E-SIM for the United States

In France, there’s a free provider that offers a 1-month plan with 35 GB of data in the US for 19.99 € + 10 € for the SIM card... It works really well. I lasted 4 weeks in the US using it almost constantly (GPS, uploading drone photos, social media, etc.).

Don’t you have something like this in Belgium?

Belgium is over-exploited by carriers—they’re the most expensive in Europe! T-Mobile’s plan also includes unlimited calls. Revolut and others have offers, but data only.

Don’t you have a French friend who could send it to you?... It works everywhere in the world. It’s a one-time purchase with no commitment. The only thing is that it’s active the day you buy it for one month. So they’d need to send it to you right away, and you’d have 4 weeks of use.

Thanks for all the info. I’ll check it out. Really nice of you.

It's the Free 350 GB plan. It includes 35 GB for the USA (among other destinations). You need to get the SIM card a month in advance. It can only be done in-store. A French resident just needs to get it in their name (it’s zero commitment, no bank details required, nothing at all). They just have to pay and provide their email and contact info. They’ll give you the SIM card, and you just pop it into your phone.

Done deal!

I often go to the North Sea and I'm not far from Dunkirk.

In France, there's a Free plan that offers a 1-month card with 35 GB of data in the USA for 19.99 € + 10 € for the SIM card... It works really well. I lasted 4 weeks in the USA using it almost all the time

Thanks, Olive, for the info. I have a Free plan for 2 € for a backup phone. I'll upgrade it for the duration of our vacation. So no need to pay the 10 € for the SIM card ;)

I'm not sure: 35 GB, was that enough for you? Were you able to use your phone? Because I usually call hotels the day before to make sure I won't have any surprises! So far, I've been using a Tracfone prepaid card, but if it works well with Free...

I use it a lot! My phone is connected to GPS for 4 to 5 hours a day, I book hotels, I download my drone videos, I post on social media every day... etc. Last time, it lasted almost 4 weeks.

Awesome! Thanks [:)]

The big future advantage of T-Mobile plans: T-Mobile is the first and only American wireless service provider with a mobile + satellite network, automatically connecting you so you can send SMS via satellite on most modern smartphones.

No more connection worries on trails or gravel roads.

https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/satellite-phone-service

It’s not bad, I’ll admit. Last year, I was on a trail and came across a motorcycle that had crashed. I struggled to contact emergency services. This could be a great solution for venturing off the beaten path.

Interesting! However, it’s clearly stated that it’s free until July (as long as it’s in testing) and that afterward, it remains free only for "Go5G Next plan" subscriptions, which cost $100 per month!

Also, I couldn’t find the offer you mentioned on their site. Do you have a link, please?

No, I haven’t looked into it since it’s not for any time soon. But I found a phone rental place that offers a SIM for $12/day + any calls you might make. I’m only getting it for a week in Utah, so the cost is reasonable

Hey Caussat,

I can confirm what Olive said since I’m currently in Florida with our Free plans for both my wife and me. And it works like a charm, just like every year. Here in Miami, the partner network is AT&T. Obviously, satellite networks in the desert might not work, but otherwise, no issues. And I never even come close to the 35 GB with daily data usage (GPS, radio, navigation, etc.) for stays of up to 3 weeks.

In France, Free offers a 1-month plan with 35 GB of data in the USA for 19.99 € + 10 € for the SIM card... It works really well. I lasted 4 weeks in the US using it almost constantly.

Thanks, Olive, for the info. I have a Free plan for 2 € for a backup phone. I’ll upgrade it for the duration of our vacation. So no need to pay the 10 € for the SIM card ;)

I’m not sure: 35 GB, was that enough for you? Were you able to use your phone? Because I’m used to calling hotels the day before to make sure I won’t have any surprises! Until now, I’ve been using a Tracfone prepaid card, but if it works well with Free...

You also have that kind of dematerialized e-SIM that you can buy on Holasim. Super easy to use—I use it in countries where my mobile carrier doesn’t give me mobile data.

The data is unlimited, and you only pay the price of the card. Worth checking how the price compares to others.

Thanks for the info. Not super interesting for the US in my case (mixed and moderate use of phone and data) since it's $60 for just 3 weeks of data, though it is unlimited. Probably a good deal for a teen who spends all day on social media! :)

Spending this week in Bray-Dunes—what a blast...

Hi These discussions are really interesting, but personally, I'm looking for data and phone options. For my situation, I checked out the Free 5G plan, but it's a 19.99 €/month subscription. I didn’t see any one-time purchase options.

No, no, I can confirm that a 1-month no-commitment option exists. But only in-store. You have to get the SIM card directly from the machine with the help of a sales assistant, and you leave with your SIM card valid for 1 month. You just need to check the 1-month option instead of a subscription. But they don’t offer it on their website. I don’t know why. After 1 month, the card is no longer valid.

Okay, I'll see if I can do it with my Belgian data or if I need to go through a really good French friend. Thanks

I think you need to provide a French address... But since you don’t need a bank account number, it’s a one-time, immediate payment, so it should work for you, I guess. Worst case, you give your friend’s address. Anyway, you can always ask the seller—they’ll never refuse to sell you a SIM card.

Thanks again for all this info. I see we’re both big fans of the US. This’ll be my seventh trip, and I also lived there for a year back when everything was more peaceful. Louis

I did my 17th road trip last September. A bit addicted, yeah I also remember the time when you could visit Antelope Canyon almost without a guide and no time constraints. And Horseshoe Bend all to yourself... Another era

Unfortunately, I regret not trying The Wave back then... Now it's become almost impossible since I don’t have much luck with games... the lottery doesn’t like me Now I hardly go to national parks anymore. I focus on places where there are fewer people.

I also remember the time when you could visit Antelope Canyon almost without a guide and without time constraints. And Horseshoe Bend all to yourself... Another era

Oh yes, what a joy! But only Lower Antelope Canyon without a guide. On the Upper side, it was already mandatory with the pick-ups. I'm going back this summer—I'm a little nervous....

Oh yeah, you totally beat me, but I was lucky enough to do the wave in 2015. I’ll probably head to the visitor center to see if it’s possible to get another tour, but I’m not holding my breath.

Oh yeah, you’ll find it pretty crowded in the summer... But they’re well organized, and they always manage to give you enough time to take your photos. [;)]

The Wave is truly the thing missing from my globetrotter life After all, I guess that’s just how it is... After I die, I’ll come back to haunt the place

Me, I'm singing Michel Fugain: I won't have the time, won't have time to visit everything...

My T-Mobile eSIM was more than efficient, and I don’t regret my purchase at all—I even had some left over!

Macarte T Mobil was more than efficient, and I don’t regret my purchase—I even had some data left over

Do you have a link for the T-Mobile card?

Because what I found is a $50 card for only 10 GB of data and no international calls, while Free is 19 € (+10 € for the e-SIM card) but includes international calls + 30 GB of data.

I’m trying to remember—it’s $35 for unlimited calls and texts plus 12 GB valid for 15 days from activation, and even longer because I still had validity after 16 days

https://www.t-esim.com/en?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20033012548&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjdTCBhCLARIsAEu8bpLylHq17t1xoFbUZybXv3JF_jIy-Wm-BfbNxoz3KC-41bDB4KwWku0aAo2FEALw_wcB

But not sure if international calls are included—the main thing is using it on the ground. For Europe, I had Wi-Fi in all the hotels.

Thanks for the feedback!

In the end, I called Free and I’m going with their offer: 30 € for 1 month (20 € for the subscription + 10 € for the e-SIM). Unlimited calls, texts, and MMS in the USA and to France, plus 35GB of data. Since we’re leaving for just under a month, I’m getting it last-minute (the perk of an e-SIM) and I can cancel online the day before the current month ends. So, all good!

True, Free is pretty good, but it’s not available in Belgium.

I don’t get why you’re talking about canceling?... It’s a card that’s only valid for 1 month. There’s nothing to cancel—after a month, it just expires. You have to get it at a Free store because, if I remember right, it’s not available online. But you don’t need to get a plan—just the 1-month card.

Thanks for the info. The advisor didn’t mention it to me. In a rush, I got the e-SIM, especially since my phone only supports one physical SIM card + one e-SIM. This way, I can keep both lines active if needed.

Thanks for the info. The advisor didn’t mention it to me. In a rush, I got the e-SIM, especially since my phone only supports one physical SIM card + one e-SIM. It lets me keep both lines active if needed.

So I’m with Orange Belgium and I got a T-Mobile e-SIM: both companies strongly advised against keeping both active. At Apple, they didn’t understand why I’d want to. With no clear answer, I removed my SIM, which didn’t bother me too much since I had Wi-Fi in all my accommodations, and given the 8-hour time difference, calls with Europe weren’t at convenient times anyway.

Here’s my little feedback on the Free subscription at 19.99 € per month with 35GB of data abroad, used for 3 weeks in the USA.

I opted for an e-SIM that can be installed immediately, costing 10 € (same price as a physical SIM). So, a total of 30 € for one month.

Pros: - When you order, you receive a link to install the e-SIM. It’s super easy—no need to be a tech expert! I ordered and installed it 2 days before our departure. - Good coverage in the USA. I did experience some moments without signal, but the same happened to my wife with her Orange plan abroad. - Works well for calls from France to the USA, within the USA, and from the USA to France, both for calls and texts.

Cons: - MMS messages only go through about one out of three times. So, we ended up using WhatsApp, but that’s not the point! - Free’s customer service told me I could cancel online with immediate effect. In reality, there’s a 10-day delay. I’ll end up paying extra for a week because I canceled 3 days before the renewal date. - Sometimes, I couldn’t make calls even though I had data and signal.

Important to know: - Numbers must be dialed/saved in international format "+" (e.g., +33 for France or +1 for the USA) and not "00". Otherwise, it won’t work. It took me a while to figure this out, and Free’s customer service—called from the USA for nearly an hour (including wait times)—was no help. Luckily, my wife had unlimited calls with her Orange plan! - For 3 weeks, between my wife (Orange) and me (this plan), we used 45GB of data (so it would’ve exceeded the 35GB limit). Our usage: 1) Spotify on the road (we drove 5,500 km, so a lot); 2) Data mostly for quick internet searches, Google Maps, or Waze (in addition to my GPS, so not constantly), no gaming or downloads; 3) And, most importantly, what used up over half the data: using the Citymapper app in San Francisco and Los Angeles. - According to member usafan (I didn’t test this), you can buy a physical SIM card in a Free store, valid for 1 month, which solves the cancellation issue. I didn’t choose this option because my phone only supports one physical SIM + one e-SIM, and I wanted to keep access to my main line. - Make sure to set this e-SIM as the primary SIM on your phone! It’s quick and easy to do—there are tutorials. I racked up 20 € in charges before my French operator alerted me (it adds up fast. For my plan: 1.8 € per connection + 5.5 € per MB!!!)

In conclusion: Overall, a good choice that I’d make again for another trip to the USA. But, like with bank cards, it might be worth having a backup solution when things go wrong for no clear reason.

Thanks for your feedback. As for me, I can’t get Free in Belgium. So I went with the T-Mobile eSIM card for $35—unlimited calls and texts, plus 12GB of data. Shared the connection with my wife and used the data non-stop over 4,000 km, except when Wi-Fi was available. Didn’t keep track of the calls. The connection with Europe didn’t bother me since, with the time difference, I had Wi-Fi to communicate. Now, for more than 15 days, you have to top up, but the eSIM was still working on the 16th day!???