Best eSIM in France (2024)

When traveling to France, having reliable mobile data on your phone is a must. However, many travelers spend a fortune using international data on domestic plans (and experience slow/erratic service), which is why purchasing a prepaid French eSIM data plan is a cheaper option.

In this buyer’s guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about finding the best eSIM for France so you can get fast, high-speed mobile data at a low price.

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Use a French prepaid eSIM data plan with an international data plan that uses your plan

In most cases, your current mobile phone provider will offer the option of an international data plan, but these plans are often very expensive and the service is often slow, unreliable, and limited in data.

For example, many TMobile plans offer free unlimited international data plans, but only guarantee 2g data speeds…which will make it difficult to load Google Maps or even email.

or AT&T International Day Pass That’s $10 per day. They also have the AT&T Passport plan, which is a monthly plan with two options – $70 per month for 2GB of data or $140 per month for 6GB of data. Then they charge a hefty overage fee of $30 per GB. Verizon There is a $10 per day pass, but after 2GB per day they slow you down to 3G.

These prices are crazy.

These “international data plans” can cost up to 5 times as much as buying a prepaid eSIM data plan from a third-party provider – e.g. orange or Horaflai The cost is about $2 to $4 per day.

For more details, see The Savvy Backpacker Guide How to use smartphones and data plans in Europe and the Savvy Backpacker A guide to using eSIM data plans in Europe.

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Compare the best eSIM data plans in France

There are a handful of different eSIM mobile providers that offer data plans specifically for visitors to France.

Each plan will be slightly different, so it’s important to pay attention to the specifics of each one. But here are the main things to consider:

• Data allowance: Most plans will give you a certain amount of mobile data (i.e. 5GB, 10GB, 30GB, etc.), but others will give you unlimited data for a certain period of time (5 days, 15 days, 30 days, etc.).
• Program Duration: eSIM data plans are valid for anywhere from 5 to 90 days. This depends on your plan, so you’ll need to take this into account when choosing a plan.
• Mobile hotspot tethering: Most eSIM plans don’t allow you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot.
• Voice calls and text messages: Most eSIM plans are data-only, meaning they don’t include voice calls or text messages. This isn’t a big deal since you probably won’t be calling anyone, but some plans do come with some minutes.
  • Note: You can still use iMessage to “text” between iPhones, but you can’t send messages between iPhones and Android phones. Or you can download WhatsApp to send messages over data (which most Europeans do).

Orange Holiday Europe eSIM (50GB): $59.90

Update (June 2024): Orange has automatically upgraded this 50GB eSIM plan to 100GB data for all users activating between June 6 and October 9, 2024.

• price: $59.90 (check) Simulation options Learn more)
• data: 50GB
• Service speed: 4G/LTE
• call: Unlimited within Europe, 120 minutes outside Europe.
• Text/SMS: Unlimited within Europe, 1000 outside Europe.
• Credit validity period: 28 days
• data sharing: allow
• Works on any device (phone, tablet, hotspot…)
• This eSIM package comes with a French phone number and can still be used anywhere in Europe
• Service coverage across the EU

If you need a lot of mobile data, consider the newly released Orange Holiday Europe 50GB eSIM Data Plan This is a souped-up version of the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM. It has 50GB of data and is valid for 28 days (versus 14 days on the Orange Holiday Europe plan). This eSIM also has other features not found on other plans, including international voice calls and texts (it gives you an actual French phone number that you can use anywhere in Europe).

The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan also allows you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot, so you can make the most of your extra data allowance. Orange is also one of the largest mobile companies in Europe, so you’ll always get good coverage and high-speed data.

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ORANGE HOLIDAY European ESIM: $49.90

• price: $49.90 (check) Simulation options Learn more)
• data: 20GB (30GB available on occasion)
• Service speed: 4G/LTE
• call: Unlimited within Europe, 120 minutes outside Europe.
• Text/SMS: Unlimited within Europe, 1000 outside Europe.
• Credit validity period: 14 days
• data sharing: allow
• Works on any device (phone, tablet, hotspot…)
• This eSIM plan comes with a French phone number
• Service coverage across the EU

this Orange Holiday Europe eSIM data plans It’s the “Cadillac” of eSIM plans, as it has features that many other plans don’t, including international voice calls and text messages (it also gives you a real French phone number). The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan also allows you to use your phone as a mobile hotspot.

With this plan, you get 20GB of data, but they often run special offers for an extra 10GB. But even 20GB is enough for most users.

Orange is also one of the largest mobile companies in France, so you’ll always get good coverage and high data speeds.

A potential downside to the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan is that, once activated, it’s only valid for 14 days, so it’s not suitable for longer visits (but you can always buy a second plan).

I personally used the Orange Holiday Europe plan when I traveled in France and it worked out great. Read my Orange Holidays Europe Review Hear more.

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Bouygues My European eSIM: $44.90

Bouygues is another big French telecom company, and they recently launched their own prepaid eSIM data plans to compete with the popular Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plans. I used a Bouygues prepaid SIM card on my last trip to Europe, so I’m glad they’re finally offering an eSIM.

The Bouygues My European eSIM plan has a lot to offer, especially the fact that it comes with 30GB of data as standard and unlimited calls/texts within Europe. I also like that this Bouygues eSIM plan is valid for 30 days, so it’s a great option for long-distance travel.

• price: $44.90 (check) Simulation options Learn more)
• data: 30 GB
• data sharing: allow
• Service speed: 4G/LTE
• call: Unlimited calls within Europe and overseas calling credit
• Text/SMS: Unlimited SMS credit within Europe and abroad
• Credit validity period: 30 days
• telephone number: This eSIM comes with a French phone number
• Coverage: Anywhere in the European Union (except Switzerland)

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HOLAFLY ESIM: starting at $34.00

Horaflai is a new data-only eSIM provider that I’ve used before while traveling in Europe – the service was great and the data speeds were very fast (read my Holafly eSIM review for a deeper understanding). Horaflai Sells country-specific French plans and Europe-wide data plans. Holafly is not a true mobile operator, but they lease bandwidth from a local French provider (SFR), so you may get lower priority on the SFR network during peak usage times.

I also like that Holafly’s plans range in duration from 5 to 90 days – so you don’t have to buy too much or too little for a particular trip.

Holafly doesn’t allow data tethering in most cases, so you can’t use your phone as a mobile hotspot.

• Unlimited data prices (check Horaflai Learn more)
  • 10 days: 34 USD
  • 15 days: 47 USD
  • 20 days: $54
  • 30 days: $64
  • 60 days: $84
  • 90 days: $99
• Service speed: 5G/4G/LTE
• Call coverage: not any
• Short message: not any
• network sharing: No
• Data service valid throughout the EU

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Orange Holiday Zen eSIM: $29.90

• price: $29.90 (check) Simulation options Learn more)
• data: 8GB (15GB available on occasion)
• Service speed: 4G/LTE
• call: Unlimited within Europe, 30 minutes outside Europe.
• Text/SMS: Unlimited within Europe, 200 outside Europe.
• Credit validity period: 14 days
• data sharing: allow
• Works on any device (phone, tablet, hotspot…)
• This eSIM plan comes with a French phone number
• Service coverage across the EU

this Orange Holiday Zen eSIM A cheaper version of the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan. It comes with 8GB of data, fewer call minutes and text messages, but other than that it’s the same as the Orange Holiday Europe eSIM plan.

Personally, I’d probably use a bit more than 8GB of data, but a light data user could easily use less than 8GB on a typical 10-14 day trip.

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More France Travel Tips from Savvy Backpackers

Here are some of my favorite articles to help you plan your trip to France (and beyond):