Finally, coming to France? You have booked your plane tickets, found accommodation, watched Emily in Paris a couple of times and already made your suitcase. Or you are simply organizing your trip to France and are asking yourselves questions like: Can I use my phone in France? Which mobile network is best in Europe? How much is a SIM card in France? How do I buy data in France? What is France’s country code?
Well, this article will help you with all those subjects. We want to help you find the right plan for you, saving you money and hassle in the process.
Can I use my phone and SIM card in France?
Yes, you should be able to use your phone in France, except if you run on a prepaid phone and your credit has expired. But before you start using your phone in France, don’t forget that the plan you’re using in your home country can cost a lot when you call or text from abroad. To avoid these surcharges, the best is to buy a prepaid SIM card from a French brand on arrival. And here is recommendation number 2, be careful to bring along an unlocked phone! You can check with your local mobile carrier to make sure a French SIM card will work with your phone.
Buying prepaid SIM cards will usually allow you a limited time and quantity of calls, text messages, and data on your phone.
The 3 best phone carriers in France are Orange, SFR, and Bouygues. They can be considered as French equivalents of AT&T, Verizon, China Mobile, Reliance Industries, NTT Docomo, or America Movil. As the oldest and largest telecommunication firms in France, they have coverage that is not only widespread in the whole country but also in Europe. About the Internet, they have an outstanding 4G speed.
How much does a SIM card cost in France & how to buy data?
Orange & SFR have a prepaid system card, you can top up 10 Gb for 20€ or 10€ to make international calls. In this article, we will focus on Bouygues and present their offers in more detail.
Bouygues can help you during the preparation for your trip and then for your whole stay. For your first weeks in France, you have the prepaid card My European SIM. You can pick it up as soon as you arrive at one of the many collection points in the country (for example at the airport), or receive your card directly at home (but you’ll have to pay for the shipping fees). Then, you can use it for 30 days before having to refill it.
You can check out more about this offer by clicking here.
But if you want to avoid having to refill your prepaid card every month, we recommend you subscribe to a regular SIM card.
More information about calling in France and using the Internet in Paris
France’s country code is +33, it is useful if you are calling a French phone number when you are abroad. You should use it and then add the phone number you want to call without dialing the first 0 (e.g., for a phone number that starts with 06, it’s 0033 6…)
French phone numbers are composed of 10 digits. They are usually stated two by two (e.g. 06 45 ** ** **). The first 2 digits have a meaning and can give you some information about who is calling you. Mobile phone numbers start with either 06, or 07 for new ones. Other numbers are depending on the region of France where the call is coming from. Here are the numbers linked to a specific region:
- 01: Ile-de-France
- 02: North West France
- 03 North East France
- 04: South East France
- 05: South West France
It is also possible that you receive a call from a phone number that starts with 09. Usually, it is used by companies, since these 2 digits don’t have a specific geographic area assigned.
How do I get FREE WiFi in Paris?
There are many spots where you can have free WiFi in Paris, starting with cafes, bars, and restaurants. Big chains such as McDonald’s also offer free WiFi. But if you are walking through the streets and don’t want to enter a building to go online, Paris has free WiFi areas in more than 250 public sites, that you can find through signs.
Watch this video to discover more about our platform Feel Français:
