Best eSIM for France 2026: 7 providers compared

Part of our France eSIM guide: all articles and key facts →

France is one of the easiest countries in the world to get online, and one of the most confusing for visitors from outside Europe. If your SIM card comes from an EU country, or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova or Ukraine, you do not need this article: under the EU's roam-like-at-home rules you already use your home allowance in France at domestic prices, within your operator's fair-use limits. Everyone else, travellers from the UK, the United States and Canada, Switzerland, the Maghreb, Latin America or the Gulf, pays whatever their own operator charges, and a travel eSIM is often the cheaper answer.

We read the France pages of seven eSIM providers on 26 October 2026 and compared price, network, speed caps, hotspot rules and when the plan starts, for trips from a weekend in Paris to a month in Provence. All prices are those displayed on the providers' own pages, or in the plan data those pages embed. Dollar prices are converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 23 October 2026, the latest available on the day (1 euro for 1.1193 dollars).

Which is the best eSIM for France?

For unlimited data, Ubigi was the cheapest verified France-only plan for a week, two weeks and a month; Yesim was cheapest for a single day and Airalo for ten days. For a fixed allowance, Ubigi and Orange Travel led. These verdicts cover single-country plans; Maya Mobile's global plan is discussed below. Here are the winners by need, on prices checked on 26 October 2026:

• A stopover or one day in Paris: Yesim sells 1 day of unlimited data for €3.50, Holafly for €3.79 and Ubigi for €6 (7 GB at full speed).
• A weekend (3 days): Airalo and Yesim both cost €10.50, Holafly €11.37; Nomad's $11 (about €9.83) is lower on paper but slows to 1 Mbps after 2 GB a day.
• Five days: Orange Travel's unlimited plan costs €15.99, a discount its product data marks as valid until 15 January 2027; Airalo costs €16 and Yesim €17.50.
• One week, the classic Paris and Loire or Paris and Normandy trip: Ubigi costs €20 (25 GB at full speed, then 2 Mbps), Airalo €22 (3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps), Yesim €24.50 and Holafly €25.50.
• Ten days: Airalo costs €27, Yesim €29.94 and Orange Travel €29.99.
• Two weeks in Provence or on the Riviera: Ubigi costs €25 for 15 days (30 GB at full speed), Orange Travel €36.99, Airalo and Yesim €39, Holafly €46.90.
• A month: Ubigi costs €39 (60 GB at full speed), Airalo €54.50, Yesim €57, Orange Travel €58.99 and Holafly €68.90.
• A light user who wants a fixed allowance: Ubigi sells 3 GB valid 30 days for €4 and 10 GB for €10; for 20 GB over 30 days, Orange Travel's €19.99 and Ubigi's 25 GB for €19 are the lowest prices we found.

If your trip continues south, read our Spain eSIM guide: France-only plans stop at the border, while Holafly, Orange Travel and Maya also sell regional or global plans.

Who needs a travel eSIM in France?

Anyone whose SIM card does not come from the EU or EEA should check their home operator's roaming price before choosing an eSIM. The official Your Europe page says roam-like-at-home applies to subscriptions from the EU, from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and from Moldova and Ukraine. Other countries "are not covered by this regime", although some operators extend their own offers to France.

Visitors from the UK

Since Brexit, UK operators set their own European roaming terms. On 26 October 2026, O2 said it was "the only major network that isn't bringing back EU roaming charges for up to 25GB" in its Europe Zone. Vodafone UK charged pay-monthly customers without European roaming in their plan £16 for an 8-day pass (about €19.11) and £21 for 15 days (about €25.08); its pay-as-you-go customers paid £2 a day for unlimited calls and texts and 50 MB of data. A week of travel eSIM data at €20 to €22 is therefore cheaper than Vodafone's pass only if you do not need your UK number for calls. We could not read EE's roaming prices on its own site, so we leave them out.

Visitors from North America, Switzerland, the Maghreb, Latin America and the Gulf

Your operator's roaming terms decide, and we did not verify them for this article: check your operator's page and compare its price for your stay with the tables below. Holafly and Maya show prices in several currencies; Holafly's 7-day plan was $27.50, £22, C$38 or CHF 23.90 on 26 October 2026.

Two practical points apply to everyone. A data-only eSIM does not give you a French number, so keep your home line active in the phone's second slot if you need to receive bank codes by SMS. And if you are driving on to Spain, Italy or Switzerland, check which countries your plan covers before you cross a border.

The France eSIMs side by side

The table lists the French networks each provider names, its unlimited week and a typical fixed plan, as read on the providers' pages on 26 October 2026 in the currency each page displayed.

Unlimited prices by length complete the picture. Holafly sells any number of days from 1 to 90 and Yesim any number from 1 to 30; Airalo sells 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 30 days; Ubigi 1, 7, 15 and 30 days; Orange Travel 5 to 30 days in five-day steps; Nomad 3, 5, 7 and 10 days.

Saily and aloSIM also sell France plans. Saily's site refused automated reading on 26 October 2026 and aloSIM's France address returned an error page, so we leave both out of every verdict.

Is an unlimited eSIM for France worth it?

Only if you use a lot of data, and only once you know the cap behind the word "unlimited". Every unlimited plan we read has a full-speed allowance or a fair-use clause, and they differ widely:

• Ubigi: a fixed full-speed allowance per plan, then 2 Mbps: 7 GB for 1 day, 25 GB for 7 days, 30 GB for 15 days and 60 GB for 30 days.
• Airalo: 3 GB a day at full speed, then 1 Mbps until the next day.
• Nomad: 2 GB a day at 4G or 5G speed, then 1 Mbps.
• Maya Mobile: 5 GB a day at full speed, then 3 Mbps.
• Holafly: no published figure; the operator may reduce speed "for no more than one (1) day".
• Yesim: speed "may be limited" under the operator's fair-usage policy, with no figure.
• Orange Travel: no speed rule on its France page.

For most visitors the caps are generous. Maps, messaging, ticket apps for the Paris metro and SNCF trains, and a few photos uploaded each evening use well under 1 GB a day. At 1 Mbps, Airalo's and Nomad's reduced speed still handles messaging and navigation, but video calls and uploads become slow. Ubigi's model is different: its allowance is per plan, not per day, so a heavy day early in the trip eats into the rest of the week.

If you mostly use hotel and café Wi-Fi, a fixed plan is cheaper. For a week, Ubigi's 10 GB for €8 or Orange Travel's 5 GB for €8.99 cost less than any unlimited week; for a month, Ubigi's 10 GB for €10 and 25 GB for €19, or Orange Travel's promotional 100 GB for €34.99, beat every unlimited month we found. Our article on what to check before buying a travel eSIM explains how to estimate your daily use.

Orange, SFR, Bouygues or Free: which network does each eSIM use?

France has four mobile networks, and Orange measured best overall in the regulator's 2025 campaign, so an eSIM that uses Orange, or lets you choose among several networks, is the safer pick outside cities.

The regulator Arcep published its 2025 campaign on 20 November 2025: more than a million measurements taken between June and August 2025 in every mainland département. Nationally, 91% of calls on Orange were of perfect quality, against 88% for Bouygues Telecom and 87% for SFR, tied, and 84% for Free Mobile. For mobile internet, Arcep counts how often download speed passes 3, 8 and 30 Mbit/s: in dense areas Bouygues Telecom led at the 3 Mbit/s threshold and tied with Orange at the higher two; in intermediate and rural areas Orange led at all three. On TGV high-speed trains, 70% of web pages loaded within five seconds on Orange, against 63% on Free and SFR and 61% on Bouygues Telecom.

Opensignal's November 2025 France report, based on users' phones between 1 August and 29 October 2025, measured average download speeds of 83.8 Mbps on Orange, 72.4 Mbps on Bouygues, 69.8 Mbps on SFR and 64 Mbps on Free Mobile. Orange also won Coverage Experience, with 9.3 out of 10, while Bouygues won the most awards overall and tied with Orange on reliability.

What each eSIM names:

• Orange only: Airalo ("Operates on the Orange network in France").
• Orange and Free Mobile: Yesim and Nomad.
• All four networks: Holafly, Ubigi and Orange Travel.
• Orange, Free and SFR: Maya Mobile's page data.

If the signal is weak in the Alps or the Massif Central on a multi-network eSIM, turn off automatic network selection and try another network listed by your seller.

Pros and cons of each provider

Ubigi

The cheapest week, fortnight and month in our survey, with all four French networks, data sharing allowed and a "Smartstart" that begins the plan on arrival. The catch is the per-plan full-speed allowance (25 GB for 7 days), after which speed drops to 2 Mbps. Plans expire if not activated within six months of purchase.

Airalo

Competitive at 3, 5 and 10 days, with a broad range of fixed plans and top-ups. It uses only the Orange network, the best measured by Arcep. Its France eSIM covers mainland France and Corsica but, its page says, not Monaco or the overseas territories. Unlimited plans slow to 1 Mbps after 3 GB a day.

Yesim

Sells any length from 1 to 30 days, which suits awkward trip lengths, and the cheapest single day (€3.50). Orange and Free Mobile networks. Hotspot "depends on operator", and its fair-use rule has no published figure.

Holafly

All four networks, any length from 1 to 90 days, and prices shown in several currencies. It is the most expensive unlimited option in most lengths, and hotspot is limited to 1 GB of shareable data a day.

Nomad

Low dollar prices and hotspot supported, on Orange and Free Mobile. Unlimited plans stop at 10 days and slow to 1 Mbps after 2 GB a day. Plans start automatically 60 days after purchase if you have not activated them.

Orange Travel

Orange's own travel brand lists all four networks, allows hotspot and had the cheapest 5-day plan and the largest fixed bundles, including 100 GB for €34.99. Several prices are promotions with end dates in the product data (15 November 2026 for the large fixed plans, 15 January 2027 for unlimited). The page also has a Data+Calls+SMS range whose allowances we could not read, so we leave it out.

Maya Mobile

One global unlimited plan valid in more than 165 countries: €16.99 a week, €23.79 for 14 days and €42.49 for 30 days, with 5 GB a day at full speed and hotspot included. It is the cheapest option for a week or two, and useful if France is one stop on a longer trip. Its page says the plan "Auto-renews while Travel Mode is on", so switch that off when you leave.

Is a French prepaid SIM cheaper than a travel eSIM?

On price alone, yes, but you need a shop, a passport and an identification step. On 26 October 2026, SFR's prepaid SIM with 40 GB and unlimited calls and texts for 31 days cost €9.99, half the price of the cheapest unlimited eSIM week. Bouygues Telecom's My European SIM, its offer for visitors, sold 30 GB with unlimited calls and texts in France and Europe over 30 days for €29.90, as an eSIM or a physical SIM.

A local line gives you a French number, useful for restaurants, deliveries and doctors. But activation in France requires an identity document such as a passport, and Bouygues asks you to identify yourself in its customer space within 30 days or the line is terminated. Orange's Mobicarte, which offered 150 GB for €9.99, is according to its legal notes reserved for customers living in, or with a stable link to, mainland France. Our guide to French SIM cards compares the four operators, the ID rule and where to buy.

Which eSIM should you pick for your trip length?

• Weekend in Paris (2 to 3 days): a 3 GB fixed plan is enough for maps and messaging; Airalo's 3 GB valid 3 days costs €6.50. For unlimited, Airalo and Yesim both cost €10.50 for 3 days.
• A week (Paris plus the Loire, Normandy or Bordeaux): Ubigi's 7-day unlimited plan at €20 is the best value; if you need a single network you trust, Airalo's €22 plan uses Orange.
• Ten days to two weeks (Provence, the Riviera, the Alps): Ubigi's 15 days at €25 led our survey; Orange Travel's 15 days cost €36.99. Maya's global 14-day plan cost €23.79.
• A month or more: Ubigi's 30 days at €39 or, if you prefer a fixed volume, Orange Travel's 100 GB for €34.99 while its promotion lasts. Holafly is the only provider in our survey selling 60 and 90 days (€98.90 and €128.90).
• France plus other countries: Maya's global plan, or a European plan from your chosen seller; read what to know about eSIMs across Europe, and our Spain and Morocco guides if you are continuing south.

When does the plan start, and what about hotspot, Corsica and Monaco?

Most plans start when the eSIM first connects to a French network, so you can install them at home. The details on 26 October 2026:

Corsica, Monaco and overseas France. Airalo's page says its France eSIM covers mainland France and Corsica but not Monaco or the overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, French Guiana, Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia). If you plan a day in Monaco from Nice, check that your plan lists Monaco; Bouygues Telecom's My European SIM, for example, includes it.

No French number. All seven plans are sold for data. To receive calls or bank SMS on your usual number, keep your home SIM active in the second slot with data roaming off for that line.

What should you sort out before flying to Paris or Nice?

Buy and install the eSIM at home, check that your phone is unlocked, and keep your home line for SMS. Installing the profile before you leave means you are online as soon as you land at Charles de Gaulle, Orly or Nice.

• eSIM support: find your model on our list of eSIM-compatible phones.
• Unlocked: a phone locked to your home operator will refuse a foreign profile. Read do you need an unlocked phone for a travel eSIM.
• Installation: on Android, follow our step-by-step eSIM activation guide; if the line stays on "Activating", see our fixes for an eSIM stuck on activating.
• On landing: select the eSIM for mobile data, switch on data roaming for that line only, and leave roaming off on your home SIM unless your plan includes France.

If a seller asks for your phone's EID, our guide shows where to find the EID number. If nothing connects on arrival, check that data roaming is on for the eSIM line and that it is selected for mobile data, then work through 10 fixes for a travel eSIM not working abroad.

How we compared

We read each provider's France page, or the plan data it embeds, on 26 October 2026, and recorded price, validity, data, networks, speed cap, start of validity and hotspot rule. Euro prices are those displayed; Nomad's dollar prices are converted at the European Central Bank reference rate of 23 October 2026, the latest published on the day (1 euro for 1.1193 dollars), and Maya's and Holafly's euro prices are their own.

The roaming rules come from the EU's Your Europe page and the UK prices from O2's and Vodafone UK's own pages. Network figures come from Arcep's 2025 measurement campaign and Opensignal's November 2025 France report. Local offers come from the operators' pages. We did not buy the plans or test them in France. Prices change often, and Orange Travel marks several of its prices as promotions with end dates, so check the provider's page before you buy. For the rest of the journey, see our Spain eSIM guide.