A Caribbean island-hopping trip might start in Barbados, continue to Saint Lucia and Martinique, and end on Saint Martin. A SIM that works at home prices on one island can be billed for roaming on the next.
This guide explains what one eSIM for Caribbean island hopping covers, which popular islands it leaves out, where EU roaming applies and what happens on Saint Martin.
Key facts for Caribbean island hopping
- One plan for the islands: the Caribbean zone covers 29 destinations
- Not in the Caribbean plan: Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Cuba and Mexico
- EU roaming: only on Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin (French side)
- Emergency numbers: they differ from island to island (see below)
- Embassies: in Bridgetown, Kingston and Santo Domingo; smaller islands are often covered from another island, Paris or The Hague
One eSIM for Caribbean island hopping: what the zone covers
The Caribbean zone plan covers 29 destinations on one eSIM, from the Bahamas and Jamaica to Saint Lucia, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and Curaçao, plus Guyana and Suriname on the South American mainland.
Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Cuba and Mexico, including its Caribbean coast around Cancún, are not in it. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are in the Americas zone instead, which also covers Mexico, the United States, the Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands, but not Jamaica, Barbados or most other islands.
EU roaming works on three islands only
Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin, the French side of Saint Martin, are part of the EU, so an EU SIM works there as at home. On Saint-Barthélemy, Dutch Sint Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire and every other island, an EU SIM pays roaming, so turn off its data roaming before you leave Martinique for Saint Lucia, for example.
Saint Martin and Sint Maarten: one island, two sides
The island of Saint Martin is shared between French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten, and a phone can switch between the two sides' networks without warning. With an EU SIM, the French side counts as home, but a Dutch-side network means roaming.
On the French side, select a French-side network manually in your phone's settings. A Caribbean plan covers both sides, so a switch stays within the plan. The emergency number changes too: 112 on the French side, 911 on the Dutch side.
Which plan fits your trip
For two or more islands in the zone, Caribbean plans are the simplest choice. Americas plans cover Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands but not most of the other islands, so a trip that combines both may need a plan from each zone. The Dominican Republic and the British Virgin Islands are in both zones. If you stay on one island, a country plan may fit better where one exists, for example for Barbados.
Telcomia's standard plans are data only: no local number or SMS, with calls through apps such as WhatsApp. The plan details show the Activation line, which gives the start of the validity period, plus the duration, the data and whether sharing the connection is allowed.
Before you leave
- Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and keep it until the trip ends; some eSIMs can be installed only once.
- Make the eSIM your mobile data line, with data roaming on for it and off for your home line.
- Check the plan's country list against every island on your route.
- Find manual network selection in your phone's settings.
- Save the emergency numbers for each island on your route.
Consular protection: island by island
- 112 works on Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin, as do 15 for an ambulance, 17 for the police and 18 for the fire service.
- 911 covers emergencies in the Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, and the police and ambulance on Sint Maarten.
- In Barbados, 211 is the police and 511 an ambulance; in Jamaica, 119 is the police and 110 an ambulance or the fire service.
- Embassies are in Bridgetown, Kingston and Santo Domingo, while the French islands have none. The Telcomia app shows which mission is responsible for you, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Barbados, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Saint Lucia or the Dominican Republic, the embassy of any other EU country must help you on the same terms as its own nationals (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- The app keeps key emergency phrases ready to show on screen, including French, Spanish and Dutch.
Questions travellers ask about Caribbean island hopping
Does one eSIM work on every Caribbean island?
Not on every one: Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Cuba and Mexico are outside the Caribbean plan, so check its list against your route.
Is Puerto Rico included in the Caribbean plan?
No. Puerto Rico is in the Americas plan, with the US Virgin Islands, Mexico and the United States, and it also has its own plan.
Does EU roaming work in the Caribbean?
Only on Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint-Martin. Elsewhere, including Saint-Barthélemy, Sint Maarten, Aruba and Curaçao, an EU SIM pays roaming.
What happens on Saint Martin and Sint Maarten?
Your phone can switch between the two sides' networks. An EU SIM is at home only on the French side, while a Caribbean plan covers both.
The short version
One Caribbean eSIM covers 29 destinations, but not Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Cuba or Mexico. EU roaming works only on Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Saint-Martin, so keep roaming off on your home line and save each island's emergency numbers.
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When should I activate my Barbados eSIM?
Each plan shows before you pay when it starts counting. Plans that start on connection start counting the first time they connect to a network in one of the countries they cover: install the eSIM before you leave, keep the line off until you arrive in Barbados, and you'll have data as soon as you land. Some also work in other countries (each plan lists which): if the line connects earlier, at home or on a layover, it starts counting there. Plans that start when you buy them are best bought on the day you'll start using them.
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