eSIM for New York
For a New York trip, a United States eSIM covers the whole city and every day trip inside the US. Most visits last about five days, so pick a plan valid for at least a week. Install it at home before you fly, and turn it on when you land at JFK, Newark or LaGuardia.
Plans for United States cover the whole country, including New York.
For a 5-day visit
How much data for 5 days in New York
- Light (maps and messages): about 1.5 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 3 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 7.5 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in New York
New York has three airports. JFK is in Queens, and the AirTrain JFK runs from every terminal to Jamaica station (subway and Long Island Rail Road) and to Howard Beach (the A train). Newark Liberty is across the river in New Jersey: AirTrain Newark takes you to Newark Airport station, where NJ Transit and Amtrak trains go to Penn Station in Midtown. LaGuardia has no rail link; the free Q70 LaGuardia Link bus connects it to the subway in Queens.
Every one of those trips is easier with data on the moment you land: the AirTrain transfer, the train times, the ride app if you would rather take a car. Installing the eSIM needs Wi-Fi and a QR code, so do it at home the day before. When you land, switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and leave your home line's data off.
Getting around
The subway runs all night, and you pay by tapping a contactless card or a phone wallet at the turnstile (the system is called OMNY). The same tap works on city buses. The official MTA app shows live arrivals and service changes, which matter in New York: weekend work often reroutes lines, and the app is how you find out before you reach the platform.
Uber and Lyft both operate across the five boroughs, and yellow cabs can be booked in the Curb app as well as hailed. Citi Bike, the bike share, is unlocked from its app. For the commuter trains, the MTA's TrainTime app has Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North tickets and times. All of these want live data, which is the main reason a New York visit uses more than people expect.
Where you'll use data
Most visitors spend their days between Midtown (Times Square, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center), Central Park and the museums along Fifth Avenue, and Lower Manhattan (the 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island). Brooklyn is the usual second base: DUMBO and the walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg, Prospect Park. Many underground stations have free Wi-Fi, but download an offline map of the city anyway for the stretches between them.
Day trips stay inside the United States, so the same plan keeps working: Metro-North up the Hudson Valley to Beacon or Cold Spring, the train to the beaches of Long Island, or Amtrak to Philadelphia or Washington, DC. Booking museum slots, timed entries and show tickets on your phone is normal in New York, and the confirmations often arrive by email, so keep data on through the day.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work as soon as I land at JFK?
- Yes, if you installed it before the flight. Switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and it connects at the gate or in the AirTrain. If it does not, turn airplane mode on and off once.
- How much data do I need for five days in New York?
- About 3 GB for normal use: maps, the MTA app, ride apps, messages and some social media. Video calls home or a lot of streaming push it nearer 7 or 8 GB. The plan list on this page shows the estimate next to each plan.
- Can I pay for the subway with my phone?
- Yes. Tap your phone wallet or a contactless bank card on the OMNY reader at the turnstile or on the bus. You do not need a MetroCard. The tap itself does not use your data plan, but the MTA app does.
- Does a New York eSIM give me an American phone number?
- No. These plans are data only. Calls and messages work through apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. If your bank sends codes by SMS, keep your home line on for texts with its data switched off.
- Does the plan work on a day trip to New Jersey or Philadelphia?
- Yes. A United States plan covers the whole country, so Newark, Jersey City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC are all included.