Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Bermuda
- NETWORKS
- Digicel
- PLAN TYPE
- Data only
- IP ADDRESS LOCATION
- Netherlands
- DELIVERY
- QR code by email
How it works
- 1Choose a plan and pay.
- 2Scan the QR code we email you. You can install it before you fly.
- 3When you land in Bermuda, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Questions about the Bermuda eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside Bermuda?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Can I hire a car in Bermuda?
Will my data work on the ferries?
Can I use WhatsApp on my normal number?
Can I use my eSIM at sea on a cruise to Bermuda?
How do I avoid charges from my home operator?
Can I add more data during my stay?
Bermuda eSIM guide: mobile data for travellers
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic, far out to sea east of the United States and well north of the Caribbean. It is a chain of closely linked islands shaped like a fish hook, joined by bridges and causeways, with pastel cottages, white roofs designed to collect rainwater, and pink-tinged beaches such as Horseshoe Bay and Elbow Beach on the south shore. Hamilton, the capital, is a small harbour city of shops and offices on Front Street. St George's, at the eastern end, is a UNESCO-listed historic town, and the Royal Naval Dockyard at the western tip is home to museums, shops and the main cruise pier. Visitors also come for the Crystal Caves, golf, diving on shipwrecks and walking or cycling the Bermuda Railway Trail.
Bermuda is small, but visitors cannot hire conventional cars, so getting around means buses, ferries, taxis, scooters or small electric vehicles, and having data makes it far easier to check timetables and directions. A Spidot eSIM gives you data in Bermuda without buying a local SIM. You install it at home, switch it on when you land and keep your own SIM for calls and texts.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM in Bermuda
There are three main ways to get online in Bermuda, and each has trade-offs.
Roaming with your home SIM
Roaming is easy, and some North American plans include Bermuda in a travel pass, while others charge per day or per megabyte. Although Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory, it is not treated like the UK for roaming, and EU "Roam like at Home" rules do not apply. Check your operator's terms for Bermuda before you rely on roaming.
A local prepaid SIM
Local SIMs are sold in Hamilton and some other places. They can be useful for long stays, but buying one takes time and usually means swapping out your home SIM unless your phone has a second slot.
A Spidot eSIM for Bermuda
A Spidot eSIM adds a data line next to your home SIM. You buy a Bermuda plan online, receive the QR code by email straight after payment and install it before you travel. Plans start from $34.90. Your home number stays active for calls and texts. Most plans are data-only; if you need to call local numbers, for example taxis or restaurants, see our Data + calls plans.
How much data to plan for
Bermuda trips are often short, from a cruise call or long weekend to a week's holiday or business trip. Approximate figures:
- Maps and navigation: a few megabytes per hour; useful on the island's narrow, winding roads.
- Bus and ferry timetables: light; useful for planning connections.
- Messaging: light for text, more for photos.
- Photos and social media: moderate to heavy.
- Video calls: typically several hundred megabytes per hour.
- Streaming: heavy, often a gigabyte or more per hour in high definition.
Typical choices
A cruise stop or a weekend with good hotel Wi-Fi usually needs only a small fixed data plan. A week of exploring by bus, ferry and scooter, with daily maps and photo sharing, is more comfortable with a mid-sized plan.
Business travellers who tether a laptop may prefer an unlimited plan, keeping in mind that speed may slow after heavy use. Regular visitors can choose a no-expiry plan. You can check how much data is left and add more data during your stay.
Before you go
Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi. First check your phone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked.
Then follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel. Label the line "Bermuda", keep your home SIM as default for calls and texts, and set the Spidot line for mobile data.
- Install the eSIM a day or two before you travel.
- Download an offline map of Bermuda.
- Save accommodation, ferry and tour details offline.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM.
Arriving in Bermuda
L.F. Wade International Airport is at the eastern end of Bermuda, near St George's, with flights mainly from North America and the UK. Many visitors arrive by cruise ship, most docking at the Royal Naval Dockyard in the west, with smaller ships sometimes calling at Hamilton or St George's.
When you arrive, select the Spidot line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Our data roaming guide shows where the setting is. If it does not connect after a minute or two, switch flight mode on and off once.
From the airport
Taxis are the usual way from the airport to hotels, and buses also serve the area. With data, you can message your hotel, check the route and look up bus times if you plan to travel by public transport.
Arriving by cruise ship
At sea, cruise ships often run their own maritime mobile network, which is billed separately and can be very expensive on a home SIM. Keep data roaming off on your home SIM while at sea. Once docked, when your phone sees a Bermudian land network, switch to the Spidot line for your time ashore, and turn data off again before the ship sails. Some ships stay overnight in Bermuda, so you may need data for more than one day.
Coverage across the islands
Bermuda is small and densely settled, and mobile data generally works well across the main islands, in Hamilton, St George's and Dockyard, and along the main roads. In Bermuda, the Spidot eSIM connects to Digicel.
There can still be weaker spots:
- Caves: inside the Crystal Caves and other caves, expect little or no signal.
- Sheltered coves: some south shore coves and beaches below cliffs may have weaker signal.
- Inside thick-walled buildings: traditional Bermudian buildings with stone walls can reduce indoor signal.
- On the water: close to shore you will usually have signal, but on dive and snorkel trips over offshore reefs it can fade.
Getting around with data
Visitors to Bermuda cannot rent conventional cars. Instead, the main options are the public buses, the ferries, taxis, rented scooters and small two-seater electric vehicles. Driving is on the left, and roads are narrow and winding, with a low speed limit.
Pink-and-blue buses run along the main roads, and ferries link Hamilton with Dockyard, St George's and other stops across the Great Sound. Data lets you check timetables, plan connections and see where you are.
Scooters and electric vehicles
If you rent a scooter or small electric car, set your route before you set off, and use a phone mount only if it is safe and permitted. Roads are narrow, with sharp bends and walls close to the road. Download an offline map in case of weak spots.
The Railway Trail
The Bermuda Railway Trail follows the route of the old railway across much of the island, and is popular for walking and cycling. Coverage is generally available, but having an offline map helps you find access points and nearby bus stops for the return trip.
Sharing data with a hotspot
Hotel and guesthouse Wi-Fi in Bermuda is usually good, but it may not reach the beach or the garden. Your phone's personal hotspot can connect a laptop or tablet; it shares the line selected for mobile data, so make sure that is the Spidot line.
Pause cloud backups and automatic updates before tethering, and keep an eye on your balance.
Using public Wi-Fi safely
Hotels, cafés and the Dockyard area often offer Wi-Fi. It is convenient, but open networks can be insecure.
- Use your eSIM data for banking, payments and logins.
- Ask staff for the exact network name.
- Turn off automatic joining of open networks.
- Keep your phone and apps updated.
Practical tips for Bermuda
A few local details worth knowing:
- Currency: the Bermudian dollar is pegged to the US dollar, and US dollars are widely accepted. Cards are accepted in most places.
- Transport passes: visitors can buy passes for buses and ferries; check current options online before you go.
- Beaches: Horseshoe Bay is the most famous beach, and the walk along the south shore to quieter coves is popular.
- Weather: Bermuda has a subtropical climate, cooler in winter than the Caribbean. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.
- Dress: Bermuda shorts are business wear here, but beachwear is generally kept to the beach.
- Sun and sea: keep your phone out of direct sun and in a waterproof pouch on boats.
Bermuda on a multi-country trip
Bermuda is usually visited from the United States or Canada, often on a cruise from the US east coast. Some travellers combine it with a trip to the United Kingdom or a Caribbean holiday, for example in the Bahamas.
Install one eSIM per destination before you leave home. Most eSIM phones can store several, and you switch mobile data to the right line when you arrive.