So, visiting France is your next adventure? That’s great! Surely, you have everything planned out already. Just remember to travel with a good data plan, so you don’t have to deal with roaming overcharges. As you may know, these services abroad can be expensive, and traveling to destinations like France is relatively pricey as well. Therefore, to avoid excessive charges and bad experiences on your trip, we recommend the International eSIMs for travelers, so you can use your cell phone on your trip to France.
This is a tool that, unlike the traditional Pocket WiFi for France, works digitally. It’s easy to get and use, so when you are planning your trip, you won’t have to resort to cumbersome processes or go to a point of sale to buy it. Remember you can also buy from home or when you are already in France, the choice is yours. In this article, we will explain how they work, their benefits, and the providers on the market, as well as a comparison of their plans and prices.
To travel through multiple European countries, we recommend a prepaid eSIM for Europe. This way it’s not necessary to change eSIM when you cross the border between European countries.
- High-speed connection without surprise bills.
- Receive your QR code instantly!
- Connect to the best network.
- Forget about roaming and searching for WiFi.
- Keep your WhatsApp number.
- Easy to set up: you’ll receive an email with your eSIM in seconds, no matter where you are.
- Get 5% OFF! Code: roaming5
Contents
- 1 What you should know about the France eSIM card:
- 2 Cellular providers of eSIM cards to travel to France:
- 3 Prices and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to France
- 4 Comparison of eSIM providers for France
- 5 Features of the eSIM to travel to France
- 6 Coverage of the eSIM to travel to France
- 7 Local cellular operators offering eSIM in France
- 8 FAQ about eSIM France
What you should know about the France eSIM card:
The first thing you should know about eSIMs is their minimum requirements because despite being an environmentally friendly alternative, there is still a range of cell phones that are incompatible with this technology. We don’t want you to overspend, so we encourage you to check the list below:
- You must have a cell phone compatible with eSIM: and make sure that your cell phone is supported by the operator or the eSIM card provider. We know currently that the iPhone XR or more recent versions are preferred by the companies that provide the virtual SIM.
- It’s essential to have an email to register and receive your eSIM.
- You must have an internet connection because your eSIM profile will be downloaded from the operator’s servers. You can do this in France or from a WiFi spot.
- Some providers will ask you to install their app to download the eSIM.
If your cell phone is incompatible with virtual cards, we recommend a regular SIM card for France. This is an excellent option to always stay connected. You can learn all about them on our blog, France SIM card.
Cellular providers of eSIM cards to travel to France:
When you’re ready and want to buy your eSIM, the next thing to know is the providers that are on the market. In this section, we list the eSIM provider companies for travelers. But before going into details, if your cell phone is incompatible with an eSIM, you can still choose a good data plan with a traditional physical SIM with 10 GB or 12 GB data for 30 days at $40.51 USD and $52.42, respectively.
Keep in mind that the companies mentioned below sell international eSIM cards intended for use on tourism or business trips abroad.
- Holafly
- WifiMap
- TravelSIM
Prices and data plans of eSIM providers to travel to France
Ok, now that you know the providers, you can check the plans and prices offered by these companies regarding eSIMs destined for France. Remember that the variation in prices may occur due to coverage, plans, or available payment methods, so keep this in mind when you are planning your trip to France.
Holafly plans and prices in France
- 3 GB for 7 days at $27 USD
- 5 GB for 15 days at $34 USD
- 8 GB for 20 days at $44 USD
- 10 GB for 30 days at $49 USD
WifiMap plans and prices in France
- 1 GB for 30 days at $5.90 USD
TravelSIM plans and prices in France
- 1 GB for 5 days at $11.59 USD
- 3 GB for 14 days at $24.33 USD
- 3 GB for 30 days at $28.33 USD
Comparison of eSIM providers for France
| Provider | Data | Days | Price (USD) | Language | Sales channels |
| Holafly | 3GB | 7 | $27 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web |
| Holafly | 5GB | 15 | $34 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web |
| Holafly | 8GB | 20 | $44 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web |
| Holafly | 10GB | 30 | $49 | Spanish, English, German, and French | Web |
| WifiMap | 1GB | 30 | $5.90 | English, Russian | Web, Play Store, App Store |
| TravelSIM | 1GB | 5 | $11.59 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 3GB | 14 | $24.33 | Spanish | Web |
| TravelSIM | 3GB | 30 | $28.33 | Spanish | Web |
Features of the eSIM to travel to France
When you have already decided to buy your eSIM, the next step is to get to know its features. For this reason, we provide the following list so that you can inform yourself and get the most out of your virtual card.
- Most eSIM cards don’t offer you analog calls, only data. But with the plans, they offer, you can call through voice apps like Skype or WhatsApp.
- They can be installed only once, so, if you are having problems with your eSIM card, don’t delete it from your cell phone, better yet, contact your eSIM provider.
- Keep in mind that some eSIMs configure the APN automatically.
- You can add multiple data plans on your iPhone, but this depends on the available memory, and besides, it’s only possible to use one at a time.
- Some eSIMs allow you to share data.
- Your phone will convert to a dual-SIM phone, as you will be able to keep your local SIM when you travel to Europe. Remember to set up your phone to avoid surprise invoices.
Coverage of the eSIM to travel to France
When you buy your eSIM, one of the most important aspects to keep in mind is the coverage offered because a very cheap data plan may not provide enough coverage in the place you are visiting and surely, you don’t want to end up without internet when you stop by one of the 700 castles in France.
For this reason, it’s important to check the domestic providers’ coverage map in France, which are: Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange, and SFR.
Bouygues Telecom 4G and 5G coverage map in France
Free Mobile 4G and 5G coverage map in France
Orange 4G and 5G coverage map in France
SFR 4G and 5G coverage map in France
Local cellular operators offering eSIM in France
People who live in France and want to have an eSIM card with data can do so without any inconvenience. There are operators that offer eSIM service, top-up, and maintenance. However, you must bear in mind that if you choose this alternative, you must meet certain requirements and carry follow certain steps that each eSIM carrier has previously stipulated.
That said, the companies that offer residents the possibility of buying or changing the physical chip to an eSIM are:
- Orange
- SFR
- Truphone
- Ubigi
FAQ about eSIM France
Great! We hope that this information for your trip to France has been useful to you, but if you want to know more about virtual cards, we have listed some questions that travelers usually have when purchasing an eSIM to travel to France. If you have any additional questions, leave them in the comments!
The local Orange or SFR eSIMs are mainly intended for people living in France. To connect to the Mobile internet in France, you can use the international eSIM from Holafly or WifiMap.
It’s not necessary to present a passport, but some providers do require your address. This applies only to the eSIM for tourists, not for the eSIM offered by Orange or SFR, who will ask for your information.
Yes, eSIMs for France will allow you to share your data with other devices. However, we recommend checking with the provider’s customer service.
After installing the virtual SIM profile, you must choose it as the default means of data, activate data, and roaming, and your virtual SIM will work!
Yes, like physical cards, virtual SIMs also have an expiration date.
From the moment you activate your eSIM, by scanning the QR code on your phone.
Cell phones compatible with the eSIM in France are increasing every day. Remember that if you live in a European or Latin American country and plan to travel to France, you must have a cell phone that is compatible with both the eSIM and its bands. If you don’t, you will be left without service in this country, and you will be forced to rent or buy a new cell phone.
These are the cell phones in which you can install and activate an eSIM for France. Make sure the eSIM provider supports it: iPhone XR, iPhone XS, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20+, Samsung Galaxy S20+ Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy S21+, Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro, Google Pixel 3a, Google Pixel 3a XL, Google Pixel 4, Google Pixel 4a, and the Google Pixel 4a XL.
The eSIM is the evolution of traditional SIM cards. It works due to a chip inserted inside the cell phone, which allows the profile to be stored and configured. To learn more, we encourage you to read: what is eSIM and how it works.
