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How to Get WiFi in Nice: Complete Guide
23 July 2024
pocket wifi
Joseph Philipson
Whether you’re in Vieux Nice, walking along the Promenade des Anglais, or visiting the Matisse Museum, there’s so much to see and do in Nice.
However, you need a good internet connection to make the most of your trip. This can help you reserve restaurants or book activities, get quick directions around town, or brush up on your French.
An internet connection is essential for keeping in touch with family and friends back home, backing up all your wonderful vacation photos, or simply streaming your favorite TV shows and movies back at your accommodation after fun-filled days in the south of France.
While Hippocketwifi offers the best internet connection option for travelers, we understand that most people like to consider their options first.
Here’s how travelers can get WiFi in Nice and stay connected!
The Best Ways of Getting WiFi in Nice
Luckily, there are many different options for staying connected for travelers to Nice, France, and across most of Europe.
However, not all of these connection choices are WiFi. They don’t offer the same service, pricing, or connection types, either.
Pocket WiFi
Pocket WiFi is a dedicated device that connects to the internet over a mobile data connection like your smartphone. However, as a dedicated device, this connection is usually better and faster than what your phone can achieve.
The device creates a WiFi network. Other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as phones, tablets, and computers, then connect to it.
Popular providers for Pocket WiFi in Nice and across France include Hippocketwifi, MioWiFi, TravelWifi, and RentConnect.
These services provide country-specific solutions and pocket WiFi across Europe.
Pros
Pocket WiFi devices offer some of the fastest and stablest connections for travelers. This is particularly useful for anyone traveling outside of Nice to places like Èze, Grasse, Mougins, Gourdon, and Peille.
It’s also convenient for families and groups. Multiple devices can connect simultaneously, and standard pocket WiFi routers support around 10 devices simultaneously.
Cons
This is the only solution that requires an extra dedicated device, which means you do have to remember to bring the pocket WiFi device with you and to keep it charged.
Luckily, pocket WiFi devices are typically tiny, last all day on a single charge, and have power-saving options to ensure longer battery life.
Cost
The cost of pocket WiFi is relatively cheap.
Hippocketwifi offers pocket WiFi rental for between 3 and 360 days, starting from €3.90 per day, making it the most cost-effective solution.
TravelWiFi offers daily limits of 1GB, 5GB, and 10GB, with the prices ranging from €6 to €8 per day for a two-week trip.
RentConnect’s unlimited 5G connection costs €9.99 per day with €16 shipping.
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SIM Cards
Every smartphone and device that connects to a mobile network will have a SIM card or an eSIM. SIM cards allow your phone to make calls, send messages, and connect to the internet.
Travelers can buy prepaid SIM cards in France. This allows them to use a service similar to that of their home country.
France has four leading network operators and several virtual mobile operators. Prepaid SIM cards in France are typically more expensive than in other European countries, which is why many travelers prefer cheaper pocket WiFi solutions.
Popular providers include Orange, SFR, Bouygues Télécom, Free Mobile, and resellers like La Poste Mobile, Lebara, Lycamobile, etc.
Pros
Provided your smartphone is unlocked, travel SIM cards are quick and easy to buy and install. You can pick them up from operator stores, online, and convenience stores, making it a simple and straightforward solution for staying connected in Nice.
Cons
These SIM cards are typically quite limited in terms of data. They are specifically for your smartphone, but you can tether the data connection to other devices, often sacrificing speed and battery life.
Cost
Orange charges €10 for 5GB of data over 14 days up to €40 for 35GB over 1 month.
SFR offers SIM cards at rates ranging from €5 for 300MB of data over 5 days to €35 for 30GB of data for 30 days.
Bouygues Télécom is similar, with €5 for 500MB over 3 days and €40 for 5GB over 60 days.
eSIM
eSIM is a newer technology that uses the integrated circuitry in smartphones and other internet-capable devices to function like a SIM card.
Essentially, an eSIM is a virtual SIM card, so rather than inserting a SIM into the device, you simply configure the eSIM using the settings from a provider.
Pros
An eSIM solution is quite convenient. It allows travelers to buy the solution before they arrive at their destination and configure their data connection using simple instructions or even a QR code.
Cons
An eSIM still uses your phone as the primary internet connection, meaning that rural connections will be slower than pocket WiFi (dedicated devices tend to have better antennae for picking up weaker signals). You need to tether other devices to your phone’s data connection.
Cost
Orange offers various eSIM solutions called “Holiday France”. Prices range from €4.99 for 1GB over a 4G connection across 7 days to €49.99 for 100GB over a 5G connection for 28 days.
Holafly is a popular eSIM provider that offers an unlimited data connection for $6 a day.
Airalo’s Bobon Mobile costs between $4.50 for 1GB over 7 days and $36 for 20GB over 30 days.
Data Roaming International Plan
Without any other solution, domestic providers also offer international data roaming options.
This means that you just need to contract a solution from your usual provider or even when you land. Most providers will send you a message with instructions on how to set up roaming or with the details of how much it will cost if you use it.
Pros
International data roaming is the easiest solution to set up. You don’t have to do anything, but you’ll likely be charged a fortune if you don’t plan ahead.
Cons
International data roaming is expensive and unreliable. Roaming connections are through partner networks and are rarely fast or convenient.
Cost
The cost will depend on your network provider and the deals they offer. Unplanned data roaming should be avoided, as the charges can range in the thousands.
Use Free WiFi
All over Nice, travelers can use public WiFi connections; ensure you use the right ones.
You can connect to a free WiFi network in Nice if you’re in the right place.
Pros
The free WiFi network coverage in Nice is extensive, with free high-speed WiFi at every tram stop, Nice tourist offices, and the Nice Etoile Shopping Mall, ensuring that you can stay connected in most parts of the city without any additional cost.
Cons
Free WiFi networks are typically less secure than the other solutions we’ve listed. Be wary of transmitting sensitive information through messages or emails, connecting to sites using passwords, etc.
Cost
The cost of these networks is also one of their main advantages. These networks are free, and while many have a time limit of one hour, you can log back into them as many times as you want.
How to Choose the Best WiFi Option for Your Nice Trip
While pocket WiFi is the best solution for most travelers, there are certain things that you need to consider before choosing the kind of internet connection you’ll use on your trip to Nice.
Connectivity
Connectivity is essential for anyone taking a trip away from areas with good coverage. Typically, pocket WiFi with its dedicated device will provide the best connection in areas with spotty coverage. Pocket WiFi in France will work in more parts of the country.
Data Limit
If you intend to send large files, stream video, or do anything else using a lot of data, you must know your data limits.
Look at your smartphone’s settings to see your typical data usage (over mobile data connections and WiFi), which will give you a better idea of how much data you’ll use.
If you think you’ll be close to any of the limits offered, it may be worth paying a bit extra for an unlimited data option.
Rental Duration
SIM cards and eSIM solutions provide a set amount of data over a limited number of days, which expires if not used.
Pocket WiFi solutions charge per day of rental (and by data limit) and become cheaper daily the longer you rent. For longer trips, pocket WiFi stands out as the most cost-effective solution.
Usage
If you’re traveling alone and using a single device (a smartphone, for example), SIM cards and eSIM solutions may be suitable.
For those with multiple devices, such as tablets or laptop computers, or those traveling in groups, pocket WiFi provides a fast and stable connection for all devices at once.
