When you travel, one of the biggest concerns is how much data you’ll need. Traveling is exciting, giving you a break from your daily routine, but it also comes with several challenges. Being unable to contact family or use crucial apps like Google Maps or a Translator can be tough.
In this article, we’ll tackle your concerns about data usage while traveling and show you how to estimate and save data effectively.
Image by Vecteezy
Understand Your Travel Data Needs
When you travel abroad to a foreign city, your phone will always be your best ally. Think of this, you are lost in the middle of Paris (it is well known that its streets are like a maze) and you need to get back to your hotel because your friends are waiting to go to dinner. Or you want to go to some sightseeing sites but you don’t know how to get there or what places to visit. What would you do? The answer is simple: use your mobile.
Image by Vecteezy
Some apps are essential for travelers like Google Maps, and Google Translate, video calls with the family, restaurant finders, and music or video streaming services. But, without knowing how much data these apps consume, you might run out of data before your trip ends. That’s not cool!
How Much Data Do I Need?
To help you avoid running out of data during your trip, we’ve created a table showing the data usage per hour for some of the most common activities.
| Activity | Data Usage per Hour |
|---|---|
| Streaming movies in 4K (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, YouTube, etc.) | 8,000 MB/h |
| Streaming movies in High Definition | 2,000 MB/h |
| Streaming movies in SD Definition | 500 MB/h |
| Streaming music (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, etc.) | 55 MB/h |
| Social media (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, etc.) | 90 MB/h |
| Multiplayer gaming (Steam, Origin, UPlay, Rockstar Club, etc.) | 200 MB/h |
| Video Calling (SD) (Skype, Zoom, Teams, Whereby, etc.) | 90 MB/h |
| Web browsing | 185 MB/h |
| Navigation Apps | 10 MB/h |
This is a standard data calculation, but if you want to know your real data usage, there are several options available. For example, My Data Manager has a user-friendly interface and supports multiple languages. Or, you can use a data usage calculator to help you estimate your entire household’s Internet data usage.
Factors Influencing Data Consumption
- Duration of Stay: Data consumption varies depending on the number of days you will be staying in a place. Keep this aspect in mind when purchasing your eSIM.
- Type of Activities: The activities you engage in during your stay also influence data consumption. If you prefer to stay in the hotel watching Netflix, your data consumption will be higher than if you decide to explore the city streets with the help of Google Maps.
- Device Usage: How you use your device also affects consumption. For example, uploading photos to Instagram during the trip or making video calls with family is essential, but excessive use can quickly deplete your data.
Tips for Saving Data
- Download Content in Advance: Plan and organize your travel itinerary, including places to visit, accommodations, transportation, and restaurants, by downloading content before your trip.
- Use Offline Maps: Download and save maps offline before your trip to save data.
- Adjust App Settings: Check which apps are consuming the most data and adjust their settings to reduce usage.
- Monitor Data Usage: Keep an eye on your data usage by using a monitoring app for convenience.
Use Less Data When Traveling With an eSIM Card
Traveling with an eSIM card offers comfort and cost savings, making it a safe bet for any traveler. Precisely, Yoho Mobile, a leading global eSIM provider, offers multiple benefits to stay connected without worrying about data limits or roaming costs. Whether you’re on a 7, 15, or 30-day trip, Yoho Mobile offers a range of cheap data plans from 1 GB to unlimited data plans. This means you can use Google Maps, Google Translate, Instagram, or even stream movies without a hitch. Other key benefits of using Yoho Mobile include:
- Digital Convenience: With digital eSIMs, you don’t have to hassle with swapping physical SIM cards when you travel.
- Instant Access: Purchase eSIMs for local, regional, or global coverage from anywhere, at any time. Get your eSIM delivered to your email within minutes.
- Easy Connection: Activate your eSIM effortlessly by scanning a QR code. Stay connected instantly with the best local network available.
- Save on Roaming: Say goodbye to expensive roaming fees. With eSIMs, you no longer need to waste money on pricey roaming data.
Keep in mind the tips provided in this article to save data and money while traveling!
FAQs
How many GB of data do I need for travel?
For most trips, 3GB or 5GB of data will be enough to cover common internet usage. However, the data usage depends on other activities like duration of stay, type of activities, and device usage.
How many GB of data do I need to stream a movie?
It is about 8 GB/h if you stream movies in 4K (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, YouTube, etc.), 2 GB/h in HD, and 0.5 GB/h in SD.
How long does 10 GB of data last?
A 10GB data plan will allow you to browse the internet for around 120 hours, stream 2,000 songs, or watch 20 hours of standard-definition video.
How much is 100 MB of data for travel?
With 100 MB of data, you can send and receive 100 emails, including attachments. Browse the web for approximately four hours without downloading pictures and videos. Use Waze or Google Maps for one hour of navigation. Enjoy streaming music for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Is 50 GB of data a lot?
50 GB is a lot of data when it comes to most internet activities. Using up to 50 GB is a difficult task without engaging in some data-heavy tasks. If all you are doing is browsing websites, you would have to browse for about 83 hours per day to use all 50 GB in a month.
Is 60 GB of data enough for a month?
A 60GB SIM plan is one of the most common options for most people since it has a sufficient amount of data to last a month.
Does hotspotting use more data?
Generally, yes. While the exact hotspot use data rate will vary from device to device and location to location, hotspot data usage is directly related to whatever a connected device does. However, a hotspot does not use more data than doing the same thing on normal mobile data.
Why is my data usage so high?
Streaming movies, music, and games is one of the main causes of high data usage on your smartphone, alongside downloading and uploading files and updating apps. Another big contributor is video calling on apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Zoom.