eSIM for North America

This plan covers the USA, Canada and Mexico on one eSIM, using Verizon and AT&T in the US, Rogers in Canada and Movistar in Mexico. It suits road trips that cross a border, Alaska cruises that call in British Columbia, and US trips with a few days in Cancún or Mexico City. Expect strong city coverage and long gaps in national parks and the Canadian north.

A three-country city route linked by short flights: Toronto with a day at Niagara Falls, four days in New York, then Mexico City with day trips to the pyramids of Teotihuacan and colonial Puebla.

Length

10 days

Bases

3

When to go Late September to early November is the best fit for all three: autumn colour and mild days in Toronto and New York, and the end of the rainy season in Mexico City, which is dry and sunny from November to April.

1. 01

   Day 1 Toronto

   Toronto: the CN Tower and the waterfront

   Go up the CN Tower for the view over Lake Ontario, then walk the Harbourfront and take the short ferry to the Toronto Islands for the skyline from Centre Island. In the evening, explore Kensington Market and Chinatown along Spadina Avenue.

   Signal Strong 4G and 5G on Rogers across downtown Toronto and on the island ferry.

2. 02

   Day 2 Toronto

   Niagara Falls day trip

   → GO Transit or coach from Toronto, about 2 hours each way.

   Take the GO train or a coach to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Ride the boat towards the Horseshoe Falls (a seasonal service, so check it is running), walk the Niagara Parkway to Table Rock, and visit the Journey Behind the Falls tunnels. In the afternoon, stop at Niagara-on-the-Lake for its old town before returning to Toronto.

   Signal Near the river your phone may pick up a US network from the New York side. Both are covered on this plan, so data continues either way.

3. 03

   Day 3 New York City

   Fly to New York: Lower Manhattan

   → Flight Toronto to New York, about 1.5 hours.

   Fly to New York, clearing US preclearance at Toronto Pearson before departure. In the afternoon, visit the 9/11 Memorial and the Oculus, walk down Wall Street to Battery Park, and cross the Brooklyn Bridge on foot at sunset for the view back over the Manhattan skyline.

   Signal Your phone switches from Rogers to Verizon or AT&T on landing. Strong 5G across Lower Manhattan.

4. 04

   Day 4 New York City

   New York: the Statue of Liberty and Midtown

   Take an early ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, booking timed tickets ahead. In the afternoon, visit Grand Central Terminal and the New York Public Library, then go up an observation deck such as the Top of the Rock before an evening in Times Square.

   Signal Full coverage on the harbour ferries and in Midtown; dense crowds can slow 5G in Times Square.

5. 05

   Day 5 New York City

   New York: the Met and Central Park

   Spend the morning at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, then walk south through Central Park past the Reservoir, Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge. In the late afternoon, explore the Upper West Side or visit the American Museum of Natural History.

   Signal Excellent in the park and the museums; some subway tunnels between stations still lack signal.

6. 06

   Day 6 New York City

   New York: the High Line and the Village

   Walk the High Line from Hudson Yards down to the Whitney Museum, with a stop at Chelsea Market. Continue through the West Village and Washington Square Park to SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown. Pack for Mexico City's altitude tonight: about 2,240 metres, with cool mornings.

   Signal Excellent across Manhattan, including the High Line and Chelsea Market.

7. 07

   Day 7 Mexico City

   Fly to Mexico City: the Centro Histórico

   → Flight New York to Mexico City, about 5 hours.

   Fly to Mexico City. In the afternoon, walk the Zócalo, visit the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Templo Mayor ruins of the Aztec capital, then see Diego Rivera's murals in the National Palace if it is open. In the evening, walk Madero Street to the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

   Signal Your phone switches to Movistar in Mexico; give it a few minutes after landing. Good 4G in the historic centre.

8. 08

   Day 8 Mexico City

   Chapultepec and the Anthropology Museum

   Spend the morning at the National Museum of Anthropology, with the Aztec Sun Stone and halls on Mexico's earlier civilisations. Walk through Chapultepec Park to Chapultepec Castle for the view down Paseo de la Reforma. In the evening, eat in the Roma or Condesa neighbourhoods.

   Signal Good across central Mexico City, though Movistar's indoor coverage can be weaker than the dominant network's. Keep the earthquake-alert setting on your phone switched on.

9. 09

   Day 9 Mexico City

   Teotihuacan

   → Bus from Terminal Norte or a tour, about 1 to 1.5 hours each way.

   Leave early for Teotihuacan, about an hour north-east, and walk the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun. Bring sun protection and water. In the afternoon, visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the way back, or Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul in Coyoacán if you have booked ahead.

   Signal Patchy at the archaeological site, especially away from the entrances; save your tickets and return bus details offline.

10. 10

    Day 10 Mexico City

    Puebla day trip

    → Coach from Mexico City TAPO terminal to Puebla, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

    Take a coach to Puebla, a UNESCO-listed colonial city. Visit the cathedral, the Rosary Chapel in the Church of Santo Domingo and the Talavera tile workshops, and try mole poblano for lunch. If time allows, continue to Cholula's Great Pyramid with its church on top. Return to Mexico City in the evening.

    Signal Good in central Puebla and Cholula; some gaps on the highway over the mountain pass between the two valleys.