Blog

Where to buy a prepaid SIM Card or eSIM at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (2024)

Let's get your mobile data problem sorted for when you arrive to France

Published: Feb 4, 2022

Table of content:

Prepaid (physical) sim cards at CDG
Option 01 : Relay bookshops
Option 02 : Tourism Information desk
Key Considerations before your purchase a french SIM card at CDG
Getting a prepaid eSIM plan before or when you land at CDG airport (recommended)
Discover more prepaid eSIM plans for France

Welcome (or welcome soon) to Paris Charles de Gaulle !

Last updated : July 2024

Buying a SIM card at Charles de Gaulle Airport is straightforward but requires some walking and patience. Service quality can vary, and stores do not operate 24/7. This guide covers both physical SIM card store options and prepaid eSIM (virtual SIM card) options that you can buy and download before you arrive.

In this guide, we will cover physical sim card store options, as well prepaid eSIM (virtual sim card) options that you can buy and download before you arrive.

Table of content:

Prepaid (physical) sim cards at CDG
Option 01 : Relay bookshops
Option 02 : Tourism Information desk
Key Considerations before your purchase a french SIM card at CDG
Getting a prepaid eSIM plan before or when you land at CDG airport (recommended)
Discover more prepaid eSIM plans for France

Prepaid (physical) sim cards at CDG

Those options require that you buy a physical sim card at the airport when you land. You will need to find your way the "sim card stores" across the many terminals at Charles de Gaulle.

Option 01 : Relay bookshops

Relay Stores are a chain of convenience stores found in airports and railway stations across France. They are open from early in the morning until late at night, making them the perfect place to pick up a quick snack or drink before your flight or train.

The Relay Stores in Charles de Gaulle airport are located in both the departures and arrivals terminals. They are open from 6am until 11pm, making them the perfect place to pick up a quick snack or drink before your flight or train.

Here are a the Relay Stores at Paris Charles de Gaulle :

Terminal 1: Hall A, Level 1, Store n°A-101 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 1: Hall A, Level 2, Store n°A-202 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 1: Hall A, Level 3, Store n°A-301 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 1: Hall A, Level 4, Store n°A-401 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 2: Hall D, Level 1, Store n°D-101 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 2: Hall D, Level 2, Store n°D-202 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 2: Hall D, Level 3, Store n°D-301 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm
Terminal 2: Hall D, Level 4, Store n°D-401 Open from 6:00am to 10:00pm

Option 02 : Tourism Information desk

This option is only available in Terminal 1 ! Unfortunately terminals 2 and 3 do not sell prepaid SIM cards for tourists landing in France. At terminals 2 and 3, the Tourism Information desk will redirect you to the Relay shops.

At Terminal 1, though, the Tourist Information desk should be able to help and tell you exa tell me all the info I needed about the prepaid SIM card for tourists they were selling.

Key Considerations before your purchase a french SIM card at CDG

• Store Hours: Most SIM card shops at CDG close by midnight, so eSIMs are a reliable option.

• Cost: Prices at the airport can be higher than in the city. For example, an Orange Holiday Europe SIM card costs €39.99 for 30 GB of data and unlimited calls/SMS in Europe for 14 days.

Getting a prepaid eSIM plan before or when you land at CDG airport (recommended)

This is the option we would obviously recommend. A prepaid eSIM is a digital SIM that is stored on your mobile device. It is a convenient way to manage your mobile phone service because you can add and remove service plans without having to go to a physical store. Prepaid eSIMs also offer the convenience of not having to use a physical SIM card. This can be helpful if your phone is lost or damaged because you can easily access your account information and service plans online. Additionally, prepaid eSIMs can be used in countries that do not have a traditional SIM card infrastructure.

This means that you will just need to download your eSIM on your mobile device, as long as it is compatible. No need to queue at the airport, no need to open the sim card tray on your phone ! Everything is virtual.

Here are the best prepaid eSIM plans we would recommend for when you arrive in France or arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle.

Plans by Orange, France's leading eSIM provider :

Sold by esims.io

Data

12 GB

Validity14 day(s)

39 countries

Data and Phone number*

Orange - by eSIMs.io - Orange Holiday Zen

$20.95

$1.75/GB

Out of stock

Learn more ›

Sold by esims.io

Data

30 GB

Validity14 day(s)

39 countries

Data and Phone number*

Orange - by eSIMs.io - Orange Holiday Europe

$31.58

$1.05/GB

Learn more ›

Plans by third party eSIM providers & MVNOs :

Data

50 GB

Validity365 day(s)

25 countries

Data only

KeepGo - Antares

$100.00

$2.00/GB

Learn more ›

Data

100 GB

Validity30 day(s)

🇫🇷 France

Data only

Network(s) : ORANGE (5G, 5G, LTE), FREE (5G, 5G, LTE), BOUYGUES (5G, 5G, LTE)

Special Offer: €20 OFF

BNESIM - Surf 100GB/month in France

$78.97

$99.97

$0.79/GB

Learn more ›

Discover more prepaid eSIM plans for France

Did not get enough options ? You can compare other eSIM plans for france here . Also, we invite you to read our guide about the best prepaid eSIM plans for France.