How to Explore 5 Amazing Places in France with One Europe SIM

There’s something special about planning a trip to France, isn’t there? The thought of it just conjures up images of flaky croissants, sleepy vineyards, and that effortlessly cool Parisian style. The best way to see it, in my opinion, is to just get in a car and drive. A proper French road trip.

But a trip with multiple stops brings its own little challenges. I learned this the hard way on a trip through Spain a couple of years ago. I landed in Barcelona, did the smart thing and bought a local SIM card at the airport. It worked brilliantly. For Barcelona. The moment I drove a few hundred miles south to Andalusia, the signal vanished. The network just didn’t have good coverage there. I ended up having to find another phone shop and buy a second SIM card for the rest of my trip.

So, when I was planning my recent grand tour of France, I was determined to do it smarter. I wanted to share my route through five incredible, completely different spots, and the one bit of kit that made hopping between them an absolute breeze.

The One Bit of Kit You Can’t Forget

Before we get into the amazing places, let’s sort out the most important tool for any multi-destination trip. Your phone’s connectivity. Forget airport queues and SIM cards that only work in one region. The modern answer is an eSIM.

I know, it sounds a bit techy, but it’s honestly dead simple. It’s a digital SIM that’s already hiding in your phone (if you’ve got a fairly new model). You just download a data plan to it. The best part? You can get a europe sim that covers the entire continent, so it doesn’t matter if you’re in Paris or Provence, you’ll have a solid connection.

My go-to for this is a company called Commbitz. Before I left, I went on their site, found their europe sim plans which cover the whole of France (and most of the rest of Europe, for that matter), picked one with enough data for my trip, and sorted it all out in about the time it takes to make a cup of tea. You scan a QR code they email you, and you’re done. It’s a game-changer for a road trip.

Right, now that our digital passport is sorted, let’s hit the road.

The Grand Tour: 5 Faces of France

This trip is all about seeing just how diverse France is. We’ll go from the world’s most romantic city to ancient villages, lavender fields, and the glamorous coast.

1. Paris: The Unmissable Classic You have to start in Paris. It’s the law. But look beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. The real magic of Paris, for me, is in the smaller moments. Grab a coffee and a pastry at a pavement café in Saint-Germain and just watch the world go by. Get lost in the cobbled streets of Le Marais, with its quirky boutiques and brilliant falafel joints. Walk along the Seine at sunset.

• Data on the Go: Navigating the Métro is a doddle with a map app, and booking a time slot online for the Louvre will save you hours of queuing. Plus, having data lets you find that hidden-gem bistro that all the locals are raving about.

2. The Loire Valley: Castles and Countryside A couple of hours’ drive south of Paris, and the world changes completely. Welcome to the Loire Valley, the ‘Garden of France’. This place is a proper fairy tale. It’s dotted with the most magnificent, ridiculously over-the-top châteaux. You have to see the Château de Chenonceau, which arches gracefully over the River Cher, and the enormous, spectacular Château de Chambord.

• Data on the Go: A reliable GPS is your best friend here for driving between the castles. It’s also brilliant for finding a local market to pick up some cheese and a baguette for a perfect picnic by the river.

3. The Dordogne: Prehistory and Picturesque Villages From the elegance of the Loire, we head deeper into rural, rustic France. The Dordogne region is just stunning. It’s a land of winding rivers, dramatic cliffs, and some of the prettiest villages you will ever see, like La Roque-Gageac, which is literally built into the side of a cliff. It’s also home to incredible prehistoric cave paintings. The replica caves at Lascaux IV are so well done, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back 20,000 years.

• Data on the Go: You’ll need your phone to book a canoe rental on the river, or to find the exact location of a specific cave. When you’re in a gorgeous town like Sarlat, it’s brilliant for a quick search of “near by attractions” to find a local viewpoint or a walnut farm to visit.

4. Provence: Lavender Fields and Roman Ruins Next, we drive towards the sunshine of Provence. If you time it right (early summer), you’ll be rewarded with the sight and smell of endless fields of lavender. It’s incredible. This region is also full of history. You can visit the huge Roman amphitheatre in Arles (which is still used today!) or wander through the charming streets of hilltop towns like Gordes. The weekly market in a Provençal village is an experience not to be missed.

• Data on the Go: Your phone is key for checking which village has its market on which day. And, of course, for finding the most spectacular and photo-worthy lavender fields.

5. The French Riviera (Côte d’Azur): Glamour and Sea Views Our final stop is the glamorous south coast. We’ll base ourselves in Nice, with its famous Promenade des Anglais curving along the beautiful blue bay. The French Riviera is all about stunning coastal drives, beautiful beaches, and a little bit of people-watching. You can easily take a day trip by train to the tiny, glitzy principality of Monaco – which is a whole other country!

• Data on the Go: And this is where a good europe sim really proves its worth. You can cross the border into Monaco and your phone just seamlessly keeps working. No new SIM, no worries. It’s perfect for finding a public beach amongst the pricey private ones or for finding a rooftop bar to watch the sunset over the Mediterranean.

A Quick Word on Getting Around

Right, so how do you actually get between all these amazing places? For the ultimate freedom, you can’t beat hiring a car. Driving in France is a real joy, especially once you’re out of the big cities. It lets you stop at that little village that wasn’t on your plan or pull over for a photo of a stunning vineyard. For the long-haul jumps, though – say from Paris down to Provence – the TGV high-speed train is absolutely brilliant. It’s incredibly fast and comfortable, and saves you a full day of driving. My top tip is to mix and match: take the TGV for the big distances, and then hire a smaller car locally for a few days to properly explore a region like the Dordogne or Loire Valley. In Paris, just use the Métro – driving there is a proper nightmare!

The Freedom to Just… Go

Looking back, it was an incredible trip, covering so much ground and seeing so many different sides of France. And the thing that made it all so easy, so stress-free, was not having to think about connectivity once. It just worked. Everywhere.

The right bit of tech should be invisible. It should empower you to be more spontaneous, to take that interesting-looking side road, to stay an extra hour in a village you’ve fallen in love with. It gives you the confidence to just explore.

So if you’re dreaming of a proper French adventure, don’t let the little logistical things hold you back. Sort your phone out before you go. It’s the key to unlocking the true freedom of the open road.