Talk:France/@comment-35153895-20180330165136/@comment-190.219.11.159-20180402112333

Just to add to Wolfbln's comments, if you can get a SIM card from a country with more affordable data plans and just roam on French networks, do give it a try. You would have talk and text at domestic rates and, if using a Vodafone SIM card, LTE roaming as well.

Free Mobile could work for you as long as the areas you're going to spend time in are covered by its own network. monreseaumobile.fr (created by the French regulator) gives good coverage info down to the commune, definitely a very useful tool if a bit buggy when switching between 3G and 4G maps so you may have to switch between carrier maps a couple times. Click on Internet Mobile, then on 3G or 4G and then select the carrier on the bottom right corner. The light pink spots on Free's 3G map represent areas covered by its roaming agreement with Orange and therefore where speeds are throttled.

If all else fails, Orange is your next best option. It's more expensive but it has the best coverage and it's the only other French carrier that doesn't block roaming on prepaid plans.