Bonjour and bon voyage, with the right apps
France has excellent public transit, but apps are key to unlocking it. Especially in Paris. Most locals use WhatsApp for messaging and tap-to-pay is widely accepted, though cash is still handy in rural areas.
Fee-free euro spending for France's near-universal contactless terminals: boulangeries, metro machines, motorway tolls and cafes all take a tap, so one card covers almost everything.
France's bank-backed wallet that replaced Paylib, used for instant phone-number transfers between French accounts and rolling out to online checkout in France during 2026.
Mid-market euro conversion for France with a card that works at every French contactless terminal, plus a euro balance and IBAN handy for receiving refunds or paying deposits.
The go-to navigation app for walking, driving, and public transport across France with live traffic updates.
Official app of France's national rail network, essential for booking intercity and high-speed TGV trains with mobile tickets.
Must-have app for navigating Paris's metro, RER, buses, and trams. Also lets you rent Vélib' bikes and scooters.
France's leading restaurant reservation app with over 60,000 restaurants listed and discounts up to 50%.
Widely considered more accurate than Google Translate for French, with nuanced phrasing that sounds more natural.
Reliable mobile internet at better prices than most travel eSIMs, with polished iOS and Android apps and support for making and receiving phone calls.
One of the biggest travel eSIM brands, with a very large destination catalog.
Known for unlimited-data plans in many destinations, at a higher price per gigabyte.
Do not assume an Orange or SFR store will sell you a tourist SIM; go to Bouygues, a Relay kiosk or a tabac instead. SFR is being broken up, with customers due to be switched to Orange, Bouygues and Free during 2027, so SFR products have a short shelf life. On the plus side, Orange Holiday Europe includes EU-wide data, making it a solid single purchase for a multi-country European trip.
Best overall network quality and nationwide coverage, and the only carrier with a purpose-built tourist product, the Holiday Europe pack.
Coverage on par with Orange, but the company is being broken up and its customers migrated to rivals, so treat anything SFR as short-lived.
The one operator whose own stores will reliably sell you a tourist prepaid SIM.
Cheap, but sold through in-store self-service machines with a French-only interface.
The essential apps for France are Uber, Revolut, Google Maps, SNCF Connect, Bonjour RATP.
We've curated 12 apps across 7 categories for traveling in France, including 6 essential apps.
Uber is the top-rated ride hailing app in France. The dominant ride-hailing app in France with the widest driver availability, especially in Paris and major cities.
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Alpine charm meets urban efficiency
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Waffles, beer, and three languages to navigate
Licensed taxi apps, city-specific transit tools and euro cash backups
Precision, punctuality, and alpine perfection
