Best French mobile phone plans
Last update, June 2022 7-min read
| Introduction
Hello! 👋
On this page we help you to choose your mobile phone plan for your stay in France. Because you’re probably staying abroad for a year at most, we looked for mobile phone plans with no commitment and no cancellation fees, for a budget of less than €15 per month.
After comparing what French cell phone carriers offer, we also gathered feedback from international students already in France. One mobile phone network stands out of the crowd: Lebara. It’s the best value for money we found.
You might also want to do your own research and check for yourself. That’s why we’ve listed all the main French mobile plans providers below. Happy reading! 😊
A word of warning though: apart from Lebara, none have translated their websites into English yet (yes, you read that right 🙄). We therefore recommend that you use Google Chrome translation tool while browsing for french mobile phone deals.
Our recommendation
Lebara in a nutshell
💰 €14,99/month, without commitment
📢 Unlimited calls & texts in France
🌍 Internet: 70GB in France
🤙 French SIM card
Students’ reviews
Our recommendation, Lebara
Monthly bundles without commitment
| A cell phone plan tailored to students
Why exactly do we like Lebara’s monthly bundles? There are 3 main reasons, along with positive feedback from international students already in France.
💸 The price: their main plan is within the price range we had set (€10-€15/month). It’s an excellent value for money considering what you get for that price (unlimited phone calls and texts + 70GB of data). As a bonus, Lebara offers a €25 discount to our community.
🌍 Excellent coverage: Lebara uses the Orange network ( n°1 in France). You benefit from the excellence of their network at more competitive prices.
🤗 No hidden fees: finally, there are no opening or cancellation fees. Also, their contracts are non-binding, which means that you can cancel yours anytime you want.
Students’ reviews
| FAQ
💡 How do I activate my SIM card?
Your SIM will activate normally as soon as it is inserted into your phone. If this is not the case, activate it simply by calling the number ‘133’, or by sending an SMS, or by surfing the Internet, or by reloading credit or activating a plan.
✅ How do I activate my bundle?
There are two ways to activate your mobile phone plan.
1. On the Lebara.fr website (or the MyLebara app). Available 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, you can activate a bundle at any time. When validating your purchase, your plan is immediately activated on your Lebara account.
2. By SMS dialing 22241. Do you have credit in your LEBARA account? Simply subscribe to a plan by sending the package code to 22241. A text message will immediately confirm its activation. To find the list of SMS codes, please go here.
🔢 Where can I find my number?
As soon as your Lebara SIM card is activated, you will automatically receive your phone number and the last 4 digits of your SIM card serial number via SMS. This information is essential for the legal and mandatory registration of your Lebara SIM card.
You can also call the short number: ‘144’ and select option 1. Your number is then displayed on your phone’s screen. You can also call 2323. Select Option 4: Your phone number is dictated by the voice message.
❌ How do I cancel my monthly bundle?
This is a prepaid service so you don’t have a commitment.
You don’t have to do anything more than stop automatically renewing your plan if it’s activated. Simply go to your MyLebara online account and disable the renewal option with one click 👌
Cell phone networks in France
| Main French cell phone networks
If you want to check for yourself, you should know that there are 4 major cell phone networks in France: Orange, SFR, Free and Bouygues.
Competition is fierce, which is why you’ll easily find good deals such as RED by SFR’s, Sosh’s or B&YOU’s. In fact, France is one of the European countries with the cheapest mobile phone plans. They usually offer better value than prepaid SIM cards.
Contracts often include unlimited calls and texts, as well as mobile data allowances for both France and Europe (around 5-10GB for the EU). What you get obviously depends on the plan you choose. Most of them range between €15/month and €40/month but it’s possible to find small plans without internet for ~€5/month.
Worth noting: although there are plenty of options available, it can get tricky for international students.
- Apart from Lebara, none of the cell phone networks have translated their websites into English.
- Most mobile phone networks only accept French banks (IBAN starting with FR XX).
- Some mobile phone networks, such as Orange, require a 12-month or 24-month commitment.
Be sure to double-check the terms and conditions when you choose your French mobile phone plan 😉
