Are you planning a trip to France and researching local SIM cards? Is the selection overwhelming, and worst of all; is everything in French? We found the best SIM card for France (and maybe even for all of Europe), and it’s super easy to buy. The FREE SIM card (FREE is the name of the company; it’s unfortunately not actually free) gets you 250GB of data for one month for just €19.90 (plus a one-time fee of 10€).

You won’t find a better deal than FREE mobile for a prepaid SIM card in France or most other places in Europe. But do you really need a local SIM card at all?

Even if you don’t work online, you need internet while you travel. While it’s most convenient to just keep your own SIM card and use roaming, you’ll soon find that this will be incredibly expensive.

Plus, if you’re travelling long-term, having a local phone number will be a great benefit. So stop your research because you just found the best SIM card for France and all of Europe. Let us tell you where exactly you can buy it and what you need to watch out for.

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What the FREE Mobile SIM card offers

The REE mobile SIM card has a lot of benefits, and they’ve actually been increasing the amount of GB you receive over the years while the price has remained the same since 2012. You used to only get 100 GB with FREE, but now it’s actually up to 250 GB, which is just one more reason to love this SIM card if you’re exploring Europe.

While the FREE mobile SIM card doesn’t provide unlimited internet, it’s more than enough for any tourist travelling through France.

The deal includes:

• unlimited calls in France and Europe
• unlimited text messages in France and Europe
• 250GB of 5G/4G internet in France and Europe
• 35GB of 4G roaming in over 100 countries, including the US, Canada, China and more
• Unlimited text messages and calls to a wide variety of other countries
• a prepaid SIM that works on a monthly basis without a contract. If you do not extend it for another month, it simply stops working without any fees

How much is the FREE SIM card?

This prepaid SIM will cost you only €19.90 monthly, which is an incredible price considering you’re getting 250GB.

Please note that you’ll have to pay a one-time fee of €10 to buy the SIM which makes the total of your first month €29.90. Every following month, you’ll only pay €19.90.

Where can you buy the FREE Mobile SIM card in Europe?

The FREE mobile SIM card is only sold from specific vending machines (or terminals) across France. You cannot buy it from a normal shop. To find these machines you need to have a look at this map.

You can see that there are plenty of vending machines around, however, we recommend picking one in advance to make sure you’re not stuck somewhere remote without a SIM card.

The vending machines are usually located within a small shop or a shopping centre. They should be fairly easy to spot.

What do you need to buy the FREE Mobile SIM card?

To get your SIM card at a vending machine, you will need:

• A credit card
• An email address
• A French address (a random one or your hotel will do)
• You also need to know what size your SIM card needs to be (nano, micro, standard)

How to buy a FREE SIM card if you don’t speak French

Unfortunately, like many things in France, FREE’s vending machines and website are exclusive in French.

To help you navigate buying this SIM card, we came up with the step-by-step instructions below. In this list, we break down everything you need to know when buying your SIM.

As mentioned before, using the camera mode on the Google Translate app will help a lot.

1. Begin by clicking “Forfait mobile free S’ABONNER” and then “Continuer”. Translated, this means something along the lines of “subscribe to the FREE mobile plan”. Don’t be alarmed by this, you can choose to go for the prepaid plan in the next step.
   
2. In this step, make sure to click „Valide 1 mois“. If you don’t take this option, you will be subscribing to a plan. Click “Forfait FREE”, which costs €19.90.
   
3. Now it’s time to choose your new phone number. Select one from the screen and click „Je choisis ce numero“.
   
4. Select your SIM size (most modern phones use nano, Google it if you’re not sure what your phone needs) and click „choisir cette SIM“.
   
5. Double-check your selection (it should say Forfait Free €19.90 and Carte SIM 10€) and confirm the terms and services with „confirmer ma sélection“.
   
6. After that, press „Procéder au paiement pour obtenir ma carte SIM“ to proceed to payment.
   
7. Put your credit card into the machine and enter your PIN code.
   
8. Now it’s time to enter your personal details. Put your first name under „Prénom“ and your last name for “Nom”. Press „continuer“.
   
9. Enter your email address.
   
10. In the next step, you need to enter a French address. You can make one up as you go, but I’d recommend picking one you’ll remember, like the address of your hotel or the address of the shop where you’re buying the SIM card. You might need this address later in case you decide to extend your SIM card to a contract or if you have any problems and need to contact the FREE support.
    
11. You’re almost done! Click „Appuyez ici pour recuperer votre SIM dans le bac en bas de la borne“ to receive your SIM.
    
12. Finally, click „imprimer mon reçu“ to print your receipt. This receipt is important as it contains the PIN and PUC information for your card. You’ll also find this info on the last screen so you can take a photo.
    
13. Lastly, the SIM will fall into the bottom of the machine. When I bought a SIM from one of these vending machines for the first time I had trouble finding the compartment at the bottom and had to ask someone to help. It’s hidden behind a glowing panel so keep an eye out for that.

What to do if you need help or can’t understand what the machine says?

If you get lost along the way somewhere when you buy your SIM card, you can always try asking someone in the shop or nearby. Most people will be happy to assist you.

Another great option is to use the Google Translate App. You can simply hold your camera up to the screen, and the app will translate in real time. This saves you from having to type everything in.

Are you risking additional fees by paying by credit card?

At first, I felt a bit uncomfortable paying a prepaid SIM with my credit card because it gives you the notion that FREE can just charge your card for any fees that might pop up.

I’m happy to tell you that that’s not the case. If you click on the prepaid option in step 2, you will have no additional charges. After one month, your card will simply stop working.

However, watch out for additional roaming charges that you’ll have to face if you use your SIM in some countries that are not part of the agreement.

The good thing is that FREE will not deduct these charges from your card directly. You will first have to log in to their portal and agree for your card to be charged (or pay with a different payment method). In any case, you will first receive a text message letting you know you have an open balance.

Can you use the FREE SIM card in other countries in Europe?

Yes, you can use your FREE SIM card in other countries in Europe! It’s actually a very good SIM card to have.

From the 250GB FREE mobile gives you 35GB of roaming to use in other countries. Check the list of countries available here. The selection is surprisingly big and is not confined to only Europe.

You can also use your SIM card in countries like the US, Canada, Australia and Malaysia. It’s really a great deal.

Be careful when using your SIM in countries that are not on this list. In Andorra, for example, 1MB with FREE costs €16. You’ll rack up charges pretty quickly if you don’t switch off your roaming.

Can you recharge the FREE SIM card?

You can recharge your FREE SIM card if you want to use it for another month (or more). Simply enter your information in the FREE login portal and extend your card.

If you’re planning to use it for a longer time period, you can also opt to switch your card to the subscription service, so the €19.90 are charged automatically every month.

Although we have not tested it ourselves, the FREE SIM card only seems to work abroad for four consecutive months if you do not return to France in between. So keep in mind that this SIM will not work abroad indefinitely.

A solution for this is to buy two SIM cards and use one normally while opting to go for a €2 subscription on the second card. That way you are charged €2 monthly for the second card and can change this into a €19.90 subscription with 25GB roaming once your first card expires after 4 months abroad.

Now you can use FREE’s services for 8 months without having to return to France. Just keep in mind that you’ll have a new number once you switch your cards.

Is this really worth the hassle?

Only if you’re travelling to countries with very high mobile data charges or if you’re keen on sticking with one provider and don’t want to worry about doing SIM card research over and over again.

Otherwise, I’d go for a local SIM card wherever you’re travelling.

Is the FREE SIM card worth it?

In our opinion, the FREE SIM card is the best local SIM you can find in France and probably all of Europe. Since many people tend to visit more than one country, in Europe, it’s extra convenient to know you can just take this SIM with you wherever you go.

250GB for a reasonable price and no contract or extra charges? Sign us up!

We highly recommend FREE to anyone looking for A LOT of data for an affordable price. You can finally watch Netflix without having to feel guilty about using too much data.

FREE mobile SIM card FAQ

Before you go…

If you’re reading this article about the best SIM card for Europe, chances are you’re planning on exploring quite a bit. We think you might like our guides for Mont Saint-Michel, Saint Emilion as well as the best free walking tours in Bordeaux.

Don’t forget to check out our article on the best snacks in Brittany and our price breakdown for camping in France.

If you’re headed to France’s neighbouring countries, read our things to do in Porto post, budget guide to Madrid and complete guide to Frigiliana

Did I miss anything?
If you have any questions or feel like something is missing from this post, please leave a comment below or contact me.