eSIM vs. out-of-plan abroad: The showdown (spoiler: it's no contest)

Using your French plan abroad is what operators call roaming. Within the EU, it's included (thanks, Brussels). Everywhere else — USA, Japan, Turkey, Morocco, Thailand — every megabyte beyond your plan comes at a high price, often several euros per MB.

The painful calculation

• Out-of-plan abroad (outside the EU): 1 GB consumed can cost several hundred euros at the per-MB rate.
• Your operator's travel option: 5 to 15 € per day.
• Toukan eSIM (Europe/Asia): 3.50 to 4.90 € once, valid for 30 days.

A simple photo backup that starts on 4G in Japan can cost the price of the flight. This is exactly the alert SMS your operator sends you upon landing — they know the trap, they built it.

The three scenarios

• Travel within the EU with a French plan: usage abroad is included, keep it. The eSIM becomes useful if your data allowance is low there, or for Switzerland/UK.
• Outside the EU, short stay: the daily option costs 5-15 €/day. A 5 GB eSIM at ~10 € covers the whole week for the price of a single day of the option.
• Outside the EU, long stay or heavy usage: no debate. eSIM, period.

One last advantage, often overlooked: with a prepaid eSIM, overspending is impossible. When the data runs out, it's out (and can be topped up with one click) — no surprise bill upon return.

To size your plan: how much data for your trip?