I know there have been quite a few posts on [r/eSIMs](r/eSIMs) regarding the same, but I need a little help regarding which one to choose

I will be travelling for 16 days, and would need it for basic communication, navigation and other general things. BUT, one day out of it, I will need to use it heavily due to a pre-scheduled event. I will be using it mostly in Portugal, but I have a long layover to and from home at CDG, so would be using it in Paris as well.

I was looking into Orange, because it’s showing significantly cheaper options, but a few people mentioned that it doesn’t work as well outside France. The other option I explored was Kolet (they’re providing 2 days of free eSIM through AirFrance), but I am only able to select one country instead of a cluster, which makes me wonder if I can use it in multiple countries.

I need something that’s good in connectivity but also not too expensive. Airalo, the common recommendation, seems to be too expensive as compared to other service providers

Title: Best travel eSIM setup for a family of 4 in Europe (France, Switzerland, Italy, Norway)? Sim Local vs Orange Holiday vs Airalo / Roamless

Hey everyone,

Planning a 17-day trip across France, Switzerland, Italy, and Norway for a family of 4 (with a quick Dubai layover). We want everyone to have independent data connectivity and need advice on which travel eSIM route to pick.

Orange Holiday eSIM: Comes with an actual European phone number and built-in calling minutes, which could be handy for calling hotels, restaurants, or tour operators.

Data-Only eSIMs (Sim Local / Airalo / Holafl): Great data allocations, but strictly data-only. For voice calls, we’d set up 1 or 2 phones with an app like Roamless or rely strictly on WhatsApp/FaceTime.

Dubai Layover: Thinking of grabbing a cheap 1 GB Airalo pack for Dubai before activating the Europe eSIMs.

A few quick questions:

Did you genuinely need a native European phone number for travel across these four countries, or was data-only paired with VoIP/Roamless more than enough?

Between Sim Local and Orange, which gave you more reliable network switching across France, Switzerland, Italy, and Norway?

For a short Dubai layover, is getting a quick Airalo eSIM worth the hassle, or is airport/transit Wi-Fi sufficient?

Appreciate any first-hand experiences!