eSIM France: which plan to buy for your trip

For a France-only trip, choose 3 GB / 30 days for a light 7-day visit, 50 GB / 20 days for 14 days, and 50 GB / 30 days for a month. In the BeeSim France catalog, those plans cost $8.99, $16.89 and $17.68; if you work from hotspot or stream a lot, use 100 GB / 60 days at $27.96 instead.

Catalog prices were checked on 2026-10-01. The live plan list is on the France destination page, so check the plan page before buying, especially if hotspot/tethering matters to you.

Which eSIM France plan should you buy for 7, 14 or 30 days?

Pick by trip length first, then adjust for how you use data. France-only plans are the cleanest choice if you stay in France. A Europe regional plan makes more sense if the same trip includes Belgium, Switzerland or Spain, but you must check the country list on the plan page before relying on it.

Trip length	Practical France-only pick	Price	Who it fits
7 days	3 GB / 30 days	$8.99	Maps, messengers and light browsing
14 days	50 GB / 20 days	$16.89	Social media, video and a margin for work days
30 days	50 GB / 30 days	$17.68	A month of normal use without buying several small plans
Heavy use	100 GB / 60 days	$27.96	Work, streaming, or a longer stay with high data use

The catalog also includes a daily plan: 10 GB full speed per day for $13.00 per day, with reduced speed after the daily volume. That plan is mainly for a short period when you know you will use a lot of data each day. For most longer trips, a fixed data allowance is easier to budget.

The lowest listed France catalog price per GB is $0.28/GB. Do not choose only by that number, though. Validity matters. A 60-day plan may be cheap per GB, but a 30-day visitor who needs moderate data may be fine on 50 GB / 30 days.

Prices are listed and charged in USD. The site may show an estimate in your local currency, but the plan price is in USD. If payment or refund terms affect your choice, read the BeeSim FAQ before checkout.

How much data do you need in France?

Use your daily habits, not the number of days alone. Maps and messaging use little data. Social feeds and video change the calculation. Work calls, hotspot and streaming can use a plan much faster, and hotspot availability is not universal; it is stated on each plan page.

Traveller type	Estimate per day	7 days	14 days	30 days	France plan match from the listed options
Maps + messengers	~0.3 GB/day	2.1 GB	4.2 GB	9.0 GB	7 days: 3 GB / 30 days. 14 or 30 days: 50 GB / 20 days or 50 GB / 30 days, because the listed 3 GB plan is too small for 14 days.
Social media + some video	~1 GB/day	7 GB	14 GB	30 GB	50 GB / 20 days for 7 or 14 days; 50 GB / 30 days for 30 days.
Work, hotspot and streaming	~2.5 GB/day	17.5 GB	35 GB	75 GB	50 GB / 20 days for 7 or 14 days; 100 GB / 60 days for 30 days. Check hotspot on the plan page.

A few practical examples help. If you are visiting Paris for a week and mainly need walking directions, ride apps, restaurant searches and WhatsApp, 3 GB can be enough if you use hotel Wi-Fi for video. If you will upload photos, scroll social apps and watch clips while moving around, the 50 GB / 20 days plan is safer even for a shorter stay.

For a two-week itinerary, the 50 GB / 20 days plan is the most useful France option because it covers the trip length and gives enough room for heavier days. For a full month, move to 50 GB / 30 days unless your estimate is closer to the work, hotspot and streaming line in the table. In that case, the 100 GB / 60 days plan fits the data need better.

France plans cannot be topped up. If you run out, you buy another plan and install it. That is not difficult, but it is easier to choose a plan with a margin if you know you will rely on mobile data every day.

Should you buy France-only, Europe or Global?

Buy France-only if your trip stays in France. It gives you the lowest entry price in the listed options: 3 GB / 30 days for $8.99.

Choose the Europe regional eSIM if the trip crosses borders. France is in the EU, and a Europe regional plan works in France and across the border in Belgium, Switzerland and Spain when those countries are included in the plan’s country list. Check that list on the plan page before buying, especially for Switzerland.

Regional bundle	Cheapest listed option	2-3 week option	30-day option	Largest listed option
Europe, 40+ areas	1 GB / 7 days — $10.61	3 GB / 15 days — $15.20	10 GB / 30 days — $27.14	50 GB / 180 days — $57.47
Global, 120+ areas	1 GB / 365 days — $12.28	20 GB / 20 days — $48.78	12 GB / 30 days — $49.25	1 GB / 365 days — $12.28 listed as cheapest; 20 GB and 12 GB options fit longer trips better

The Global eSIM is for trips that go beyond Europe or for travellers who want one bundle across many areas. For a France-only holiday, it is usually not the cheapest listed route. For a multi-country itinerary, compare the total number of countries, data allowance and validity rather than only the first price you see.

There is one trade-off with regional plans: a wider country list can cost more for the same data. If your route is Paris and the south of France only, buy France. If your route is Paris, Brussels and Barcelona, check Europe. If the trip continues outside the Europe bundle’s country list, check Global.

What should you know about coverage in France?

France’s networks are Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free Mobile. Paris, the TGV lines and the coasts are well covered. Rural Massif Central and mountain valleys can have gaps.

That means your plan choice and your phone setup matter, but they do not remove every coverage gap. If data drops in a rural valley, do not immediately assume the eSIM is broken. Move, wait for the phone to reacquire signal, and try manual network selection only if automatic selection does not recover.

Before a long train ride or mountain drive, download offline maps over Wi-Fi. Also keep hotel addresses, booking references and rail tickets available offline. This is not because France is unusually hard to connect in; it is because any mobile plan depends on local radio coverage where you are standing.

When should you install the France eSIM?

Install the eSIM before the flight, while you still have stable Wi-Fi. The plan’s validity starts at the first connection in the destination, so you can install at home and connect when you arrive in France.

Do not wait until you are standing at arrivals with weak airport Wi-Fi. Installation needs the QR code or manual SM-DP+ details from your order. If another device is available, open the QR code on that screen and scan it with your phone. If not, use manual entry.

A travel eSIM from BeeSim is data-only. It does not include a local French phone number or SMS. You can keep your normal SIM active for calls and texts if you need it, but set mobile data to the eSIM line and turn off data roaming on your home SIM if you want to avoid roaming data use.

How do you set up the eSIM on iPhone and Android?

Use Wi-Fi for installation. Keep the QR code or manual details open until the phone says the eSIM has been added.

For iPhone on iOS 17/18:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular, or Settings > Mobile Service on some iPhones.
2. Tap Add eSIM.
3. Choose Use QR Code and scan the QR code.
4. If scanning is not possible, choose Enter Details Manually and enter the SM-DP+ details exactly as shown.
5. Label the line France or Travel so you can identify it later.
6. Before departure, keep the line installed but do not worry if it has no service outside the destination.
7. On arrival, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and select the eSIM line.
8. Go to Settings > Cellular > the eSIM line and turn Data Roaming on for that line.

For Samsung on Android 14/15:

1. Go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
2. Tap Add eSIM.
3. Choose Scan QR code from service provider.
4. If needed, use the manual activation option and enter the SM-DP+ details.
5. After arrival, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager and set Mobile data to the eSIM.
6. Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and turn Data roaming on for the eSIM line.

For Google Pixel on Android 14/15:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
2. Tap Add SIM.
3. Choose Set up an eSIM and scan the QR code.
4. Use manual entry if the QR code is not available.
5. After landing, return to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and choose the eSIM for mobile data.
6. Open the eSIM line settings and turn Roaming on.

For Xiaomi on Android 14/15:

1. Go to Settings > Mobile networks.
2. Open eSIM or Manage eSIM, depending on the model menu.
3. Tap Add eSIM and scan the QR code.
4. Use manual SM-DP+ entry if scanning fails.
5. On arrival, set the eSIM as the data SIM in Settings > Mobile networks.
6. Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line.

Menu wording can vary by device model and carrier software, but the key settings are always the same: add the eSIM, choose it for mobile data, and allow data roaming on the travel line.

How does an eSIM compare with a local SIM in France?

An eSIM avoids the shop visit. A local SIM may require a passport, a queue and time after arrival. It can still make sense if you specifically need a local phone number or SMS, because the travel eSIM described here is data-only.

The main advantage of installing before departure is control. You land with the plan already on your phone, then switch the data line when the aircraft mode comes off. You also avoid removing your physical SIM, which matters if you need your regular number for calls, bank messages or account logins.

The main limitation is that you must have an eSIM-compatible and unlocked phone. If your phone cannot add an eSIM, the QR code will not solve that. Check your device settings before buying: if the Add eSIM option is missing, check the device model and carrier lock status.

What can go wrong after landing, and what should you do?

If the eSIM installs but there is no data in France, start with settings before contacting support.

1. Turn airplane mode on, wait briefly, then turn it off.
2. Confirm that the eSIM line is turned on.
3. Set mobile data to the eSIM line, not your home SIM.
4. Turn data roaming on for the eSIM line.
5. Restart the phone.
6. If automatic network selection does not recover service, try manual network selection and wait for the phone to register.

If the QR code does not scan, increase screen brightness, make sure the full code is visible, and try again on Wi-Fi. If it still fails, use manual SM-DP+ entry. Copy the details carefully; one wrong character can stop installation.

If mobile data works but hotspot does not, check the France plan page. Hotspot/tethering availability is stated per plan, so do not assume every plan allows it. If hotspot is essential for work, confirm this before buying rather than after landing.

If data disappears during a rural drive, on a TGV section or in a mountain valley, treat it as a coverage problem first. Wait until you are back in a covered area, then retry airplane mode and restart. Paris, the TGV lines and the coasts are well covered, but rural Massif Central and mountain valleys can have gaps.

If you run out of data, buy another plan. The existing plan cannot be topped up. Install the new plan on Wi-Fi when possible, then select it as the mobile data line.

If the phone still will not connect after these steps, contact support by email from the BeeSim site and include your order email, phone model, destination, the plan name and a screenshot of the cellular settings screen.