Connected in Réunion
eSIM Réunion
Free Réunion data on the coast road and up the hairpin bends to Cilaos
Choose a Réunion eSIM plan
Choose the perfect plan for your Réunion adventure
1 GB
7 Days- 1 GB Internet
- Wi-Fi Hotspot Allowed
- Instant Activation
- Validity Starting on First Use
3 GB
30 Days- 3 GB Internet
- Wi-Fi Hotspot Allowed
- Instant Activation
- Validity Starting on First Use
5 GB
30 Days- 5 GB Internet
- Wi-Fi Hotspot Allowed
- Instant Activation
- Validity Starting on First Use
10 GB
30 Days- 10 GB Internet
- Wi-Fi Hotspot Allowed
- Instant Activation
- Validity Starting on First Use
All plans include 4G/5G coverage across Réunion • No contracts • Instant Activation
Why travelers choose Esimy
- No contracts
- 24-hour days, counted from your first connection at your destination
- Add data to the same eSIM anytime
- Wi-Fi hotspot: Allowed on all plans
Before you buy your Réunion eSIM
Is my phone compatible?
Quick check: dial *#06# on your phone. If an EID number appears, your phone supports eSIM. It also needs to be carrier-unlocked.
How much data do I need?
A rough estimate based on typical use. Video and hotspot use the most data.
eSIM Réunion: Free Réunion 4G for a road trip round the island
An eSIM Réunion plan from Esimy connects to Free Réunion on 4G/LTE, the network you’ll lean on for directions from the moment you collect a hire car at Roland Garros Airport.
Your home plan may already cover you. The island counts as France, so plenty of French and EU tariffs charge it at home rates, though some don’t (plans from outside France especially), and visitors from beyond the EU pay roaming. Check yours before the flight; if the island isn’t included, a Réunion eSIM gives you a fixed price for the data you choose.
Signal is good where most people stay: Saint-Denis, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains and the beach at L’Hermitage, Saint-Leu and Saint-Pierre, plus the villages of Cilaos and Hell-Bourg. The interior is another story. Mafate has no roads, and on its trails you’ll often be out of range. On the Piton de la Fournaise and the Piton des Neiges, coverage fades the higher you climb, so save offline maps before you set out.
You get data and nothing else (no local number, calls or SMS), so leave your home SIM on for texts. No ID is needed, and the QR code arrives by email straight after you pay. Hotspot is allowed, and if you run short, extra data goes on the same eSIM. A Réunion SIM card from a local shop means showing ID and swapping cards in the tray. That’s worth the bother for a stay of several months, less so for a fortnight.
Réunion eSIM at a glance
- Networks
- Free
- Speed
- 4G/LTE, 5G where available
- Plans
- 5 · from 1.99 €
- Validity
- 7–30 days 24-hour days, counted from your first connection at your destination
- Wi-Fi hotspot
- Allowed on all plans
- Calls & SMS
- Data only
- Top-up
- Add data to the same eSIM anytime No new QR code needed
- Delivery
- Instant delivery by email and in the Esimy app
- Refunds
- Within 30 days of purchase if the QR code hasn't been scanned Refund policy
Compare Réunion eSIM plans
Need help with your Réunion eSIM?
Real people, 24/7Message our support team on WhatsApp or by email. We help with installation, activation and connection problems, day and night.
Travelling to more countries?
Réunion is also covered by these regional eSIMs:
How Esimy Works?
Select a Package
Choose from range of multiple countries/packages.
Scan QR Code with instructions received over your email
Easy activation with email details or our intuitive website dashboard.
Ready for travel!
Have the best trip possible without internet hassles.
Manage your eSIM with the Esimy App
Install, activate, and track your data — all from your phone.
- Add data to the same eSIM anytime
- Free 1 GB on every app order of 3 GB or more
- Send eSIMs as gifts and redeem the ones you receive
- Get notified about your data usage
- 5% back in your Esimy Wallet on every order
- Invite friends: €3 for you and €3 for them
Get it now
Available on the App Store and Google Play
eSIM vs Physical SIM Card in Réunion
Compare the benefits of using an eSIM data plan versus a traditional SIM card for international travel to Réunion.
Réunion Travel and Connectivity Guide
Strong on the coast, much thinner once you head into the cirques
Coverage areas
Life on Réunion runs around the coast, and so does the strongest signal: Saint-Denis and Sainte-Marie in the north, Saint-Paul, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, L’Hermitage and Saint-Leu on the west side, and Saint-Pierre and Saint-Joseph in the south. The fast route des Tamarins between Saint-Paul and the south-west is well covered. Up in the cirques, the villages you can drive to (Cilaos, and Hell-Bourg in Salazie) have coverage too. It thins out higher up and further in. Mafate has no roads at all, and on the trails between its hamlets you’ll often have weak signal or none. Expect the same on parts of the Plaine des Sables, around the Piton de la Fournaise crater and on the climb to the Piton des Neiges.
eSIM Réunion network in the mountains
Your eSIM connects to Free Réunion on 4G/LTE, and to no other network. Around the coastal towns it copes easily with navigation and WhatsApp video calls. Inland, the island itself is the problem. Ravines drop away steeply and ridges climb past 2,000 metres, so some hamlets sit out of reach of any mast. Treat signal on a hike as a bonus and download what you need before leaving the car. We don’t slow speeds on our side, so what you get depends on signal, where you are and your phone.
Data usage tips
• 1–3 GB: a week of maps, WhatsApp and photo uploads, with Wi-Fi at your rental in the evenings
• 5–10 GB: two or three weeks touring by car, with your phone as sat-nav and posts from the viewpoints
• 20 GB: a long stay, remote work from a rental in Saint-Gilles, or a laptop running on hotspot
Tourist highlights
Sunrise at Le Maïdo, looking down into Mafate before the clouds fill it. The drive across the Plaine des Sables to Pas de Bellecombe and the walk to the Piton de la Fournaise crater. The night climb of the Piton des Neiges (3,070 metres, the highest point in the Indian Ocean), usually from Cilaos with a night at the Caverne Dufour refuge. The road up to Cilaos itself, famous for its 400-odd bends. Creole houses in Hell-Bourg and the Voile de la Mariée waterfall in Salazie. Snorkelling in the lagoon at L’Hermitage, where most people swim (sea bathing outside protected zones is restricted because of the shark risk). Paragliding over Saint-Leu, and the Saturday market in Saint-Pierre.
Apps that help
Nearly everyone hires a car at the airport, so Google Maps or Waze will do most of the work. Save offline maps for the cirques and the volcano road before you go. The yellow Car Jaune buses link the coastal towns if you’d rather not drive. Hikers here tend to use the IGN maps app, and the ONF publishes trail closures, which are common after heavy rain. Météo-France has the forecast and, in summer, cyclone warnings. Prices are in euros and cards are accepted almost everywhere, but keep a little cash for the camions bar (roadside snack vans) and the markets.
Roaming tips
Legally the island is part of France, and so of the EU, which is why a lot of European tariffs treat it as home. Not every one does. Non-French plans are the most likely to leave it out, so check before the flight rather than after the bill. Arriving from the UK, Switzerland, North America or Mauritius, you’re roaming. Keep your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, with its data roaming turned off, and let the Esimy line handle data with Data Roaming on. Outside Réunion it won’t connect. For a few days in Paris on the way, our France eSIM covers that leg, and a hop to Mauritius needs our Mauritius eSIM.
Why travelers choose Esimy Réunion
- Free Réunion 4G/LTE in Saint-Denis, the west-coast resorts and the cirque villages
- Installed at home before the long-haul flight, with no ID and no shop visit
- Validity counts from your first connection on the island, not from the day you buy
- Hotspot allowed, so a passenger’s phone can run the navigation
- Extra data goes onto the same eSIM from your dashboard or the Esimy app
Best time to visit
- May to November: the cooler, drier southern winter and the best months for hiking Mafate or the Piton des Neiges; nights in Cilaos get properly cold
- Roughly July to October: humpback whales pass along the west coast
- October: the Grand Raid ultra-trail (the Diagonale des Fous) crosses the island, so book cars and rooms early
- December to April: hot, humid and cyclone season; heavy rain can close trails and mountain roads
Support
24/7 support via live chat, email and WhatsApp.
eSIM FAQs
Common questions about using eSIM in Réunion
Does the plan also work in Mauritius or Madagascar?
No, it covers Réunion only. Mauritius is a short flight away and a common add-on, so use our Mauritius eSIM for that part of the trip, or the Madagascar eSIM if you’re carrying on there. Install it next to this one and switch your data line when you land.
Which phones work with it?
Phones that support eSIM and aren’t tied to one carrier, including recent iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models. See our list of supported devices to check yours.
Can I share the connection as a hotspot?
Tethering is allowed. On a road trip that means one phone can feed data to another running Waze, though hotspot use eats through a small plan quickly.
Can I top up if I run out?
Any time, from your Esimy dashboard or the app. The data lands on the eSIM you already have, so there’s nothing new to scan.
How much data do I need for Réunion, and is there an unlimited plan?
Less than you’d think if your rental has Wi-Fi. 1 GB covers a week of light use, 3 to 5 GB suits two weeks of driving with your phone as sat-nav, and 10 to 20 GB is for streaming, video calls or laptop work. We don’t sell unlimited data for Réunion; 20 GB is the biggest plan.
How do I install and activate an eSIM for La Réunion?
Pay online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, with no ID needed, and the QR code arrives by email straight away. Scan it on Wi-Fi from your phone’s mobile or cellular settings, ideally the night before you fly. After landing, turn on Data Roaming for the eSIM line and choose it for mobile data. The APN sets itself, and the plan’s days start from that first connection.
Is there signal in Mafate, Cilaos and on the Piton de la Fournaise?
It depends how far from a road you are.
- Cilaos and Hell-Bourg: yes, in and around the villages.
- Mafate: patchy at best. There are only footpaths, and in the ravines between hamlets you’ll often have nothing, so tell your gîte when to expect you.
- Piton de la Fournaise and Piton des Neiges: weaker as you climb, and unreliable near the top.
Download maps and trail notes before you leave the car.
Will it work at Roland Garros Airport?
It should be working before you reach the car-hire desks. The airport sits on the north coast just east of Saint-Denis, inside Free Réunion’s coverage. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, then switch on Data Roaming for that line once you’ve landed.
Which network does the eSIM Réunion plan use?
Free Réunion, on 4G/LTE. It’s the only network the plan connects to. We don’t cap speeds, so if it crawls up in the cirques, that’s the signal (or occasionally the phone), not the plan.
Does the eSIM come with a Réunion phone number?
No, it’s data only: no local number, no calls, no SMS. Use WhatsApp or FaceTime for calls, and leave your home SIM switched on so bank codes and texts from the car-hire firm still reach you.
Do I need a Réunion eSIM, a local SIM card, or will my home plan do?
Look at your home plan first, since many European tariffs already cover the island. If yours doesn’t, or you’re flying in from the UK, Switzerland, North America or Mauritius, it comes down to the other two. A local SIM card needs a shop visit and ID. The eSIM is ready before you board, which suits a holiday; for several months on the island, or if you need a local number, a local SIM is the better choice.
What is the best eSIM for Réunion?
One that works where you’ll actually spend your days, which on Réunion means the coast, the cirque villages and the roads between them. Ours connects to Free Réunion on 4G/LTE, with plans from 1 GB for 7 days to 20 GB for 30 days, counted from your first connection on the island. There’s no ID check, and top-ups go on the same eSIM if you need more. No network gives full bars in the middle of Mafate, ours included.
