HOW TO GET A FRENCH PHONE & SIM CARD

I’m sorry the old Hailey can’t come to the phone right now, why? Oh because she’s dead…

LOL okay not really dead but… I ditched my US number and got a French one. The process can be daunting, but necessary if you’re living here for more than just a couple of weeks. I’ll cover some different cell phone plans, how to get your phone unlocked, how to get a sim card, and what to do when your phone is stolen and you need to replace your sim card.

SO PSA: If you’re just traveling for a few weeks, I wouldn’t worry about getting a new sim card. Most carriers have an international plan that you can use for the days you’re here. Call or go online and search “international plan” and you should be good to go.

But if you’re seriously living in France, it’s time to switch carriers!

I use Free mobile… I went for the most expensive plan at 20 euros a month. I have 100 GO of data which means gigabyte in French, unlimited calling and texting in France, and then 25 gigabytes of international data per month. That data is a TOTAL lifesaver. I would say all of my close family and friends have iPhones, so I can use the data for texting, FaceTime, and even FaceTime audio (so I don’t have to pay long distance on the phone calls). And for the few who don’t have iPhones, I can talk to through WhatsApp.

I decided to buy the most expensive plan, because I knew I’d be traveling a lot. When I’m in foreign countries, I feel safer knowing that I have the means to find any information that I need at that time. Whether it be directions to a museum or an Uber back to the hostel, it’s just nice to have security.

There are also two other plans:

-The 2 euros per month I wouldn’t suggest as it gives you next to no data. If you just have a flip phone though, this ones for you. That is an option if you’re not going to be here for that long… Just bring your iPhone around for when there’s wifi, but if you need to reach out to someone living in France you can use the flip phone.

-The other plan is 8.99 euro a month. This gives you 50 GB of French data and 3 GB of international data. This is actually a viable option if you don’t plan on traveling that much, or when you do travel to use mostly wifi instead of data.

At this point I’ve used my french phone in the United States, London, Prague, Budapest, Vienna, Munich, and many other places. The phone automatically connects with a carrier in that region, and I’ve had good service everywhere I’ve went.

Now you’ll have to get your phone unlocked by your current carrier. This can be tricky, because we typically “lease” our phones now instead of owning them outright. What this means is that your carrier will make you shell out the remaining payments, which if the phone is new could be upwards of 1,000 dollars. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this… or at least with ATT anyway. But I’ve heard the same for Sprint and Verizon.

So you have three options now: Pay off your phone, use an old phone that you have lying around (like an old 5s or something), or buy an unlocked phone. I personally think if you have the funds, just pay off your phone. You would’ve had to pay it off per month anyway, this is just speeding up the process.

This unlocking process can take up to a few days, so you might want to start BEFORE you leave the United States. You will have to start the process online or call. Just google “unlock phone for international use ATT” (or Verizon, Sprint, etc).

Something else to look into with your carrier is whether or not you will turn off your American plan. My mom was able to freeze my account for the months I was away, so you might want to look into that to save a couple bucks!

Now it’s time to head to the Free store. They’re located all over France. I’ve been to one in Paris, Reims, and Lyon. They’re all pretty much the same. Go in the store and approach a little monitor kiosk thing. If there’s a line of people waiting to talk to someone, but open kiosks you DO NOT have to wait. Just go over to the screen and get started.

Here you’ll select which type of sim card you want (make sure it’s the right type: Nano is for iPhone 5 and later VS Micro), type in personal information, enter credit card, etc. The sim card will cost you 10 euros. And boom! The machine pops out a little sim card and a receipt with your new number on it. Simple as that.

If your phone is already unlocked, you can find someone to switch your sim cards in the store. But MAKE SURE your iCloud was literally updated that day or the night before. You don’t want to lose any pictures, contacts, etc. I suggest just taking it home, as the process is very easy. All you have to do is take a paper clip (I used an earring back) to the little hole on the right edge of your phone. Put in the new sim card the same way the other one came out. Then store your American sim card in a safe place. You’ll open up your phone, type in your iCloud details (not sure how this works for droid) and it will start to work its magic. If it says the sim card is locked, try the code 1-2-3-4. Every time my phone dies when I turn it back on I have to type that in. I heard the new phones (XR & XS) actually have dual SIM capabilities. So it sounds like you won’t have to switch out a SIM card, but rather just add in a new one.

Now you should be good to go!!! Unless……..

You go through allllll of this trouble, and what do ya know??? Your phone gets stolen out of your purse at a club in London (crickets……) Nope? Just me? cool. cool.

Lol but seriously— 

Basically you have two options here: you can call Free and have them mail you a new sim card for an additional 10 euros, but you will have to speak French on the phone. +33 1 78 56 95 60.

Another option is going into the store again and speaking with an agent who will help you transfer your number onto a new sim card. Actually it’s a pretty easy process. Of course you’ll have to buy a new phone, which is the real costly part of the situation. Make sure if you’re buying a phone online or off of someone that it is already UNLOCKED. Or else you won’t be able to use it!

Well that is that. If you have ANY questions do not hesitate! Comment below or on my latest instagram @PlaneToChampagne with anything I missed!