These days, being without your phone while traveling seems next to impossible. Besides staying in touch with family and friends and posting on Instagram or TikTok, there are actually a whole bunch of reasons you’ll need it when you’re visiting France.
So before you hop on that plane, give this guide a quick read. I’ll walk you through exactly how to use your phone in France and without accidentally racking up a scary phone bill back home.
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What you’ll need your phone for on your Paris trip
Before we get into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why”, aka all the moments you’ll be VERY glad your phone is ready to go:
Getting around the city
Paris might be compact, but it isn’t laid out in a nice, logical grid. Streets twist, turn, and randomly change names just to keep you on your toes.
Whether you’re walking, hopping on the métro, grabbing a taxi, or following our Paris itinerary, you’ll definitely need a navigation app like Google Maps or Citymapper (my favorite). It gives real-time transport info, tells you which métro car to get on, and generally makes you feel like you can get around Paris like a local.
Virtual metro tickets
We said au revoir to paper tickets last year in Paris and now you can buy and store virtual transport tickets right on your phone using the Bonjour RATP app. Then all you need to do is just tap and go. I tell you all about how to do this in our guide to how to pay for public transport.
E-tickets for attractions
You can go almost completely paperless in Paris when it comes to your sightseeing. These days, most attractions offer e-tickets, so you can book everything ahead of time and keep it all neatly on your phone. I highly recommend doing this before your trip so you’re not stress-booking in line somewhere.
That said, if you like to keep things a bit flexible, you can also book certain attractions and tours on the fly using apps like Viator or Get Your Guide.
Making purchases
If you’re used to tapping your phone to pay at home, you’ll be just fine in Paris. Contactless payment is virtually everywhere, including cafés, shops, bakeries, you name it, there’s often just a minimum spend of 1 euro. It’s still a good idea to have a bit of change for those rare cases when a place is a bit old-school and doesn’t take cards or for leaving tips.
Finding good restaurants in Paris on the fly
In general, it’s a good idea to book a couple of restaurants in advance, but you’ll also want room for spontaneous “that looks good” moments and if you’re not sure where you’ll be on a given day.
Instead of sitting down at the first random café you see (tempting, I know), instead I suggest you use your phone to do a quick search to see the best options nearby. Look for ratings around 4.0+ and you’re usually in safe territory.
In our Paris itinerary, we’ve got suggestions throughout our route so you can pick nearby places last minute. You can also use apps like Open Table to snag last-minute reservations to avoid ending up at mediocre places serving not-so-nice meals.
Should you use your phone’s data plan or an eSIM on your Paris trip?
Now that we’ve established your phone is basically your travel BFF in Paris, let’s talk about how you’re actually going to be able to use it, and that’s mainly through data.
The first thing I suggest you do is check with your phone provider to learn more about their international data plans. But, to be honest, they’re usually not great. Some have some free international data, but most charge a daily fee of around $10–$20, and if you go over your limit (even by accident) you can end up with a bill that makes you briefly consider never traveling again.
That’s why it makes a lot more sense to use an eSIM, which tend to be MUCH cheaper. We tend to recommend SimLocal because it’s super straightforward, super affordable, and lets you pick a plan that fits your trip.
Run out of data mid-Paris-adventure? No problem, you can just top it up in a couple taps. This means it’s low stress, and no surprise bills.
How to find wifi around Paris
Yes, free Wi-Fi (pronounced wee-fee) exists in Paris, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It can help you out in a pinch, but you probably don’t want to rely on it full-time. Here are some of the most convenient spots.
Hotels: This might seem obvious, but virtually all hotels in Paris will have free wifi. So you’ll always have it where you’re staying and then some bigger hotels that have cafés or restaurants might also have open wifi networks you can connect to while you’re out and about.
Cafes and restaurants: Lots of cafés offer free Wi-Fi, but you usually have to buy something. At modern coffee shops, the password is often scribbled somewhere near the counter or you can just ask.
Public parks: it might come as a surprise, but most Parisian parks have free Wi-Fi. You’ll usually need to create a quick account, but it’s handy if you’re mid-picnic and need to look something up. Just look for signs at the entrance with instructions.
Libraries, town halls, and other government buildings: Public buildings like libraries and mairies (town halls) also have free Wi-Fi. You can often just pop into the entrance area and connect for a bit if needed. If you’d like to find out where these are, check this handy Paris wifi list, and you can even search by arrondissement.
Airports: When you land in Paris, connect to the airport Wi-Fi, watch a short ad, and voilà – you’re online and ready to navigate your way into the city.
Where you can charge your phone in Paris
The one tiny issue with using your phone while you’re in France is that you’ll likely be using it more than average days back home and this of course drains your battery.
I don’t know how many times I’ve run into this problem while traveling so now I always bring along a powerbank, like this one. So you might want to add this to your packing list if you don’t have one already. Oh, and make sure you charge it every night during your trip
But if you do find yourself in a bind with a low battery and no power bank, there are a couple of options.
Stop into a café: Many cafés will let you plug in (or might even have a charger), especially if you ask nicely and order something. A forced espresso break isn’t exactly a hardship either.
Find a bus stop: A lot of bus stops in Paris have USB ports. I have to say, these don’t always work, but it’s worth a try if you’re desperate.
Check your métro car: The newest métro trains, like those on lines 4 and 14 (and some on 2 and 9), have USB ports. It’s a bit hit-or-miss, but a nice surprise when it works.
“Point Connect”: You’ll also find charging kiosks (often with seating!) in bigger train and métro stations and in shopping malls. Perfect for a quick recharge while you regroup.
Now that you know how to use your phone in France, here are some other practical tips on Paris to read next:
