Internet in France: A Traveller's Guide
Updated: October 2026
Short answer: The way to skip the queues in Paris is your phone: from the Louvre ticket to the metro pass, everything lives in an app. The tourist SIMs at the airport, on the other hand, are among the most expensive in Europe. Install the France eSIM at home and be connected when you land at CDG.
Your options
1. Roaming with your home SIM: Being in the EU is no help to a non-EU SIM. A UK line pays in France since 2021, by a daily fee or a capped allowance depending on the carrier; a US, Canadian or Australian line pays an international day pass or its standard overseas rate (our roaming vs eSIM guide).
2. Tourist SIM: Airport vending machines and carrier shops sell tourist plans; the prices are noticeably higher than in most of Europe, and at busy times the queue is long.
3. eSIM: You install it at home; when you land in France the phone connects to the local network by itself. If other European countries are on your route, the regional Europe eSIM covers them all in one plan.
Coverage, honestly
- Paris, Lyon, Nice and the tourist routes have excellent coverage; 5G is standard in the cities.
- In the Paris metro there is usually signal in the stations; it can drop in the tunnels.
- In Provence and on the rural château routes the main roads are covered; between villages it can weaken.
Practical tips
- The Louvre, the Orsay and Versailles run on timed e-tickets; the ticket sits on your phone as a QR code and opens at the gate with a connection.
- Metro and RER tickets are now mostly loaded onto the phone, and the navigation apps need internet too.
- QR menus have spread to French cafés as well; charge and data are the two most valuable resources of the day.
Ready? See the France eSIM plans; from a weekend to a two-week trip.