Good travel SIM for Tahiti and Moorea in 2025

Tehaunui Shing Soi

If you are visiting the islands of Tahiti and Moorea, I can recommand Vodafone French Polynesia (PF) as a good mobile service provider.

vodafone travel sim 64 NZD prepaid

This is the SIM card I got for myself. My partner had a "10GB Internet only" SIM, just so we can both stay connected. It is always handy to have a local number when you travel so people can call you directly instead of using all the social messaging apps sometimes. I haven't tried the Airalo eSIM in Tahiti, it could work but roaming is expensive and rather than try to waste my time figuring out how things work or which network I'll have available, a real phone number or a SIM card with internet data gives you better certainty. You are paying to visit the island and have a good time after all, so why not rip the bandage. Forget the pain you have to pay from the 1800 XPF or 30 NZD, "10GB data" prepaid or upgrade and pay 3500 XPF or 64 NZD for "18/30mins + unlimited TXT + 20GB data" you have to pay in your bigger country or city. Prices are different because you are miles away from the rest of the world, the locals have to pay for pricey fibre optic cables connecting them to the world.

When you get your Vodafone Prepay Travel SIM, you'll need to show a form of ID at the store. The staff can help with setup, but if you prefer to do it yourself, follow the instructions in the brochure.

Once the SIM is in your device, you'll need to manually set the Access Point Name (APN). The APN you need depends on which SIM card you have:

If you have the Vodafone Prepay Travel SIM

  • APN: nomad

If you have the Vodafone Prepay 'internet only' SIM card

  • APN: internet

Steps to Manually Set the APN

  1. Go to your device's settings.
  2. Find the Cellular or Mobile Network settings.
  3. Look for Access Point Names or APN.
  4. Create a new APN.
  5. Enter either nomad or internet in the APN field.
  6. Save the new APN and make sure it's selected.

With the correct APN, your SIM should connect to the internet.

vodafone french-polynesia apn settings ios android

I have heard so many visitors from mainland France complaining about the prices. As a local who used to live there, I understand the frustration. But consider yourself lucky to be here and help the local economy if you can. Overtourist is not yet an issue in French Polynesia, and that is a good thing. And it is not cheap, all the dairy products, electronics, meat and else are imported from France, Europe, New Zealand and the USA. Sadly the government is barely trying to improve the sustainability and create more farming jobs for the locals to sustain themselves. I have heard stories during the 2020 pandemic and they ran out of rice and other things.