Planning a vacation includes choosing the right data package. Unlimited plans may sound tempting, but they often come with reduced speeds after exceeding a certain limit or high prices. By selecting a specific amount of data, you ensure consistent speed without overpaying. This way, you can effectively plan your budget and avoid unpleasant surprises on your bill.
eSIM
With an eSIM, you can use a digital version of a SIM card instead of a plastic one. This is handy when getting a SIM card online for the country you're traveling to.
Major eSIM service providers include Airalo, Holafly, Yesim, and other companies.
Frequently Asked Questions about eSIM:
What are the most affordable and best phones with eSIM?
Compare all eSIMs
Compare eSIMs from the best providers for all countries.
Typical Data Usage of Popular Apps
Understanding how much data your favorite apps use helps you plan better. Here's a quick overview:
- Social Media:
- Browsing Instagram: 120–150 MB/hour
- TikTok: 840 MB/hour
- Browsing Facebook: 80 MB/hour
- WhatsApp chatting: 30 MB/hour; video calls: 350 MB/hour
- Navigation:
- Google Maps navigation: 5–20 MB/hour
- Entertainment:
- YouTube (480p): 300 MB/hour
- Spotify (normal quality): 40 MB/hour
Daily Data Estimates for Light, Normal, and Heavy Users
Light User (per day)
- Activities: Basic navigation, messaging, occasional browsing
- Estimated Usage:
- Google Maps: 30 min → ~2.5–10 MB
- Messaging: 1 hour → ~30 MB
- Web browsing: 1 hour → ~60 MB
- Total: Approximately 100 MB/day
Normal User (per day)
- Activities: Regular social media, music streaming, navigation
- Estimated Usage:
- Social media: 2 hours → ~300 MB
- Spotify: 1 hour → ~40 MB
- Google Maps: 1 hour → ~5–20 MB
- Total: Approximately 360 MB/day
Heavy User (per day)
- Activities: Video streaming, constant social media, uploading
- Estimated Usage:
- Video streaming: 2 hours → ~1.2 GB
- Uploading to social media: 1 hour → ~200 MB
- Live streaming: 1 hour → ~1 GB
- Google Maps: 2 hours → ~10–40 MB
- Total: Approximately 2.4 GB/day
Estimating Data Needs for 7 and 14 Days
- Light User:
- Normal User:
- Heavy User:
Tips to Save Data While Traveling
- Download offline maps: Save areas in Google Maps for use without data.
- Limit background data: Turn off background app updates for unnecessary apps.
- Adjust streaming quality: Set lower quality for videos and music.
- Use Wi-Fi whenever possible: Connect to secure Wi-Fi for data-heavy tasks.
- Turn off automatic video playback: Prevent social media apps from auto-playing videos.
How to Download Offline Maps in Google Maps
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap on your profile in the top right corner.
- Select the offline maps option.
Check Your Current Data Usage
Knowing your usual data consumption helps in planning.
On iOS:
- Go to Settings → Cellular.
- Scroll down to see data usage by apps.
On Android:
- Go to Settings → Network & Internet → Data Usage.
- View statistics and data usage by apps.
Compare eSIM Data Packages
Ready to pick the best data package for your vacation? In our comparison tool, you'll find thousands of packages that you can filter by any data size or duration.
