eSIM data plans for France

Two structures are on offer here: fixed data plans that give a fixed amount of data over a set number of days, and unlimited plans priced by the day. The fixed data plans run on Bouygues and Orange, both on 4G and 5G. The unlimited plans run on Free Mobile and Orange, capped at 3G and 4G.

Fixed data or unlimited by day

A fixed data plan suits a trip where usage is roughly predictable, maps, messaging, some browsing, the odd video call. The tiers scale from 1GB over a week to 50GB over a month, so a light user on a two week trip may prefer a size with room to spare, while someone with a fixed itinerary can match the plan to the calendar.

An unlimited plan removes the need to track usage, but the price is set per day of validity rather than per gigabyte, so it suits shorter or data heavy trips more than long light ones. Thirty days of unlimited runs to $66, well above the $17 twenty fixed data plan, so the unlimited option earns its price mainly on trips where video, navigation, or hotspot use would push past the fixed data tiers anyway.

Getting around by train

France's trains are booked and managed through the SNCF Connect app. Free Wi-Fi has been added on some regional lines, but it is fitted station by station rather than across the network, so a data plan is what keeps the booking app and your tickets usable between stops rather than only where Wi-Fi happens to be available.