Paraguay sees fewer visitors than its neighbours, and most of them arrive either by air in Asunción or overland from the Iguazú Falls, through Ciudad del Este or Encarnación. The usual stops are the capital's riverside centre, the Jesuit mission ruins near Encarnación, the Itaipú dam and, for the adventurous, the vast and empty Chaco to the west. Paraguay is outside the EU's Roam Like at Home area, so a European tariff applies its own roaming rates there.
Key facts for Paraguay
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Personal, Tigo (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: police 911; ambulance 141; fire 132
- Embassies: in Asunción
Asunción
Coverage is strong across Asunción, from the Costanera riverfront and the presidential palace to the shopping streets of Villa Morra. Bag-snatching and pickpocketing happen on buses, and muggers are sometimes armed, so avoid poorly lit downtown streets at night and book a licensed taxi or a ride-hailing car rather than hailing one in the street. Protests occasionally block the streets around government buildings with little warning. Don't swim in the Paraguay River near the city: it is heavily polluted.
Encarnación and the Jesuit missions
Encarnación, on the Paraná River across from Posadas in Argentina, has good coverage and sandy river beaches that fill up in summer, when the town also stages its carnival. Less than an hour away, the ruins of the Jesuit missions of Trinidad and Jesús, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, make an easy day trip; coverage holds along the main road, but save offline maps for the side roads.
Ciudad del Este, Itaipú and the Brazilian border
Ciudad del Este, joined to Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil by the Friendship Bridge, is a busy shopping city and the Paraguayan gateway to the Iguazú Falls, which lie between Brazil and Argentina. Nearby, the Itaipú dam, shared with Brazil, runs guided visits. The UK government warns that drug trafficking and violent crime are on the rise along the border with Brazil, from Pedro Juan Caballero south to Ciudad del Este, and that a small armed group, the EPP, operates in parts of San Pedro and Concepción.
The Chaco
The Transchaco highway crosses the Chaco to the north-west, passing the Mennonite towns of Filadelfia and Loma Plata, which have shops and signal. Between towns, coverage disappears for long stretches and services are scarce, so carry water and fuel, download maps and tell someone your route. In the rainy season, unpaved roads can become impassable.
Getting around
Long-distance buses connect Asunción with Encarnación, Ciudad del Este and the Chaco. If you drive, the legal alcohol limit is zero, police checks are frequent, and you must carry your licence and your passport with its entry stamp; watch out for vehicles driving at night without lights.
Language
Spanish and Guaraní are both official, and most Paraguayans speak Guaraní at home, but Spanish gets you everywhere. English is uncommon outside hotels and tour agencies in Asunción.
Paying
The currency is the guaraní. Cards are widely accepted in Asunción, sometimes with a request for photo ID, while markets, buses and small towns run on cash. Use cash machines inside buildings rather than on the street.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM set up before your trip connects on arrival in Asunción, or as you cross from Brazil or Argentina, and your usual number keeps receiving texts and bank codes. A Latin America or Americas plan covers Paraguay together with Argentina and Brazil, which is useful for a trip to the falls.
Paraguayan prepaid SIMs from Tigo, Personal or Claro are sold in phone shops and kiosks; you need your passport to register them.
Consular protection: who to call in Paraguay
- 911 reaches the police, 141 an ambulance and 132 the fire brigade.
- Embassies are in Asunción. The Telcomia app shows yours, with address and phone.
- If you are an EU citizen and your country has no embassy or consulate in Paraguay, 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).
- When you can't find the words in Spanish, the app has emergency phrases ready to show on screen.
Questions travellers ask about Paraguay
Does my EU plan work in Paraguay?
No: Paraguay is outside Roam Like at Home, so your operator's roaming rates apply.
Can one plan cover Paraguay and the Iguazú Falls?
Yes. A Latin America or Americas plan covers Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina.
Which networks does a Telcomia eSIM use in Paraguay?
Personal on most plans and Tigo on some, with 4G where available.
What are the emergency numbers?
911 for the police, 141 for an ambulance and 132 for the fire brigade.
The short version
Install the eSIM before you go, pick a regional plan if Iguazú is on the route, carry your passport, take care near the Brazilian border, download maps for the Chaco, and save 911 and 141.
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