For Canadians leaving on Bell or Rogers
Bell and Rogers roaming in Europe vs an eSIM
Bell Roam Better and Rogers Roam Like Home keep your Canadian number. They also bill you every midnight Eastern. A VayaConData Orange eSIM is a one-time USD charge, with a real French +33 for hosts, restaurants, and 2FA in Europe.
Last updated October 13, 2026. Carrier rates change — check MyBell / MyRogers before you fly.
| |
Bell Roam Better |
Rogers Roam Like Home |
VayaConData 20GB |
| Typical Europe rate | C$16 / day | C$18 / day | US$29 once |
| 7-day trip | C$112 | C$126 | US$29 |
| 14-day trip | C$224 | C$252 | US$29 |
| Your Canadian number | Stays active | Stays active | Turn data roaming off; use +33 in Europe |
| European phone number | No — still +1 | No — still +1 | Real French +33 |
| EU local calls / SMS | Via roaming bucket | Via roaming bucket | Unlimited on Voice+SMS |
| Data | Home-plan data; often slowed after a daily cap | Home-plan data | 20GB full-speed (50GB is US$34) |
| Setup | Add Roam Better in MyBell | Add Roam Like Home in MyRogers | QR by email · no app · ~2 min |
Bell international Roam Better is commonly listed at C$16/day (C$13/day in the US), max 20 billable days per cycle. Rogers international Roam Like Home is commonly listed at C$18/day (C$16/day in the US). Travel Passes (e.g. Bell Europe 14-day around C$70) can beat the daily rate — still more than US$29, and still no European number. Always confirm in the carrier app. VayaConData prices are USD on plans.
On Telus, Fido, Koodo or Freedom?
Telus Easy Roam is commonly listed at C$18/day in Europe, and Telus also sells a 30-day Travel Pass (around C$60 per third-party reporting; confirm in My Telus). Fido, Koodo and Freedom have their own roaming add-ons; check your carrier app for current rates. The same setup works on any of them: turn data roaming off on your Canadian SIM before you fly, and use a VayaConData eSIM for data and a +33 number in Europe.
Telus figures cited from Europe Number’s carrier comparison. Confirm the current Telus rate in My Telus before you fly.
Turn Canadian roaming off. Use the eSIM for Europe.
Most iPhones and recent Androids support dual SIM. Turn data roaming off on your Bell or Rogers SIM before departure so you do not trigger daily roaming charges, and set the VayaConData eSIM as your active data and voice line in Europe. You get maps and WhatsApp on Orange, plus a +33 number for Airbnb hosts, restaurants, and European 2FA that reject a +1.
Turn data roaming off on the Bell/Rogers line so you are not billed C$16–$18 the first time a background app pings. Install the eSIM on Wi‑Fi before you fly — install guide.
When to stay on roaming anyway
- A one-night layover and you do not want to install anything
- You already bought a Bell or Rogers Travel Pass and it covers the whole trip
- You only need your Canadian number and will live on hotel Wi‑Fi
When the eSIM wins
- Any trip longer than two or three days — daily roaming compounds fast
- You need to call or text a local number (hosts, restaurants, trains)
- You want a known GB bucket instead of a clock that resets at 11:59 p.m. ET
Telus Easy Roam is a daily roaming add-on. Confirm the current rate in My Telus. The comparison holds if you are on Telus: turn data roaming off on your Telus SIM, and use the eSIM for Europe data and a +33.
