Help! Orange eSim for several countries?

On my last trip - Spain and Portugal - I used the same Orange esim the whole time. It was a Holiday version.

Also, pretty easy to install and use. It gives you like a 10 page PDF with step by step instructions. I have an iPhone and it was basically a process of a few steps before leaving the US, go into airplane mode while flying, toggle on the esim and regular plan off, and come out of airplane mode when landed. It found whatever carrier Orange uses for the country. I also had used it for the Netherlands a few months earlier - a different purchase but same Orange selection - EU phone # + data.

I do believe you can run BOTH your regular plan and the eSim simultaneously - ie both your normal phone number and your Orange - so you could have access to folks calling you, but that opens up roaming and sort of defeats the purpose. I think this works better for folks choosing to have a personal and a business # while in their home country.

Thank you, Tom R. This is helpful since this is absolutely new for me. I will be travelling (driving) solo on a portion of the trip and feel certain that I will need GPS. Verizon fee is $10/day for travel pass and I usually access this, but it could add up on this trip.

I was thinking of dual access in case someone (e.g. my bank) wanted to reach me. I have read that if you need to confirm an account with an access code provided then you cannot reach it with eSim.

I think I will be brave and get Orange Holiday Europe 12 GB. That should do me!

I have read that if you need to confirm an account with an access code provided then you cannot reach it with eSim.

I have no idea where that came from. I use eSIMs all the time in Europe and have no problem with access codes. Then again, Spectrum Wireless (resells Verizon) gives me free texts worldwide, and even if the European eSIM is set as primary, texts still get through on the US hard SIM.

Whether you can use a SIM everywhere you go has nothing at all to do with whether it's an eSIM or hard (physical) SIM. It's a function of the individual provider and the nature of the individual offer. Some cellular deals in Europe are specific to one or a few countries, and others cover essentially all of Europe.

Many thanks. I plan to jump into the 21st century on this trip by getting esim. I have always taken the easy route by paying Verizon.

Plus, my granddaughter set up Apple Pay on my phone yesterday! I saw a RS thread that highly recommended using this.

Wish me luck with my iPhone!

Thank you, Tom R. This is helpful since this is absolutely new for me.
I will be travelling (driving) solo on a portion of the trip and feel
certain that I will need GPS. Verizon fee is $10/day for travel pass
and I usually access this, but it could add up on this trip.

One tip related to your comment about GPS is that you can - while still in the US or on wifi at a hotel - "download" google maps for an area(s) to your phone. Most smartphones have GPS built in (no data plan required) but that just gets the gps coordinates, so you need a downloaded map (or your normal connection to the internet) for those coordinates to be plotted on a map. By downloading a map or series of maps where you will be traveling (eg: downtown Paris), you can navigate a city/location "offline". It won't be able to do smart routing - ie directions from A-B - but you will at least be able to see on the phone's google maps where exactly you are.

This is NOT my preferred way to use GPS (I usually get a data plan), but it is a great back-up/safety option (sort of like a paper map) and also a "cheap" way to avoid any data plan if generally staying in a relatively "fixed area" like a city. IOW, you probably don't "need" a data plan if just staying in Paris/Amsterdam/Madrid/etc., as you'll be on and off wifi at the hotel, museums, cafes, etc., so downloaded maps give a phone a cheap alternative if you realize you don't need the whole nine yards of a data plan.

Good advice for my 4 days in Barcelona and week in Bordeaux. I will be using public transport and walking so downloads will be helpful. Then I get a car in Bordeaux and drive to Sarlat to explore the Dordogne for 5 days when I expect to take advantage of Maps on my iPhone. I know this is not a lot of time for Barcelona and the Dordogne, and view this trip as 'scouting' for future trips. (BTW: I will be in Holland and Belgium on a river cruise for 10 days ... so, again, no GPS needed.)

I am getting the Orange Holiday 12GB and hope/expect it will be just what I need for calling in Europe (e.g. my AirBnB upon arrival in Bordeaux) and for my use of GPS in the Dordogne. If not, it will be a lesson in what to do next time!

1. Yes, all countries in the EU. You should be able to see all countries covered before you purchase.

2. Yes, easy. Once you get there and turn this cell plan on, also be sure Data Roaming is turned on.

3. Indeed - your phone number will be inaccessible unless you turn it on. However, if you use it, you will be incurring the costs you seem to be trying to avoid. I usually: Install the esim at home. Turn off that cell plan (Cellular) after I finish. On the plane, turn on Airplane Mode. At some point during the flight, turn off your home plan and turn on the Orange plan. Get off the plane and turn Airplane Mode off. It takes a minute or two to find a signal. Once I had to restart my phone.

All your apps from home will still work - such as Messenger if you use it, or WhatsApp if you choose to download and use it.

And yes, if your bank or credit card wants to send you text confirmation code to verify a purchase, it will not come through unless you turn on your home plan. This trip I finally got Citibank to quit needing this by giving them my dates of travel. (Yes, I have tried before….) But it has only happened - ever - if I am making an online purchase while out of the country.

Thank you, TexastravelMom: Very helpful general info. I don't want to start Orange when I arrive. I assume I just skip the turning on part.

Yes. Just turn it on whenever you are ready to use it. :)

"I've no idea where that came from. I use eSIMs all the time in Europe and have no problem with access codes."

You won't be able to receive an SMS sent to your normal mobile number unless you have your normal SIM active. Agreed though it's not specific to eSIMs though.

Text messages for 2 factor authentication are a pretty dated technology that is going away. My bank has been using push notifications via online banking app for years now so quite surprised to find text messages 2FA is still a thing. Corporate systems normally use 2FA apps on the phone as well.

You won't be able to receive an SMS sent to your normal mobile number unless you have your normal SIM active. Agreed though it's not specific to eSIMs though.

All true. But my phone (Samsung S22 Ultra on Spectrum/Verizon) allows me to keep both SIMs active, while the Europe data-only SIM is primary. That means text messages get through on my US number. I use Do Not Disturb to block incoming calls, with crucial people excepted from DND.

I recommend that travelers talk to the tech support team for their current provider to see how their (unlocked) phone will behave with a foreign SIM, and more specifically how to configure their settings to ensure the phone behaves in the desired manner. It may be necessary to upgrade one's phone, or possibly switch providers, to achieve what you want to accomplish. It's been easy for me; I'm aware it may not be easy for others.