Compare the Best Travel eSIMs for France
Prepaid data eSIMs for visitors to France, every plan ranked by real price per GB. This is not a France contract or a local SIM. Updated daily.
Reviewed by Lee DobsonLast updated Ranked independently by real price per GBUpdated dailyFree to use, no account
The 3 best France eSIMs right now
Hand-checked · ranked by price per GB
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Sim LocalFrance eSIM – 200GB for 15 Days + EU RoamingAll plans 169
What France data actually costs
France travel eSIM prices look random until you convert every plan to one number: the real cost per gigabyte. Here is what that reveals right now.
The cheapest plan at each size, 30 days
| Data | Cheapest provider | Total | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 GB | Ubigi | $29 | $0.58/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 25 GB | Ubigi | $19 | $0.76/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 20 GB | Sim Local | $16.75 | $0.84/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| 10 GB | Ubigi | $10 | $1.00/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| 5 GB | Nomad | $9 | $1.80/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 20% off with code ATESIM |
| 1 GB | Yesim | $2.39 | $2.39/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code TRAVELCITY |
Cost per GB rises from $0.58/GB at 50 GB to $2.39/GB at 1 GB. Buying a little more data than you expect to use is almost always cheaper per gigabyte than buying exactly what you need.
The "unlimited" trap
The same words, unlimited for 30 days, cover a wide price range, and most plans slow down after a daily threshold that the label hides.
| Provider | Unlimited, 30 days | Fair-use cap | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubigi | $39 | Not published | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code TRAVELCITY10 |
| Maya | $49.99 | 3 GB/day, then 10 Mbps source | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Airalo | $65 | 3 GB/day, then 1 Mbps source | Get plan ↗ |
| GigSky | $65.49 | 2.5 GB/day, then reduced, but not below 100 kbps source | Get plan ↗🏷 15% off with code ATESIM |
| Saily | $71.99 | 5 GB/day, then 1 Mbps source | Get plan ↗ |
Unlimited 30 day plans run from $39 to $71.99, a spread of about 85 percent, for a label that means the same thing on paper. Check the daily cap before you buy, especially if you plan to tether a laptop.
Do not overpay for coverage you will not use
If your whole trip is in France, a France only plan is far cheaper per gigabyte than a Europe or global plan carrying the same data. Same provider (Sim Local), same 50 GB, 30 days:
| Sim Local plan | Price | Price per GB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| France only | $46.75 | $0.94/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Europe | $46.75 | $0.94/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
| Global | $70.25 | $1.41/GB | Get plan ↗🏷 10% off with code ATESIM |
A France only plan costs much less per gigabyte than a regional or global plan with the same data. Only pay for the wider plan if you are actually crossing borders on this trip.
Which network does your France eSIM use?
This is the question that decides your real signal, and almost no comparison site answers it. Your travel eSIM connects to one or more local networks as a visitor, and that choice matters the moment you leave the big cities, because rural coverage varies a lot between them.
| Provider | Host network | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Airalo | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| GigSky | Orange and Bouygues Telecom | Confirmed |
| Ubigi | Orange and Free Mobile | Confirmed |
| Nomad | Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile (multi-network) | Confirmed |
| Saily | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
| Yesim | Not publicly disclosed | Confirming |
Orange is the strongest network for rural and TGV travel, and Ubigi is the safest confirmed pick because it publicly lists Orange and Free Mobile as its France hosts.
Coverage by where you are going
- Orange has the widest rural and mountain footprint at 79% rural coverage in ARCEP's 2025 audit and holds up best on TGV routes at 74% of calls kept, while all four networks perform well inside cities.
- The Paris Metro and RER now have full 4G coverage shared across Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, and 5G is being added on the Grand Paris Express, with Line 15 South set for full 5G by the end of 2025.
- Corsica uses the same mainland networks and is included in standard France plans, but the overseas departments Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion are usually NOT covered and need a separate Caribbean or Indian Ocean plan.
- Andorra and Monaco sit inside France's borders but are not part of EU roaming, so a phone that latches onto Andorra Telecom or Monaco Telecom can bill non-EU charges even on an EU plan.
- Near the Belgian, German, Swiss, Italian and Spanish borders a phone can silently switch to a foreign mast, and because Switzerland is outside the EU it helps to select your network manually in border zones.
Travel eSIM vs a local France SIM
A travel eSIM is the simple option for a short visit. You install it before you fly, it activates when you reach France, and prepaid pricing avoids surprise roaming bills. These plans are data-only, so calls and texts run through apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime, and most include tethering.
A physical French SIM makes sense for a month or longer or when you need a local number. France is in the EU, so a local plan carries Roam Like At Home coverage across the EU at no extra cost, and prepaid tourist SIMs are easy to top up. You get a French number for bookings and verification codes that data-only eSIMs do not provide.
Quick rule: Short data-only trip, use an Orange-based travel eSIM; a month or more with a local number, buy a French SIM.
France's national networks are Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile, and budget MVNO Sosh (owned by Orange) sells prepaid data with EU roaming built in, alongside tourist options like Orange Holiday.
How a France travel eSIM works
A travel eSIM replaces expensive roaming with a cheap local data plan you activate in seconds. There is no plastic SIM and no airport queue. Roaming with your home carrier can run 6 to 12 dollars a day, so a week easily tops 50 to 80 dollars for service you already pay for at home.
Three things to get right:
- Check your phone supports eSIM before you buy.
- Install the eSIM at home over WiFi, but wait to activate it until you land, because the validity period usually starts on activation.
- Keep your physical SIM in the phone for calls and texts on your normal number.
How we rank France eSIMs
Every plan on this page is sorted by real price per GB (total price divided by included data, normalised to USD), so a cheap-looking 1 GB plan cannot outrank a better-value 10 GB one. We refresh prices daily and only list providers with a track record of activating on arrival. We earn a small affiliate commission when you buy through our links. It funds the price tracking and never changes the order you see.
France travel eSIM FAQ
Which network is best for France?
Orange leads independent testing for coverage. In ARCEP's 2025 audit it topped rural coverage at 79% and TGV connectivity at 74%, ahead of SFR, Free Mobile and Bouygues Telecom. For countryside, mountains or long train journeys, an Orange-based eSIM is the safest bet.
Do France eSIMs work in Corsica and the overseas departments?
Corsica uses the same mainland networks and is included in normal France plans. The overseas departments such as Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion are usually excluded, so you need a dedicated plan for those regions. Always check the coverage list before you travel.
Can I get charged near Andorra or Monaco on an EU plan?
Yes. Andorra and Monaco are geographically inside France but are not part of EU roaming. If your phone connects to Andorra Telecom or Monaco Telecom you can be billed non-EU rates. Turn off data roaming or select your network manually when you are close to those borders.
Is 5G available in France?
Yes. Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile all run 5G across major cities and many towns. The Paris Metro and RER already have full 4G, and 5G is rolling out on new Grand Paris Express lines, with Line 15 South slated for full 5G by the end of 2025.
Can I make phone calls with a France travel eSIM?
Most travel eSIMs for France are data-only and do not include a French number or standard calls and texts. You can still call and message over apps such as WhatsApp, FaceTime or Telegram using the data connection. If you need a local number, buy a French SIM instead.
Should I choose a travel eSIM or a local French SIM?
For a short trip where you mainly need data, a travel eSIM on an Orange-based network is quick and predictable. For a month or longer, or if you need a French number and included EU roaming, a local prepaid SIM from Orange, SFR, Bouygues, Free Mobile or an MVNO like Sosh is better value.
