How to get Mobile internet in France: Which option to choose?

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France is very well known as the country of love, and so many people around the world dream of meeting this beautiful country. And surely, you must be one of that people. For this reason, you should be anxious to know everything about the country, its tourist attractions, and of course, its Internet connection. So, we’ll be talking about all options you have to get Mobile internet in France. 

As all countries are different and have different operator companies, we know that it can be a bit annoying to research about how to connect to the internet. Therefore, you don’t have to worry, in this article, we will tell you all about internet connections in France. The different alternatives, different operators that offer the service, their coverage, and rates so that your trip is the best, and you have all the information at hand.

esim france

Contents

Mobile internet in France

Among the services on the market for connecting to Mobile data are Pocket Wi-Fi, SIM cards, eSIM, roaming for France, and free Wi-Fi hotspots. Each with advantages and disadvantages, some more than others, but don’t worry, here we will help you choose the best one for you.

There are many phone companies that offer services for Mobile internet in France, especially if you live in the US, UK, or Australia. As companies such as Vodafone, AT&T and Telstra offer international roaming services for this country. However, roaming is often very expensive and if we are talking about the best option, we recommend eSIM cards for France from the Holafly online shop. 

Internet rates in France

Now that we know the types of alternatives for connecting to the internet in France, let’s take a look at the basic data tariffs. You may be a little surprised at how expensive some services can be. But we’ll be talking in detail about each of them in this article so that you can get to know them in-depth.

Service Internet tariff in France
eSIM FranceUnlimited Data starting at $19 for 5 days.
Telstra carrier roaming$3.00/MB
Vodafone carrier roamingYou will have the same tariff as your plan in the UK, if you have unlimited data you will be limited to 20GB. Also, you could have $1.12 to $2.24 USD a day
AT&T USA carrier roaming$2.05/MB
Pocket WiFi$84 to $122 USD+ shipping for 7 days
Public WiFiFree
Table 1. Comparison of internet tariffs in France with US, UK, and Australia mobile operators.

eSIM for France

The eSIM for France is an excellent option to connect to data; these virtual cards offer many benefits and are very easy to purchase and activate. To purchase one for France, all you have to do is go to Holafly’s official website, choose the eSIM, fill in the purchase form and that’s it, in a moment they will send you a QR code to activate the card. All in a very short time and at an excellent price!

Holafly currently has different affordable unlimited data plans with the eSIM France and as with all its services, this card also has 24/7 support and customer service, completely in Spanish, English, German, or French.

Also, one of the newest features from the company comes with the addition of phone calls. Now, people who have an eSIM Holafly for France can make phone calls too.

Holafly eSIM rates for travel to France

  • Unlimited Data for 5 Days for $19.
  • Unlimited Data for 7 Days for $27.
  • Unlimited Data for 10 Days for $34.
  • Unlimited Data for 20 Days for $54.
  • Unlimited Data for 30 Days for $64.

How to get internet in France with your operator?

Getting Mobile internet in France or almost anywhere in the world is not difficult these days, thanks to all the technological advances. However, many of these are expensive, and if you don’t read the small print properly or deactivate your plan before arriving in France, you may get surprise bills. 

The latter usually happens with roaming or Pocket Wi-Fi plans, especially if you are used to high internet usage. Below you will find details of what each alternative covers by operator and provider.

Mobile internet in France with Telstra

Telstra is a company from Australia that allows its users to maintain the internet connection in their trips. You can choose from different plans and packages, but the most common one is the pay-as-you-go plan. The price of which varies depending on the destination, but it is usually around $3 USD per MB. Although the company offers some packages of different MB, the most common one is $10 USD per day for 500 MB for many countries. 

Mobile internet in France with Vodafone

In the case of Vodafone, this operator also offers the same tariff as you have in the UK if you have one of the Xtra Airtime Plans. But if your plan is unlimited and does not offer roaming in Europe, they will limit your data depending on the plan you have. But you could roam from $1.12 to $2.24 USD a day with their European roaming passes. 

Keep this in mind, especially if you are on a business trip and need to be constantly connected on video calls. As you may not reach your data limit, you could be charged extra.

Internet in France with AT&T USA

AT&T offers its users some ways for international roaming. The most common one is the pay-per-use data plan, with this plan, you could have data usage at a price of $2.05 USD per MB.

On the other hand, with AT&T International Day Pass, you can have unlimited high-speed data, make calls, and send and receive text messages. The price of this plan is $10 per day.

Pocket Wi-Fi for internet in France

As mentioned above, Pocket Wi-Fi for France is one of the most expensive internet access available on the market. As providers usually only give you free delivery to the delivery spot, everything else is charged, i.e. you will have to pay for the rental, data, packaging to return it and return shipping. Also, since it is a portable router that you have to carry at all times to stay connected, if you lose it, you will have to pay for it. 

Here are two companies that offer a portable Wifi service for France:

Hippocket Wifi

This provider offers the Pocket Wi-Fi service for rental for a minimum of three days, i.e. you will only be able to rent a portable router for France if you rent it for three days onwards. This has a data limit of 1 GB at $9.97 per day. 

Free delivery takes three working days, and if you need the router urgently, there is the possibility of one-day delivery, but there is an extra charge of $11.21 USD. As a portable device, its battery can drain very quickly, so if you order an extra battery to avoid suddenly running out of internet during your trip, you will be charged an extra $5,60 USD.

Cello Mobile

Cello Mobile is a telecommunication company from the United States. You can rent one of their Pocket Wi-Fi for the price of 104.93 dollars per week + shipping from $10 to $75 dollars. This service is unlimited for one week. People can also pay for insurance which costs 14.99 dollars, so you could avoid paying a penalty in case of losing the equipment. If you need it, you could also rent other accessories with the equipment.

Public Wi-Fi offering Internet access in France

Public Wi-Fi is another option you can access in France to connect to the internet. However, these usually do not work very well due to the number of people connected to them, and you should be very cautious when using them, as they are usually not secure as they are a public network that anyone can access and with very low security.

You can find many of these hotspots at the airport, in shops, shopping centers, or at your hotel, so if you plan to travel alone using free Wi-Fi hotspots or with a Pocket Wi-Fi, it is best to confirm with your hotel that they have this service. 

Map of internet coverage in France

3G or 4G coverage

Bouygues Telecom coverage map in France. Source: NPERF

Our recommendation

As you have been able to see during the article, our main recommendations are the SIM cards and eSIM cards from Holafly. On this virtual shop, you will be able to acquire any of the two cards very easily from your home, at a low cost and with free delivery in one day to your address. You won’t have to worry about languages barriers because their service is completely in Spanish, English, German and French.

Frequently asked questions about the Internet in France

In case you still have doubts about the internet in France after reading the whole article, here are some useful questions.

What network frequencies operate in France?

The networks in France operate on a frequency of 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, and 2600.

Which telephone companies operate in France?

The main telecommunications companies in France are currently Bouygues Telecom, Orange Mobile, Free, and SFR Mobile.

What kind of networks exists in France?

France has 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G networks throughout the country.

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