eSIM for San Francisco
For San Francisco, a United States eSIM is the right plan: it covers the city, the Bay Area and any trip elsewhere in the country. Most visits last about four days, so choose a plan valid for at least that long. Install it at home before flying, and switch it on at San Francisco International.
Plans for United States cover the whole country, including San Francisco.
For a 4-day visit
How much data for 4 days in San Francisco
- Light (maps and messages): about 1 GB
- Normal (plus social media and browsing): about 2.5 GB
- Heavy (video and video calls): about 6 GB
An estimate from typical use, not a measurement.
Arriving in San Francisco
San Francisco International, usually called SFO, sits south of the city, and BART has a station inside the airport. The train runs into downtown San Francisco and across the bay to Oakland and Berkeley, so you can reach the centre without a car. Oakland International and San Jose Mineta are the other two Bay Area airports. Caltrain, the commuter line from the 4th and King station, runs down the peninsula towards San Jose.
Data helps the moment you arrive: you can buy your BART ticket or load your card, check which station is nearest your hotel, and call a ride if you would rather skip the train. Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi with the QR code before you leave. When you land, switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and leave your home line's data off.
Getting around
Muni runs the buses, the streetcars and the cable cars inside the city, and BART covers longer trips under the bay. You pay with a Clipper card, which you can also add to a phone wallet, and the MuniMobile app sells Muni tickets. The 511.org site and the Transit app show times across the Bay Area operators. Ferries to Sausalito, Tiburon and Oakland leave from the Ferry Building.
Uber and Lyft both operate in the city, and Waymo runs a driverless ride service in parts of San Francisco that you book in its own app. Bay Wheels is the bike share, unlocked from an app. The city is hilly and compact, so many visitors walk between neighbourhoods and take a cable car or a bus for the steep stretches.
Where you'll use data
Visitors spend their time at Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, the Embarcadero and Ferry Building, Chinatown and North Beach, the Painted Ladies near Alamo Square, Golden Gate Park and the Presidio. Boats to Alcatraz leave from Pier 33 and tickets are timed, so keep the confirmation on your phone. The Golden Gate Bridge can be walked or cycled across, and an offline map is handy for the paths on either side.
Day trips stay inside the United States, so the same plan keeps working: Sausalito and Muir Woods across the bridge, Berkeley and Oakland by BART, Napa and Sonoma wine country to the north, Stanford and Silicon Valley down the peninsula, or Monterey and Carmel further south. Some park and attraction entries need an advance reservation, which you make online.
For a longer stay
Common questions
- Will the eSIM work as soon as I land at SFO?
- Yes, if you installed it before the flight. Switch the eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and leave airplane mode. If it does not connect, turn airplane mode on and off once.
- How much data do I need for four days in San Francisco?
- About 2.5 GB for normal use: maps, transit apps, ride apps, messages and some social media. Heavy use, such as video calls or a lot of streaming, comes to roughly 6 GB.
- Can I pay for BART and Muni with my phone?
- Clipper works on BART, Muni, Caltrain and the ferries, and can be added to a phone wallet. Muni tickets can also be bought in the MuniMobile app. Check the Clipper site for which wallets are supported.
- Does the plan give me a local 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 in Napa, Yosemite or Los Angeles?
- Yes. A United States plan covers the whole country, including Napa, Yosemite and Los Angeles. Download offline maps for national park drives so you can navigate if you cannot refresh them.