How to get Mobile Internet in Paris: Which option to choose?

As you will know, running out of data far from your home can be a major headache. Even more so if the place you are visiting is thousands of kilometers away from your home. For this reason, in this article, you’ll find the most affordable options to have cellular internet in Paris. Moreover, you’ll avoid that uncomfortable feeling lost when not having data.

If it’s your first time in the city of love, and you don’t know how to connect to the internet, this article will fit you like a glove. Certainly, we will show you all the existing ways of having cellular internet in Paris. Moreover, we will show you the rates, features, advantages, and disadvantages so that you can enjoy your data just as you need.

Mobile Internet in Paris

To start, among the options in the market that offer cellular internet in Paris, we find a wide range of alternatives. However, the two that stand out the most, and the ones that travelers recommend the most, are the data SIM and data eSIM cards, which we will discuss later. These last two options that we mentioned are usually widely used because they are cheap and easy to buy. However, their benefits, features, and data rates may vary depending on where you are and how you buy them.

On the other hand, in addition to these options, we can find the roaming service in France offered by your cellular operator. Also, Pockets WiFi, and free WiFi spots, among other alternatives. However, every one of them uses cellular networks, so, depending on which ones they use, the quality of your internet will vary.

Comparison table of internet rates in Paris

We know that data rates are among the most important aspects when choosing the best option to connect to the internet in Paris. For this reason, here at Roaming, we have made a short compilation of the rates and data plans offered by the providers to connect to the internet in Paris.

You’ll see these rates in the following table, where you can compare each one of the options. In this way, you can choose the one that most interests you based on your budget and needs.

SIM card to have mobile internet in Paris

With a fairly cheap data rate and a very intuitive way to use and activate, SIM cards are one of the best options for connecting to the internet outside your country. In general terms, this is the most usual way to connect to the internet. This means that we are already used to installing it, using it, activating it, etc. There are two ways to buy it: the first is to buy it through a virtual store before traveling, and the second is to buy it once you arrive at the airport.

Between these two options, our recommendation, and the favorite of other travelers, is to buy it before traveling. This way you can save yourself the queues at the airports and other inconveniences, like arriving at the airport at dawn and not being able to find any open store.

eSIM card to have internet in Paris

On the other hand, eSIM cards are another of the most recommended alternatives for having internet in Paris. Like SIM cards, they promise an internet connection at a much lower price than other options. These two options, the eSIM and the SIM card have great similarities.

However, the main difference is that to connect to the internet with the eSIM, you won’t have to insert any plastic SIM card into your cellphone. You’ll have to scan a QR code as soon as you land at your destination.

As it’s a fairly new product, not all smartphones are compatible. Therefore, before buying an eSIM, you should first check the compatibility between your cellphone and the eSIM you want to buy. Among the providers that offer an eSIM card for Paris, the Holafly store stands out. This provider offers you unlimited data with some added advantages.

Price of the eSIM card to have internet in Paris

• 5 days with unlimited data for $19
• 7 days with unlimited data for $27
• 10 days with unlimited data for $34
• 15 days with unlimited data for $47
• 20 days with unlimited data for $54
• 30 days with unlimited data for $64
• 60 days with unlimited data for $87
• 90 days with unlimited data for $99

How do you get mobile internet in Paris with your cellular provider?

On the assumption that you’re not interested in buying a particular product to connect to the internet in Paris, and, on the contrary, you want to do it directly through your cellular operator, we inform you that, depending on where you live, the cost of the roaming service may be different.

For example, if you are a resident of a European Union country, the roaming service cost will be zero. However, this doesn’t happen if you are from Australia, Colombia, the USA, Canada, etc.

How to get internet in Paris with international roaming?

If you’re interested in using the international roaming services offered by your cellular operator to have internet in Paris, then you’ll have to ask them about the prices and details. However, we will now tell you about the international roaming costs of some famous local operators worldwide, which are as follows:

• AT&T
• Three
• T-Mobile

Internet in Paris with AT&T

AT&T is an American company that offers its users the possibility of using their international roaming services. They offer some pretty solid options for customers to choose from. Foremost, you can purchase the International Day Pass, with which you can enjoy unlimited phone services for $10 a day.

On the other hand, they also offer the International Phone Call plan, for which you will have to pay $15 per month, and you will be able to make calls while you are on the road. Finally, if you prefer the pay-per-use option, you will have to pay for your usage. The prices are $2.05/MB, $2 per minute of call, and $0.5 per message sent.

Internet in Paris with Three

Three is a European company based in the UK and is a pretty solid company. So if you are a Three user and want to use their services during your trip to Paris, you will only have to pay about $2 per day, and you will be able to use their phone services!

Internet in Paris with T-Mobile

Lastly, let’s talk about T-Mobile’s roaming services. If you currently have one of T-Mobile’s Simple Gold Plans, you will be able to use your phone services at no cost to you. However, you should note that if you have any other T-Mobile plan, you will have to pay $15 per MB downloaded to use cellular data in Paris.

Portable WiFi to have internet in Paris

Continuing with the options available to have internet in Paris, currently, on the market, we can find the Pockets WiFi. In case you didn’t know them before, these small routers allow us to connect to the internet as long as they are charged and have an active data plan. This is important to keep in mind since, if you plan to explore the natural wealth of Paris, perhaps it’s not the best idea to buy a Pocket WiFi since you run the risk of falling short of the internet during your adventures.

Among the companies that offer us these products to connect to the internet, we can find Travelers WiFi. This offers its Pocket WiFi for 7 days for $64 plus a shipping cost of $14, which gives us a total of $78.

Public WiFi

Finally, we have one of the cheapest options to have cellular internet in Paris. We are talking about the Public WiFi spots that you can find throughout this city. These public WiFi spots will allow you to have unlimited internet access for as long as you want. But, although it sounds perfect, these networks usually have very little security and poor quality.

Therefore, being connected to these networks for a long time is not recommended. Why? Mainly due to security issues, which, being unregulated, make it dangerous to enter certain information.

However, this alternative shouldn’t be ruled out. It can be useful if you’re staying in Paris for a couple of days, and you don’t see the point in paying for a plan or a product just to have internet for a short time.

Coverage map

As you may know, the coverage in Paris is not uniform. That is, there may be more cellular internet coverage in some parts than in another. So, if you want to connect to the internet during your trip, you must know which are the areas where you can or can’t have a good internet connection.

3G or 4G coverage

In the case of 3G or 4G cellular internet networks for Paris, in the following map, you can see the areas in which these networks have greater coverage and stability.

What we recommend

If you’ve come this far and still don’t know which option to choose, here at Roaming, we will share with you our recommendation to have internet in this city. We are talking about the eSIM card with data for Paris from the online provider Holafly. Based on the rate and the data plan, it’s the only option that offers unlimited data at a fairly reasonable price and with added advantages. In fact, it’s not at all uncomfortable to carry compared to the Pocket WiFi.

FAQs

Carolina Silva