This article reviews the best French phone plans for American expats. Are you looking for an affordable and reliable French phone plan with unlimited talk and text to the United States and Canada? Do you want a plan that you can use for talk and data when you travel to the U.S. and Canada? This article is for you.
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If it’s your first time signing up for a French phone plan, read Phone plans in France to learn how postpay phone plans work in France and how to pick a French phone carrier with a good coverage in your area.
French phone plans with unlimited talk to the U.S. and Canada
American expats can reach family and friends from France via WhatsApp with an internet connection and no wireless plan. WhatsApp works fine as long as you don’t need to call businesses or make professional phone calls.
If you do need to make regular phone calls to the United States or Canada, let’s see which French cell phone plans provide the best international options for American and Canadian expats.
International plans from main French carriers
These three cell phone plans offer unlimited calls to the United States and Canada from the main French phone carriers.
€19.99/month (phone plan only)
€15.99/month (with Freebox Delta/Révolution internet plan)
€9.99/month (with Freebox Pop internet plan)
- 250GB or unlimited data with any Freebox
- No-contract
- Network: Free
- Unlimited talk/text/MMS to United States, Canada, Europe
- Free roaming + 35GB data in United States, Canada, Europe
€36.99/month (phone plan only)
€16.99/month (with SFR internet Box plan)
- 250GB
- No-contract
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk/text/MMS to United States, Canada, Europe, China
€64.99/month (phone plan only)
€49.99/month (with Orange Livebox internet plan)
- 240GB
- 24-month contract plan
- Network: Orange
- Unlimited talk to United States, Canada, Europe
- Unlimited text/MMS to Europe
Orange and Sosh also offer a 20-hour talk and 100-text option to the United States, Canada and Europe for €8/month that you can add to any Orange or Sosh monthly plan. As with any limited plan, you have to watch your usage because you’ll be charged €0.24/minute if you go over the 20-hour limit.
International plans from low-cost French carriers
You don’t have to stick with one of the main French carriers since low-cost carriers offer the same quality and coverage as the main operators. Here are some international cell phone plans from low-cost carriers with unlimited calls to the United States and Canada.
Red by SFR North America add-on
Add €2.00/month to any SFR plan (€6.99 to €22.99)
- From 10GB to 200GB
- No-contract
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk to United States, Canada
From €7.99/month to €19.99/month
- From 30GB to 250GB
- No-contract
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk to United States, Canada, Europe
From €13.99/month to €19.99/month
- From 150GB to 250GB
- No-contract
- Pay-as-you-go plan
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk to United States, Canada, Europe
€9.99/month
- 10GB
- No-contract
- Prepaid plan
- Valid 30 days
- Network: Bouygues Telecom
- Unlimited talk to United States, Canada, Europe
Roaming in the U.S. and Canada
For American expats in France, using a French cell phone plan when traveling back home is a great option. French phone carriers provide plans that include roaming in the United States and Canada.
International roaming included in your plan
Free is renown for its great deals and the 250GB 5G plan for €19.99/month (€9.99/month with a Freebox Pop) includes unlimited calls and SMS in the United States and Canada as well as 35GB of data. Unlimited roaming is an excellent perk if you travel back home often.
€19.99/month (phone plan only)
€15.99/month (with Freebox Delta/Révolution internet plan)
€9.99/month (with Freebox Pop internet plan)
- 250GB or unlimited data with any Freebox
- No-contract
- Network: Free
- Unlimited talk/text/MMS to United States, Canada, Europe
- Free roaming + 35GB data in United States, Canada, Europe
Add international roaming to your French plan when you need it
Some French carriers do offer the possibility to purchase add-ons that you activate when you travel. Using a French add-on is very convenient because you can keep using your French phone number when you travel to the U.S.and Canada.
Red by SFR International roaming add-on
Add €5.00/month to any SFR plan
- From 10GB to 200GB
- No-contract
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk/text/MMS to United States, Canada
- Free roaming in the United States, Canada and 20GB data
€29.00/month
- 10GB
- No-contract
- 31 days
- Network: Orange
- Unlimited roaming in the United States, Canada and 10GB data
€29.00/month
- 10GB
- No-contract
- 31 days
- Network: Orange
- Unlimited roaming in the United States, Canada and 10GB data
Syma Mobile “Roaming USA” add-on
Add €10.00/month to any Syma Mobile plan
- From 30GB to 250GB
- No-contract
- 30 days
- Network: SFR
- Unlimited talk/text in the United States (NOT Canada!) and 5GB data
Purchase a SIM card in the U.S.
Instead of using a French phone plan, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card in the U.S. I don’t think this option is the best solution price-wise but you might have a good reason to go down that road.
If you do, StraightTalk SIM cards 10GB can be purchased at most supermarkets and Walmart in the United States to get 30-day unlimited talk and text for $35. One of the inconveniences though with using a prepaid SIM card from the U.S. is that you can’t use your regular phone number.
Another solution to consider is purchasing a data-only SIM card and use WhatsApp for talk and text.
The best French phone plan for American expats is…
Overall, I think that the best French plan for international calls and roaming in the U.S. and Canada is Free 250GB 5G plan, followed by Red by SFR plans. Both plans are no-contract plans and they are the best French phone plans for American expats.
#1 Free Mobile 250GB plan €19.99/month
What I like about this plan is that it’s a 5G plan with a lot of internet data (unlimited data with Freebox Pop) and it’s an excellent deal, even more so when you purchase an internet plan for a Freebox Pop (€9.99) or a Freebox Delta/Révolution (€15.99).
For a very reasonable price, you have unlimited talk and text to the U.S. and Canada. When you travel back home, you keep using your phone, no need to change anything to enjoy free roaming as well as 35GB data. People can call you on the same number whether you are in France or in the U.S. I find it extremely convenient because it’s one less thing to worry about when you travel. Your phone just works.
#2 Red by SFR plans €4.99-€22.99/month 10GB-200GB
If you don’t need 250GB of data, plans from Red by SFR are an excellent option price-wise. What I like about Red by SFR plans is that they are highly customizable. You can decide whether or not you want 5G and how much data is enough. You can add unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada for €2/month and remove this option whenever you don’t need it.
If you travel to the U.S. infrequently, you can turn on free roaming in the U.S. and Canada for one month for €5/month and this option comes with 20GB/month. Turning options on and off your plan is super easy from the Red & Moi phone app.
I hope this article helped you find an affordable phone plan that you can use both in France and back home.
Do you know that using a hands-free headset while driving is illegal in France? You can read more on this in Driving in France vs driving in the United States.
Great review Nathalie! Its time to change from Orange. The US deal is so much better.
Thank you Todd! Do you mean the one from Free?