La Réunion is ten thousand kilometers from Paris, but it is a French department. This administrative fact has a practical consequence that many travelers are unaware of: their mobile plan generally works there as it does at home.
However, there are a few subtleties, and a real issue for those continuing on to Mauritius or Madagascar. Here’s what to check before packing your bags.
Does your mainland plan work in La Réunion?
Since 2016, French operators can no longer charge roaming surcharges between mainland France and its overseas departments. Calls, SMS, and data can therefore be used in La Réunion under the conditions of your plan, within the limits of an allowance specific to each offer.
This is where the nuance lies. Some entry-level plans provide a reduced data volume in the DOM (Overseas Departments), different from that in mainland France. Check the “DOM” line of your tariff sheet, not just the main volume.
The network on the island: what to expect?
Your phone will connect to a Réunion operator that partners with yours. 4G covers the coast and cities well, and 5G is progressing in Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre. In the cirques and on the volcano trails, coverage becomes irregular, as in any mountainous area.
For hikes in Mafate or the ascent of Piton des Neiges, download offline maps before you go. The network won’t follow everywhere, regardless of the operator.
Also, remember your battery. A day of photos on the volcano, with the GPS constantly searching for a network, will drain a phone long before you return to the gîte. An external battery in your bag is better than a bigger plan.
Do you need an eSIM for La Réunion?
In the vast majority of cases, no. A travel eSIM is only useful if your plan doesn’t cover the destination or if its overseas data allowance is too small for your usage. Buying a local plan for a French department would be paying twice for the same thing.
The exception concerns very low-cost, no-commitment plans, whose overseas data allowance is sometimes limited to a few gigabytes. If you’re staying for three weeks and publishing videos every day, a local eSIM might become the cheapest supplement.
What if you’re continuing to Mauritius or Madagascar?
There, everything changes. Mauritius and Madagascar are foreign countries, outside the European Union, and are billed as “rest of the world” by French operators. Out-of-plan charges are expensive there, and an eSIM or a local SIM card becomes necessary from day one.
To understand how French operators bill outside Europe, and from what usage an eSIM becomes more economical, this guide on roaming summarizes the rules and exceptions, including those for overseas territories.
The pre-departure checklist
Read the DOM line of your plan and note the data allowance. Activate data roaming in your phone settings, as it is sometimes disabled by default. Download offline maps of the island.
If a trip to Mauritius or Madagascar is planned, prepare the eSIM before you leave, while the Wi-Fi is good. Once there, all you’ll have to do is take photos.
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