls are not included: you pay for them from prepaid credit or with an international pass. The plans include 500 to 1,000 minutes of calls from elsewhere in the EU back to France. Lebara cannot send or receive MMS on any plan, and its EU data allowance is small (15 GB on the 200 GB plan).
Why we recommend it: 200 GB of 5G for €9.99 with a free SIM and card payment, though calls abroad come from paid credit or passes.
Pros
- +No French bank account, free SIM and eSIM
- +English-language support
- +Cheaper than RED by SFR on the same network
Cons
- −Calls abroad cost extra (credit or pass)
- −No MMS at all, not even receiving
- −30-day cycle, not a calendar month
- 30 GB €7.99 (4G) · 200 GB 5G €9.99 · 350 GB 5G €13.99, per 30 days
- International calls from credit or an international pass
- Card or cash, no French bank account, SFR network
6. Lycamobile
Lycamobile is an MVNO on the Bouygues Telecom network with a long history of international calling. It sells 30-day prepaid renewals paid by card or cash, with no French bank account, and support is available in English. Lyca S Plus gives 250 GB of 5G for €8.99 (14 GB usable in the EU) and Lyca M gives 350 GB for €11.99 (19 GB in the EU). At about €0.034 per GB, Lyca M is the cheapest data in our October 2026 catalogue. Calls abroad are billed from credit rather than included, and Lycamobile rotates its prices often.
Why we recommend it: From €8.99 per 30 days for 250 GB of 5G on the Bouygues network, paid by card or cash, with calls abroad billed from credit.
Pros
- +Lowest price per GB: about €0.034 (Lyca M)
- +Bouygues network, 1st overall in nPerf 2025
- +Sold in tabacs nationwide
Cons
- −Calls abroad not included
- −Prices rotate often
- −Small EU allowance: 14-19 GB
- Lyca S Plus 250 GB 5G €8.99 · Lyca M 350 GB 5G €11.99, per 30 days
- International calls billed from prepaid credit
- Card or cash, no French bank account, Bouygues network
7. Sosh Voyage
Sosh is Orange's online brand on the full Orange network. Sosh Voyage costs €15.99 a month with no promo cliff: 200 GB of 5G at home and 40 GB usable from 135 destinations. It includes no calls to foreign numbers, so it suits people who call home over WhatsApp or another app and travel often. The 100 GB plan (€13.99, 4G) has 40 GB for the EU. You need a French bank account (RIB) and a €10 SIM, and support is online and chat only.
Why we recommend it: 200 GB of 5G on Orange at €15.99 flat, with 40 GB usable from 135 destinations, for travellers who call home by app.
Pros
- +Orange network: 1st in ARCEP's 2025 call tests
- +Flat price, no promo cliff
- +Roaming data in 135 destinations
Cons
- −No calls to foreign numbers included
- −French bank account (RIB) required
- −Chat-only support
- Voyage 200 GB 5G €15.99/month flat, 40 GB from 135 destinations
- 100 GB €13.99/month (4G), 40 GB in the EU
- No commitment, €10 SIM, Orange network
Ranking and prices as of October 2026, from provider pages (SFR Discover price point March 2026, Pass Free July 2026, Lycamobile August 2026). Included destinations change; confirm the current list on each provider's site before you buy.
What Does a Weekly Call Home Cost on Each French SIM?
SFR Discover is the October 2026 research pick for a newcomer who calls family in Algeria, Morocco or Senegal every week: its €9.99 bundle includes unlimited calls to 100 destinations. The table compares what each SIM includes for that call and what the plan costs over a year.
| SIM | Price | Calls abroad included | Weekly hour to Algeria, Morocco or Senegal | French bank account | 12-month cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFR Discover 200 GB | €9.99 / 30 days | Unlimited to 100 destinations | Included (check your country is listed) | No | €121.55 |
| Orange Mobicarte 200 GB Zen | €16.99 / month | 2 h to Europe/UK/USA/Canada + 30 min to Orange Africa mobiles | 30 min a month, Orange mobiles only | No | €203.88 |
| Pass Free M 200 GB | €9.99 / 30 days | Landlines in 100 destinations + 100 min to USA/Canada/China/DOM mobiles | Landlines only | No (residents only) | €121.55 |
| Pass Free L 300 GB | €14.99 / 30 days | Landlines in 100 destinations + unlimited to USA/Canada/China/DOM mobiles | Landlines only | No (residents only) | €182.38 |
| SFR 500 GB 5G+ | €24.99 / month (€19.99 with box) | Unlimited to USA, Canada, China, Israel | Not in the included list | Yes | €299.88 (€239.88) |
| Lebara 200 GB 5G | €9.99 / 30 days | None (credit or pass) | Paid from credit or a pass | No | €121.55 + calls |
| Lycamobile Lyca S Plus 250 GB | €8.99 / 30 days | None (credit) | Paid from credit | No | €109.38 + calls |
| RED by SFR 100 GB 5G | €11.99 / month | None | No international calls | Yes | €143.88 |
| Sosh Voyage 200 GB 5G | €15.99 / month | None (roaming data only) | No international calls | Yes | €191.88 |
Over a year, SFR Discover costs €121.55, the same as Lebara 200 GB, but the calls home are already paid. The cheapest data plans include no calls to foreign numbers: Lebara and Lycamobile bill them from credit, and RED by SFR has no international calls at all. Plans that do include calls home often split landlines from mobiles. Pass Free covers landlines in 100 destinations, but mobiles only in the USA, Canada, China and the DOM.
Mobicarte Zen is the runner-up for Africa because its 30 minutesreach mobiles on Orange's African networks, which covers a short weekly call but not an hour. If your family uses WhatsApp, an app call costs only data, and any 200 GB plan leaves plenty. Our research does not list SFR Discover's 100 destinations one by one, so check yours on sfr-discover.fr before you buy.
How Do French Forfaits Handle International Calls?
A French forfait almost always includes unlimited calls within France and EU roaming within a data allowance. Calls to foreign numbers are where plans differ, and in October 2026 most low-cost plans include none. The plans that do include them name the countries, and often cover landlines more widely than mobiles.
- Calls within France: unlimited on almost every forfait and prepaid bundle.
- Using your SIM in the EU/EEA: roam like at home, but the EU data allowance is often far below the headline (Lebara 200 GB: 15 GB; Sosh Voyage: 40 GB from 135 destinations).
- No calls abroad included: RED by SFR, Sosh Voyage, Lebara and Lycamobile (the last two bill them from credit or a pass).
- Named countries included: SFR Discover (100 destinations), SFR 500 GB 5G+ (USA, Canada, China, Israel), Mobicarte Zen (2 h to Europe/UK/USA/Canada, 30 min to Orange Africa mobiles).
- Landlines vs mobiles: Pass Free M and L cover landlines in 100 destinations, but mobiles only in the USA, Canada, China and the DOM.
- Fair-use caps: "unlimited" has limits, such as 3 hours per call and 200 recipients on SFR Discover.
Read the included-country list first
How Do You Get a SIM to Call Home in Your First Week?
French law requires ID to activate every SIM, prepaid included, under loi n° 2016-731 and décret n° 2017-460 of 30 March 2017 (texts on Légifrance). You can buy the card at a tabac without ID, then activate it with a passport, an EU ID card or a titre de séjour. A foreign driving licence is generally not accepted.
Only prepaid skips the bank account. SFR Discover, Mobicarte, Lebara and Lycamobile need no French RIB or address. Syma Mobile is sold in tabacs too, but its contract needs a RIB, and so does every forfait from Sosh, RED, B&You, SFR or Free. A workable first week: buy a free Lebara SIM or an SFR La Carte kit (€4.99) at an airport Relay or tabac for data, and order SFR Discover if calls home matter more than data.
Once you have a bank account, you can move to a cheaper forfait and keep the number. Dial 3179 (free, 24/7) for your RIO, give it to the new operator, and let the port close the old line. Under ARCEP's rules the transfer takes up to 3 working days, with service cut for 4 hours at most. Never cancel the old line yourself, or you lose the number.
What people in France report
- ○ Which shops sell tourists a SIM: A field-tested travel guide found Orange and SFR stores often send prepaid-seeking tourists to a kiosk or tabac instead. Bouygues stores do sell the tourist prepaid with staff help, while Free stores are French-only vending machines. (traveltomtom.net, August 2026)
- − Lebara cannot receive MMS: A press test found Lebara supports no MMS at all, not even receiving: a photo sent to you by classic MMS never arrives, whatever the phone settings. The flagship plan's EU allowance was also only 7-8 GB. (ariase.com, June 2026)
- + Free pays your exit fee: Where Bouygues charges €5 to leave, Free Mobile covers up to €10 of a rival's cancellation fees for people who switch. Free also refunds unused prepaid credit automatically when you port your number out. (edcom.fr, March 2026)
Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.
Should You Use a SIM, an App, or an eSIM for Calling Abroad?
Three common ways exist to call abroad from France, and the cheapest one depends on who you are calling and how they answer.
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| SIM with included international calls | Calling ordinary numbers and landlines reliably (SFR Discover from €9.99) | Mobiles abroad may be excluded; check the destination list |
| Calling app (WhatsApp, Signal, FaceTime) | Contacts who use the same app; costs only data or Wi-Fi | The other person must install and use the app |
| Travel eSIM | Short stays; instant activation before you land | Most are data-only; Orange Holiday adds 30-120 worldwide minutes |
If the person you call uses WhatsApp, Signal, or FaceTime, an app call over data or Wi-Fi costs only data and is usually the simplest choice. A SIM with included international calls wins for calling ordinary phone numbers, landlines, or people without a smartphone. Most travel eSIMs are data-only. Orange Holiday is the exception: it gives a French number with 30 minutes of worldwide calls on the 20 GB pack (€24.99, 14 days) and 120 minutes on the 50 GB pack (€44.99, 30 days). See our eSIM guide for the data-first option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do French forfaits include calls to other countries?
Most low-cost plans do not. As of October 2026, RED by SFR and Sosh Voyage include no calls to foreign numbers, and Lebara and Lycamobile bill them from prepaid credit or passes. A few plans bundle them: SFR Discover (unlimited to 100 destinations, €9.99 per 30 days), Orange Mobicarte 200 GB Zen (2 hours to Europe, the UK, the USA and Canada plus 30 minutes to Orange Africa mobiles, €16.99), Pass Free M and L (landlines in 100 destinations plus mobiles in the USA, Canada, China and the DOM) and SFR's 500 GB 5G+ forfait (unlimited to the USA, Canada, China and Israel, €24.99).
Which French SIM is cheapest for calling abroad?
For a newcomer calling family in Algeria, Morocco or Senegal every week, SFR Discover is the October 2026 research pick: €9.99 per 30 days for 200 GB of 5G and unlimited calls to 100 destinations, with no French bank account. Settled residents calling the USA, Canada or China can use Pass Free L (€14.99 per 30 days, residents only) or SFR's 500 GB 5G+ forfait (€24.99, or €19.99 with an SFR box). Lebara and Lycamobile are cheaper for data but charge for calls abroad from credit.
Does Lebara include international calls?
No. Lebara's 30-day plans (30 GB at €7.99, 200 GB 5G at €9.99, 350 GB 5G at €13.99, October 2026) include calls within France and 500 to 1,000 minutes of calls from elsewhere in the EU back to France, but calls to foreign numbers come from prepaid credit or an international pass. Lebara also cannot send or receive MMS on any plan.
Do I need a French bank account to get a SIM for calling home?
Not for prepaid. SFR Discover, Orange Mobicarte, Lebara and Lycamobile need no French bank account or address. Syma Mobile is sold in tabacs too, but its monthly contract needs a RIB. Every forfait from Sosh, RED, B&You, SFR or Free needs a SEPA bank account, in practice a French RIB. You still need ID to activate any SIM: a passport, an EU ID card or a titre de séjour.
Is it better to call abroad with a SIM or with an app?
It depends who you are calling. If the other person uses WhatsApp, Signal, or FaceTime, an app call over Wi-Fi or data costs only data and is often the simplest choice. A SIM with included international calls is better for calling ordinary phone numbers, landlines, or people without a smartphone, and it does not need the other side to install anything.
Do calls within the EU cost extra from a French SIM?
Not when you travel. Under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules, your French plan works in the EU and EEA at no extra cost, within the plan's EU data allowance, which is often far smaller than the headline (Lebara's 200 GB plan allows 15 GB in the EU). Calling a number in another country from France is a separate matter: Mobicarte Zen, for example, includes 2 hours to Europe, while RED includes no international calls.
Can I keep my French number and still get cheap international calls?
Yes. Dial 3179 from the line you want to keep (free, 24/7) to receive your RIO (Relevé d'Identité Opérateur), then give it to the new operator. Portability is free and takes up to 3 working days under ARCEP's rules, with service cut for 4 hours at most. Never cancel the old line yourself: the port closes it, and cancelling first loses the number.
Regulation of French telecom is overseen by ARCEP. Prices and included destinations as of October 2026; verify current terms directly with each operator.
Continue your move to France
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