Mobile data in Los Angeles for visitors
Los Angeles is a city where a short distance on the map can take an hour, so navigation runs from the moment you pick up the car or open a ride app. The United States eSIM connects to Verizon and AT&T and is data only; your usual number stays active for calls and texts.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in the United States?
- Yes. It connects to Verizon, AT&T (5G).
- Price
- From 5,99 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 8,99 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: The United States is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in the United States. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
LAX-it, the Metro and the FlyAway
At LAX, taxis and ride apps do not pick up at the terminal kerbs. You walk, or take a free shuttle, to the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1 and meet the car there; the app tells you which zone to go to, so connect the eSIM before you leave the terminal.
By public transport, Metro's C and K Lines reach the LAX/Metro Transit Center, which has a free connection to every terminal, and Metro puts the trip downtown at around 45 to 60 minutes. The FlyAway bus runs nonstop between the terminals and Union Station or Van Nuys, which is handy with luggage.
eSIM for United States
Data on your phone the moment you land in United States. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
TAP, the Metro lines and a lot of driving
Metro buses and trains use TAP. On an iPhone you can add a TAP card to Apple Wallet and hold the phone to the reader, while the TAP app manages the balance and plans trips. Metro reaches Hollywood, downtown, Santa Monica and Long Beach, but most visitors still drive or use ride apps between neighbourhoods, so the map is open for hours each day.
In a hire car, mount the phone, plug it into the charger and start navigation before you join the freeway: live traffic keeps using data the whole time you drive. Download an offline map of the city too, so a weak patch of signal does not leave you guessing at an interchange.
Joshua Tree, Death Valley and the road to Vegas
The classic drives out of Los Angeles go into desert where phones stop working. The National Park Service says cell service is generally unavailable throughout Joshua Tree and that you should not rely on your phone for navigation or emergencies; in Death Valley it describes service as limited to none.
Download offline maps of each park and the roads to it, and save bookings and tickets as screenshots, before you leave the last town. Interstate 15 to Las Vegas and the coast road north to San Francisco are still the United States, so the same pack covers the whole loop; only the signal in the empty stretches changes.
San Diego and the border at Tijuana
Heading south, San Diego is still California and still on the pack. Tijuana, across the border from San Ysidro, is Mexico, and the US eSIM gives no data there. If a day in Tijuana or a drive into Baja California is on the plan, add the Mexico eSIM before you go: a phone can hold both eSIMs, and you switch the data line when you cross.
Many visitors walk across and come back the same day. Save a map of the Tijuana side and the address of where you are going before the crossing, so you are not stuck at the exit without directions while the phone changes network.
How much data for Los Angeles
With the map on for most of the day, Los Angeles uses more data than a city you explore on foot. Four days with a car or ride apps, the beaches and a studio tour fit in the 5 GB pack, valid for 30 days; 3 GB, valid for 15 days, works if you stay mostly in one area and lean on hotel wifi.
A week that adds Joshua Tree or a drive to Las Vegas or San Francisco is a 10 GB trip, especially if a passenger shares the connection for music or a second map. Buy up to 180 days ahead, install it at home and top up the same eSIM if you run short. The data calculator gives a figure for your route, and the packs are on the United States page.
Can I get an Uber at the LAX kerb?
No. Ride-app and taxi pickups at LAX happen at the LAX-it lot, reached on foot or by the free shuttle. With the eSIM connected you can request the car as soon as you land.
Will I have signal in Joshua Tree?
Mostly not. The National Park Service says cell service is generally unavailable throughout the park, so download maps and directions before you drive in.
Does the US eSIM work in Tijuana?
No. Tijuana is in Mexico and the pack only works in the United States. For that part of the trip, add a Mexico eSIM.
Is it enough for navigation in a hire car?
Yes. Navigation and live traffic fit comfortably in the 5 GB or 10 GB packs for a week, and offline maps reduce the use further, which also helps in the desert.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for the United States