★★★★★5 out of 5Perfekt für Frankreich
Für meine Frankreich-Reise hat die eSIM echt super funktioniert. Installation war total unkompliziert und das Internet war schnell und stabil. Genau das, was man auf Reisen braucht. Würde ich wieder nehmen.
eSIM for France 
Viasimo's France eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on Orange with 5G where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.
Works everywhere in France
- Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
- Brittany
- Centre-Val de Loire
- Corsica
- Grand Est
- Hauts-de-France
Select your planIn stock
Duration
Quantity
1
Unlimited data · 3 Days$6.99
Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1
$6.99
Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now
Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.
Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibilityWhich networks does the France eSIM use?
Host networks: Orange
Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.
- Data
- 100 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
- Validity
- 1–180 days
- Speed
- 4G LTE / 5G
- Hotspot / tethering
- Supported on most devices
- Activation
- Automatic on arrival
- Speed management
- Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- Top-ups
- Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- Text messages (SMS)
- Data only: use an app for verification codes
- Unused validity
- 180 days before it must be installed
How much data do you need?
The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.
| You are | Plan for | Cheapest plan that covers it |
|---|---|---|
| LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup | About 1 GB a week | $1.791 GB, 7 days |
| TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing | About 3 to 7 GB a week | $5.005 GB, 30 days |
| HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads | 10 GB a week or more | $9.0010 GB, 30 days |
| Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync | 20 GB a week or more | $13.99Unlimited, 7 days |
eSIM, local SIM or roaming?
Charged per day
Your carrier roaming
Queue and plastic
A SIM at the airport
$1.29
Viasimo, one bundle
Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.
How Viasimo compares in France
Each row puts one of our plans beside the closest plan Airalo and Holafly list for the same destination: the same data allowance and a similar number of days.
| Plan | Viasimo (USD) | Airalo (USD) | Holafly (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 GB · 30 days | $5.00 | $11.00 | No comparable plan |
| 10 GB · 30 days | $9.00 | $17.00 | No comparable plan |
| 20 GB · 30 days | $14.99 | $23.00 | No comparable plan |
| 50 GB · 30 days | $29.99 | $35.00 | No comparable plan |
| Unlimited · 7 days3 GB a day at full speed | $13.99 | $23.50 | $27.50 |
Competitor prices collected from their public websites on 23 September 2026. Prices change; check before buying. Competitor prices are in US dollars as each site lists them, not converted. Unlimited plans can carry different fair-use limits from one provider to another.
Sources: Airalo, France (); Holafly, eSIM for France ()
About this eSIM
Unlimited runs at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continues slower.
Before you travel to France
Do I have to register a SIM here?
France requires identity registration for prepaid SIMs bought locally. A travel eSIM is not affected.
Local SIM-registration rules apply to buying a SIM in the country. A travel eSIM is a foreign profile roaming onto the local network, so you are not registering anything locally and there is no counter to queue at.
Checked 23 September 2026 against gsma.com , privacyinternational.org . Rules change — verify anything that affects your trip.
Important to know
- This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
- Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
- Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
- Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
- 5G only works where the host network has deployed it and your phone supports it. Everywhere else it falls back to 4G LTE.
- The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
- Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy
What travellers say about France
5.0 out of 5 from 2 reviews
★★★★★5 out of 5Très bonne expérience
Franchement, très bonne expérience ! L’installation était super simple et la connexion marche vraiment bien. Je recommande 👍
Frequently asked questions
Does an eSIM work in France?
Yes. Your France eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Orange. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.
Do I get 5G in France?
Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on Orange in France, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.
Which mobile network is best in France?
In Opensignal's November 2025 report Orange, the network this eSIM uses, was fastest for downloads at 83.8 Mbps and had the best coverage experience score. Bouygues won the most awards overall, mainly for consistency, and Free Mobile users spent the most time on 5G. For coverage and speed, Orange is the strongest all-rounder.
Is there mobile signal in the Paris Métro?
Yes. Since 2020 the whole RATP network, including Métro tunnels, RER lines it operates and the trams, has had 4G coverage. You can keep using data between stations. At rush hour on lines like 1, 4 and 13, speeds can drop because so many phones share the same masts.
How can I check mobile coverage at my holiday rental in France?
Use Mon réseau mobile, the coverage map published by the telecoms regulator Arcep. Select Orange, the network this eSIM connects to, and search the address to see coverage levels and test results. It is particularly useful for rural rentals in the Massif Central, the mountains or inland Brittany.
What is FR-Alert, and will my phone receive it?
FR-Alert is France's emergency warning system, in use since June 2022. It sends alerts by cell broadcast through 4G and 5G masts to phones in the affected area, with no app needed, for events such as floods, wildfires or attacks. Make sure emergency alerts are switched on in your phone's settings.
What is the emergency number in France?
Dial 112 for any emergency, or the French numbers 15 for an ambulance, 17 for police and 18 for the fire brigade. Deaf or hard-of-hearing callers can use 114 by SMS, chat or video. This eSIM is data only, so keep your home SIM switched on to make emergency calls.
How much data do I need for 7 days in France?
For 7 days in France, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.29, 1 GB for $1.79, and unlimited data for $13.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.
Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →
France: what to know before you land
In France this eSIM uses Orange, which in Opensignal's November 2025 report had the fastest downloads and the best coverage experience of the four national networks, though the lowest 5G availability. Since 2020 the whole Paris Métro has had 4G in its tunnels, and the government's FR-Alert system sends emergency warnings straight to phones.
- Emergency
-
- 112 also 15 ambulance, 17 police, 18 fire
- Plugs
- CE 230V
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
Main airports
- CDG Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
- ORY Paris Orly Airport
- NCE Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
- MRS Marseille Provence Airport
Apps worth having SNCF ConnectBonjour RATPCitymapperWhatsAppUber
Orange in Opensignal's November 2025 France report
France has four national operators: Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile. This eSIM connects to Orange, and Opensignal's November 2025 report shows its strengths and its one weak spot.
- Fastest overall downloads: Orange users averaged 83.8 Mbps, about 11 Mbps ahead of Bouygues.
- Fastest 5G: on 5G, Orange averaged 273.4 Mbps, roughly 50 Mbps more than SFR.
- Best coverage experience: Orange scored 9.3 out of 10, just ahead of SFR.
- Reliability: tied with Bouygues for first place.
The weak spot is how often you'll actually be on 5G. Orange users were connected to 5G 61.5% of the time, the lowest of the four, against 78.8% on Free Mobile. In practice that means you will often be on 4G even with a 5G phone, but because Orange's 4G is fast and widely available, most travellers won't notice.
Bouygues won the most awards overall, 12 out of 17, mainly for consistency and video. If a French friend swears by their network, they may well be right for their own use; for coverage and speed across the country, Orange is a strong network to be on.
Checking a village on Arcep's Mon réseau mobile map
France's telecoms regulator, Arcep, publishes an interactive coverage map called Mon réseau mobile, showing coverage and measured quality for each operator, Orange included. It is worth checking before you book a gîte in the Cévennes, a chalet above a ski resort or a farmhouse in central Brittany: pick Orange, search the village, and you'll see whether the signal is rated as good indoors or only outdoors.
Some background on why rural coverage keeps improving. Under the New Deal Mobile, agreed between the government and operators in January 2018, the four networks took on coverage obligations written into their licences. A targeted scheme to put masts in poorly served areas passed its 2,500th 4G site in July 2023, and by November 2020 about 96% of mainland France was covered by 4G. Arcep still holds the operators to account: in February 2024 it publicly issued formal notices over obligations that had not been met.
If the map shows that your accommodation has weak indoor coverage, ask the host about wifi before you arrive, and plan to download maps and tickets while you are in town.
Signal underground on the Paris Métro and RER
Paris used to be a city where your phone went silent the moment you went below street level. Since 2020 the whole RATP network, the Métro, RER lines run by RATP and the trams, has had 4G, including inside the tunnels. With the eSIM on Orange, you can keep messaging, check the next connection or reroute around a closed station while you are riding, rather than waiting until you surface.
A few points that still apply underground:
- Rush hour slows things. Packed trains on lines 1, 4, 13 and RER A and B can have plenty of bars but slow data, because hundreds of phones share the same masts.
- Keep your ticket offline. If you use a phone-based Navigo or ticket app, make sure it works offline or that the ticket is loaded before you reach the gates.
- Watch your phone. Pickpocketing is common on crowded Métro lines and at tourist stations, so don't stand by the doors with your phone held out.
On regional TER trains and in other cities' metros the experience varies, so keep tickets and maps downloaded for the journey.
FR-Alert and France's emergency numbers
Since June 2022 France has used FR-Alert, a national system that pushes warnings to phones during serious incidents such as floods, wildfires, industrial accidents or attacks. The Prime Minister's office or a prefect decides when to send an alert, and mayors can request one for a local emergency. Messages go out by cell broadcast over 4G and 5G masts, not as ordinary SMS, so they reach phones within the affected zone without any app and don't add to network congestion. Check that emergency alerts are switched on in your phone's notification settings.
The main emergency numbers are:
- 112, the European number for any emergency, answered in several languages;
- 15 for an ambulance (SAMU);
- 17 for the police;
- 18 for the fire brigade, who also respond to many medical emergencies;
- 114 for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, by SMS, chat, video or fax.
These need a voice line or SMS, which this data-only eSIM doesn't provide, so keep your home SIM switched on for calls. In wildfire season in the south, FR-Alert messages may tell you to leave an area or shelter in place: follow them.
Researched October 2026 · 5 sources
- insights.opensignal.com France Mobile Network Experience Report, November 2025 (Opensignal)
- arcep.fr La couverture mobile en métropole (Arcep)
- gov.uk France travel advice: getting help (GOV.UK)
- en.wikipedia.org FR-Alert (Wikipedia)
- en.wikipedia.org Paris Métro (Wikipedia)
Seven days in France: Paris, Versailles, Avignon, the Pont du Gard and Arles
A classic first week in France for travellers who want three days of Paris and Versailles, then a high-speed train south to Provence for papal Avignon, Roman Nîmes and Arles, the Pont du Gard and the hilltop villages of the Luberon.
When to go May, June and September give warm weather with fewer crowds than July and August, when Paris empties of locals and Provence is hot and busy; the lavender in the Luberon is usually in flower from late June to late July.
-
Day 1 Paris
Île de la Cité and the Latin Quarter
Start on the Île de la Cité at Notre-Dame, reopened in December 2024 after the fire, then queue for Sainte-Chapelle and its fifteen tall stained-glass windows. Cross to the Left Bank for Shakespeare and Company, the Panthéon and the Luxembourg Gardens. Finish with an evening walk along the Seine quays past the bouquinistes' book stalls.
Signal Orange has strong 4G and growing 5G across central Paris, and the Métro has 4G in its tunnels, so you can navigate underground.
-
Day 2 Paris
Louvre, Orsay and the Eiffel Tower
Book a timed ticket for the Louvre at opening and focus on two or three wings rather than trying to see everything. Walk through the Tuileries and cross the Seine to the Musée d'Orsay for its Impressionist collection in a former railway station. In the evening, walk from the Trocadéro to the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles for five minutes on the hour after dark.
Signal Signal is good outdoors, but expect weaker reception deep inside the Louvre's galleries; download your museum tickets to your phone's wallet in advance.
-
Day 3 Paris
Château de Versailles
RER C from central Paris to Versailles takes about 40 to 45 minutes.
Take the RER C to Versailles Château Rive Gauche and arrive for opening; the palace is closed on Mondays. See the Hall of Mirrors and the State Apartments, then spend the afternoon in the gardens, walking or hiring a bike to the Grand Canal, the Trianon palaces and Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet. On summer weekends, the musical fountain shows run in the gardens.
Signal Coverage is strong around the château, though the crowded state rooms can slow data; the far end of the estate around the Hamlet has thinner signal.
-
Day 4 Avignon
TGV to Avignon and the Palais des Papes
TGV from Paris to Avignon TGV takes about 2 hours 40 minutes; the shuttle into Avignon Centre takes 5 minutes.
Take a morning TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Avignon TGV and the shuttle train into the centre. Visit the Palais des Papes, the Gothic palace of the fourteenth-century popes, then walk out onto the remaining arches of the Pont Saint-Bénezet. Climb the Rocher des Doms gardens for the view over the Rhône at sunset.
Signal Orange coverage on the high-speed line is mostly good, with short gaps in cuttings and tunnels; inside Avignon's walls, 4G and 5G are reliable.
-
Day 5 Avignon
Pont du Gard and Nîmes
The Pont du Gard is about 30 minutes' drive from Avignon, and Nîmes another 30 minutes beyond it.
Drive or take the bus to the Pont du Gard, the three-tiered Roman aqueduct bridge over the Gardon, and walk to both banks and the riverside. Continue to Nîmes to see the Arena, one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres, and the Maison Carrée temple opposite the modern Carré d'Art. Return to Avignon in the evening.
Signal Good 4G in Nîmes; coverage is reasonable at the Pont du Gard visitor centre but weakens along the river paths below the bridge.
-
Day 6 Avignon
Arles and the edge of the Camargue
Avignon Centre to Arles takes about 20 to 40 minutes by regional train.
Take the train to Arles. See the Roman amphitheatre and theatre, the cloister of Saint-Trophime and the places Van Gogh painted, including the café terrace on Place du Forum. In the afternoon, drive or join a tour into the Camargue wetlands to see flamingos, white horses and black bulls around the Étang de Vaccarès.
Signal Arles has strong coverage; out in the flat Camargue marshes 4G is patchy, particularly on minor roads away from Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
-
Day 7 Avignon
Luberon villages and departure
Gordes is about 45 minutes' drive from Avignon; allow 1 hour to Marseille airport.
Hire a car for the hill villages of the Luberon. See Gordes on its rocky spur, the Sénanque Abbey with its lavender fields, and Roussillon's ochre cliffs and walking trail. Return the car in Avignon and take the TGV back to Paris or to Marseille Provence airport for your flight home.
Signal The Luberon villages have usable 4G, but signal drops in the valley around Sénanque Abbey and on back roads; check Arcep's Mon réseau mobile map if you are relying on it.
Staying connected on this route
- Install the SNCF Connect app and save your TGV tickets offline before day 4.
- Download offline Google Maps for the Luberon and the Camargue, where coverage on minor roads is patchy.
- Keep FR-Alert emergency notifications switched on, particularly in summer when Provence has wildfire warnings.
Itinerary sources · 5
- insights.opensignal.com France mobile network experience report, November 2025 – Opensignal
- whc.unesco.org Palace and Park of Versailles – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- whc.unesco.org Historic Centre of Avignon – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- whc.unesco.org Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) – UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- arcep.fr Mobile coverage in metropolitan France – Arcep
Information and verification
Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.
- Prices and plans
- Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.
- Host networks
- The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.
- Local rules
- SIM registration and device rules, checked against the sources below.Source: gsma.com, privacyinternational.org
Transparent pricing
France eSIM prices
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $6.99 | $2.33/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $10.99 | $2.20/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $18.99 | $1.90/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $95.99 | $1.60/day |
| Data | Price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited | $144.99 | $1.61/day |
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Read before you go
Sep 21, 2026 | 7 minute read
