SIM cards in France

The basics

What types of mobile plans exist in France?

France sells two kinds of mobile plan. A postpaid forfait bills you monthly by direct debit (prélèvement) from a SEPA account, in practice a French RIB, and is almost always sans engagement. A prepaid plan, such as Lebara, Lycamobile, SFR La Carte or Orange Mobicarte, renews every 30 or 31 days, takes cash or any card, and needs no bank account. Both need an identity document to activate.

The market has four real networks: Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Free Mobile. Everything else is a sub-brand or MVNO on those networks. Sosh rides Orange. RED by SFR, Lebara, Prixtel and Syma Mobile ride SFR. B&You, Lycamobile, NRJ Mobile, Cdiscount Mobile and new La Poste Mobile lines ride Bouygues Telecom. YouPrice lets you pick the network once, at activation.

Orange

+ Sosh, YouPrice

SFR

+ RED, Lebara, Prixtel

Bouygues

+ B&You, Lyca, La Poste

Free

Own brand only

Ranked picks

Which SIM cards and forfaits are best in France in 2026?

Free Mobile is the best contract value in October 2026: 350 GB 5G for €19.99 a month, flat, locked until 2027. Orange wins on coverage, and Sosh sells that network at flat prices. Without a French bank account, Lebara is the pick at €9.99 per 30 days. We rank on the after-promo price, the one you pay from month 13, and show the promo or bundle price beside it.

Best data-per-euro on a contract

Free Mobile (Free 5G 350 GB)

4.8

Free Mobile's Free 5G plan gives 350 GB of 5G data with unlimited calls and texts for €19.99 a month, flat, or €9.99 with a Freebox Pop (€15.99 with other Freeboxes). Free says these prices are locked until 2027. The Forfait 2€ costs €2 a month, or €0 for Freebox customers. Free Max unlimited costs €29.99 (€19.99 with a Freebox).

Why we recommend it: Best data-per-euro on a monthly contract: 350 GB 5G for €19.99 flat, €9.99 with Freebox Pop, locked until 2027. Free also reimburses up to €10 of your old operator's exit fees.

Best for: Settled residents with a French bank account who want the most data on a contract

Pros

• +350 GB 5G for €19.99/mo, €9.99 with Freebox Pop
• +Forfait 2€ at €2/mo, €0 with a Freebox
• +Reimburses up to €10 of a rival's cancellation fees
• +Refunds unused prepaid credit when you port out

Cons

• −Fourth in ARCEP's 2025 campaign: 84% perfect calls, weakest rural
• −Série Free 110 GB jumps from €12.99 to €19.99 at month 13
• −French-only service and a €10 SIM fee; needs a French bank account

• Free's own 4G/5G network, including 700 MHz
• 35 GB usable from 115+ destinations on the 350 GB plan
• Number portability via your RIO (dial 3179)

Get Free Mobile

Best network for rural areas & trains

Orange (130 GB 5G / under-26 200 GB)

4.7

Orange runs France's best-measured network. ARCEP's 2025 campaign, published on 24 September 2026, found 91% of calls perfect nationally, 83% in rural zones and 74% on high-speed trains. The 130 GB 5G plan costs €20.99 a month. Under-26s get 200 GB 5G for €15.99, which rises to €34.99 after the 26th birthday. The Voyage 250 GB 5G+ costs €24.99 for 12 months, then €33.99.

Why we recommend it: Best network for rural areas and trains: first in ARCEP's 2025 campaign with 91% perfect calls. 130 GB 5G costs €20.99; under-26s get 200 GB for €15.99.

Best for: Rural residents, frequent train travellers, and under-26s who want the top network

Pros

• +ARCEP 2025: 91% perfect calls, 83% rural, 74% on TGV
• +Under-26 offer: 200 GB 5G for €15.99/mo
• +English-speaking helpline and shops nationwide

Cons

• −130 GB at €20.99 costs €5 more than Sosh 200 GB, same network
• −Voyage 250 GB rises from €24.99 to €33.99 at month 13
• −€10 SIM fee; Mobicarte prepaid is 4G only

• Postpaid forfaits and prepaid Mobicarte (150 GB for €9.99)
• 40 GB usable from 78 destinations on Voyage and under-26 plans
• Number portability via your RIO (dial 3179)

Get your Orange SIM

Orange coverage, flat prices

Sosh (Orange network)

4.6

Sosh is Orange's online-only brand, on the same network ARCEP ranks first. Prices are flat, with no promo cliff: 20 GB for €9.99, 100 GB for €13.99, Voyage 200 GB 5G for €15.99 with 40 GB usable from 135 destinations, and 300 GB 5G for €20.99. The 1 GB Bloqué plan at €1.99 cannot run up extra charges.

Why we recommend it: Orange coverage at flat prices: Sosh Voyage 200 GB 5G costs €15.99 with no promo cliff and 40 GB usable from 135 destinations, on the network ARCEP ranks first.

Best for: Residents and frequent EU travellers who want Orange coverage at a stable price

Pros

• +Voyage 200 GB 5G at €15.99, flat, 135 destinations
• +Runs on Orange, first in ARCEP's 2025 campaign
• +1 GB Bloqué at €1.99: no bill shock for a child

Cons

• −Chat-only support, no shops
• −5G only from the €15.99 tier; 5 GB rose to €7.99 in May 2026
• −€10 SIM fee; needs a French bank account

• Postpaid forfait by French prélèvement, sans engagement
• eSIM available
• Number portability via your RIO (dial 3179)

Get your Sosh SIM

Best without a French bank account

Lebara (prepaid, SFR network)

4.5

Lebara sells 30-day prepaid plans on SFR's network that you pay by card, with no French bank account and no address. The 200 GB 5G plan costs €9.99 per 30 days, 350 GB 5G costs €13.99 and 30 GB costs €7.99. The SIM and eSIM are free, and support exists in English. Lebara cannot send or receive MMS on any plan.

Why we recommend it: Best without a French bank account: 200 GB 5G for €9.99 per 30 days, free SIM and eSIM, card payment and English support. Lebara cannot send or receive MMS.

Best for: Newcomers in their first weeks, before a French bank account exists

Pros

• +200 GB 5G for €9.99 per 30 days, SIM free
• +No French bank account or address needed
• +Sold in tabacs and Relay shops; English support

Cons

• −No MMS at all, not even receiving
• −Only 15 GB usable in the EU on the 200 GB plan
• −SFR network: 87% perfect calls in ARCEP 2025, 3rd

• 30-day renewal, cancel by not renewing
• Free eSIM, port your number in or out with a RIO
• 500 EU minutes to France included

Get your Lebara SIM

Fastest network overall

Bouygues Telecom / B&You

4.5

Bouygues Telecom won nPerf's 2025 barometer with 95,684 nPoints and took 12 of 17 Opensignal awards in November 2025. Its online brand B&You sells 200 GB 5G for €15.99 flat and 100 GB 5G for €10.99 for 12 months, then €13.99. Since 27 July 2026 the group charges €5 to leave any no-commitment plan, and €7.50 extra if you cancel by phone.

Why we recommend it: Fastest network overall (nPerf 2025 winner, 95,684 nPoints): B&You 200 GB 5G costs €15.99 flat. The Bouygues group charges €5 to leave a no-commitment plan since 27 July 2026.

Best for: City users who want the fastest network and a flat-price 200 GB plan

Pros

• +nPerf 2025 winner; 12/17 Opensignal awards
• +B&You 200 GB 5G at €15.99, flat, 150 destinations
• +Bouygues stores sell the tourist My European SIM

Cons

• −€5 exit fee since 27 July 2026; €7.50 more to cancel by phone
• −B&You charges a €5 setup fee
• −No classic prepaid since 30 June 2025

• Runs on the Bouygues Telecom network
• Bouygues Série Spéciale 130 GB 5G: €19.99, €14.99 with a Bbox
• Number portability via your RIO (dial 3179)

Get your B&You SIM

Biggest EU allowance

SFR (200 GB / 500 GB 5G+)

4.5

SFR's 200 GB 5G costs €19.99 a month, or €14.99 with an SFR box, and 100 GB of it works in the EU and DOM. The 500 GB 5G+ costs €24.99 (€19.99 with a box) and adds unlimited calls to the USA, Canada, China and Israel. The 2H 1 GB plan costs €5.99, or €1.99 with a box. Existing SFR and RED plans rose by €0.99 to €4.99 in October 2026.

Why we recommend it: Biggest EU allowance: SFR 200 GB 5G at €19.99 includes 100 GB usable in the EU and DOM; 500 GB 5G+ at €24.99 adds unlimited calls to the USA, Canada, China and Israel.

Best for: Frequent travellers to the EU and DOM, and households with an SFR box

Pros

• +200 GB 5G with 100 GB usable in the EU/DOM
• +500 GB 5G+ with unlimited calls to North America and China
• +Box owners pay €5 less on most plans

Cons

• −October 2026 price rises of €0.99 to €4.99 (you can refuse)
• −ARCEP 2025: 87% perfect calls, 3rd of four
• −Takeover by Orange, Bouygues and Free signed June 2026

• RED by SFR on the same network: 60 GB €9.99, 100 GB 5G €11.99
• €10 SIM fee on every plan
• Number portability via your RIO (dial 3179)

Get your SFR SIM

Ranking and prices as of October 2026, from operator pages plus ARCEP's 2025 mobile quality campaign (published 24 September 2026), nPerf 2025 (published January 2026) and Opensignal (November 2025). MVNOs are about 5.1% of the market (ARCEP T1 2026). Confirm current prices on each provider's official site before subscribing.

The true cost

What does a forfait really cost after promos and exit fees?

Over 24 months, a plan with 200 GB or more costs from €243 to €708 in October 2026. The gap comes from three things the headline price hides: promo cliffs at month 13, fees to join and leave, and mid-contract price rises. Série Free 110 GB costs €12.99 for a year, then €19.99, the same as the 350 GB plan for a third of the data. Sosh and B&You 200 GB stay at €15.99 from day one.

Leaving is no longer always free. Since 27 July 2026 the Bouygues group charges €5 to cancel any no-commitment plan at Bouygues Telecom, B&You, NRJ Mobile, Cdiscount Mobile and Auchan Telecom. Cancelling a Bouygues line by phone on 1064 adds €7.50; the espace client is free. Free Mobile pushes the other way: it reimburses up to €10of your old operator's fees.

Price rises are the third trap. In October 2026, SFR, RED by SFR and Prixtel raised existing plans by €0.99 to €4.99 a month. You can refuse the change in your espace client and keep the old price. Otherwise, article L224-33 of the Code de la consommation lets you cancel without fees within 4 months of a contract change.

Short stays

Which SIM is best for tourists and short stays?

Bouygues Telecom's My European SIM is the cheapest operator tourist pack in October 2026: 20 GB for 30 days at €14.90 on the web, list price €19.90. It has an English product page, works in 48 European destinations, and Bouygues stores sell it with staff help. You must register your identity within 30 days.

Orange Holiday Europe costs more but adds calls to the rest of the world: 20 GB for 14 days at €24.99, or 50 GB for 30 days at €44.99. For a full 90-day Schengen stay, Orange Holiday 500 GB covers the whole stay in one purchase at €99.99 on the web (list €169.99). A heavy user can instead renew Lycamobile 350 GB three times at €11.99 each.

Resident forfaits are the wrong tool for a short trip. Free, Sosh and B&You need a French bank account, and Free's prepaid Pass Free is limited to French residents by its terms. Under EU roaming rules, any French plan works across the EU at domestic rates within fair-use limits, the framework ARCEP applies in France. Prices as of October 2026.

Where to buy

Where can you buy a SIM in France?

A tabac, a supermarket or a Relay newsstand is the fastest place to buy a SIM on day one, including the Relay shops at Charles de Gaulle and Orly. They sell Lebara, Lycamobile, SFR La Carte and Mobicarte for cash. You buy the card without ID, then activate it online with your passport.

Bouygues Telecom stopped selling classic prepaid on 30 June 2025, so its stores only sell the tourist My European SIM. A sensible day-one plan: buy a Lebara SIM or a €4.99 SFR La Carte kit at a Relay, register it that evening, open a bank account, then port the number with your RIO to a cheaper forfait. The no-shop route is an eSIM installed from a QR code before you fly.

How to choose

How do you choose and switch your forfait?

Coverage comes first: Orangeleads ARCEP's 2025 campaign in rural areas and on trains, so rural readers should pick Orange or an Orange-network brand such as Sosh or YouPrice (200 GB 5G at €11.99 on Orange). Then pick a data band, compare the after-promo price, and check the exit fee. To switch, dial 3179 for your RIO and let the new operator run the transfer.

1. Step 1: Check ARCEP coverage for your home and commute.
2. Step 2: Pick a data band and compare the price after month 12, not the promo.
3. Step 3: Note the exit fee (€5 in the Bouygues group) and the SIM fee.
4. Step 4: Dial 3179 for your RIO. Do not cancel the old line yourself.
5. Step 5: Subscribe; the port takes up to 3 working days. With Syma Mobile, port early in the month, as it bills by calendar month.

The rules

How are French mobile plans regulated?

ARCEP regulates French mobile networks, publishes annual coverage and quality measurements and sets the number portability rules. Porting with a RIO is free, takes up to 3 working days (two days of checks, one day to port), and cuts service for 4 hours at most. EU roam-like-at-home rules let your French data work across the EU within fair-use limits.

Every SIM, prepaid included, must be tied to a verified identity under loi n° 2016-731 and décret n° 2017-460 of 30 March 2017. A passport of any nationality, an EU identity card or a French titre de séjour works; a foreign driving licence is generally refused. Unidentified prepaid lines are blocked and their credit is lost. Contracts also need a SEPA bank account and a billing address, and operators may check the Preventel file of unpaid telecom debts.

Consumer law protects you during the contract. Under article L224-33 of the Code de la consommation, an operator must announce a contract change at least one month ahead, and you can then cancel without fees for 4 months. Disputes go to the Médiateur des communications électroniques, and practical guidance is on service-public.fr.

Sources: ARCEP, service-public.fr and operator tariff pages, as of October 2026. Verify current prices and roaming terms with your chosen provider.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Guides

Continue your move to France

Related guides from other parts of How to France that newcomers usually need next.

Entity References

Full factual profiles for each brand covered on this page:

• Sosh

  French Telecommunications

• RED by SFR

  French Telecommunications

• B&You

  French Telecommunications

• La Poste Mobile

  French Telecommunications

• Prixtel

  French Telecommunications

• Lebara

  French Telecommunications

• Lyca Mobile

  French Telecommunications

• Sosh vs RED by SFR vs B&You

  French Telecommunications