The most common question before a trip: “How many GB should I book?” The honest answer: it depends on what you do while you're away — and whether you have Wi-Fi at the hotel. The good news: with a few rough values you can estimate your needs pretty accurately in under a minute.
How much each activity eats (per hour)
Not every app is equally hungry. Text messages and navigation are almost free — video is the big data hog. These rough values help you gauge your usage:
| Activity | Usage per hour | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp / iMessage (text) | < 5 MB | practically nothing |
| Maps & navigation (Google Maps) | ~5 MB | very light |
| Scrolling social media (Instagram, TikTok) | 150–500 MB | the secret data hog |
| Music streaming (Spotify) | ~70–150 MB | moderate |
| Video call (WhatsApp, FaceTime) | 200–400 MB | high |
| Video streaming SD (YouTube, Netflix) | ~0.3–0.7 GB | high |
| Video streaming HD/4K | 1.5–7 GB | data killer |
How much data for which traveller type?
Honestly assign yourself to one of the four types — the recommendation applies per week of travel:
| User type | Typical behaviour | Recommendation / week |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Maps, messaging, sending the odd photo | 1–2 GB |
| Normal | Navigation, social media, sharing photos, some music | 3–5 GB |
| Heavy user | Constant social media, video calls, streaming on the go | 8–15 GB |
| Wi-Fi replacement / remote work | Hotspot for the laptop, cloud, video calls | Unlimited |
5 tricks to make your allowance last longer
Frequently asked questions about data usage
Is 5 GB enough for a two-week holiday?
For most people, yes — as long as you use Wi-Fi at the hotel/holiday apartment and spend your mobile data mainly on navigation, messaging and social media. 5 GB roughly equals two weeks of normal use, provided you avoid HD streaming while out and about. Anyone who streams constantly without Wi-Fi or uses the phone as a hotspot should rather go for 10 GB+ or an unlimited plan.
What eats up the most data on holiday?
Video — by far. One hour of HD streaming can use more than a whole week of navigation and messaging combined. Next come social media feeds (Instagram/TikTok auto-play videos) and video calls. Text messengers and maps, by contrast, are almost negligible.
Does hotel Wi-Fi count against my eSIM allowance?
No. Anything that runs over Wi-Fi doesn't touch your eSIM data allowance — only mobile data counts. That's why the most important saving tip is: put big downloads, backups and binge-streaming on the hotel Wi-Fi and spare your eSIM for when you're out.
What about “unlimited” plans?
Handy if you use the phone as a hotspot or Wi-Fi replacement — but “unlimited” rarely means truly unlimited. Almost all providers throttle the speed once you hit a daily fair-use limit. What that means in practice is explained in the unlimited fair-use guide.
Can I top up data if I'm running low?
With most providers, yes — either via a top-up in the app or by buying a second package. Even so, it's cheaper to pick the right allowance from the start than to top up at a premium. Use our data calculator for a concrete recommendation.
