Holafly is a new start-up eSIM data plan company based in Dublin. I thought their service looked interesting, especially since many of their data plans are unlimited, include some talk time, and are affordable.
However, I’ve found that there can often be technical issues when using international eSIM data plans, so I wanted to do my own Holafly eSIM review to see how it compared to other eSIM data plans I’ve used in Europe.
Want to see how Holafly performed when we used it in Italy? Click here to go straight to the Holafly Real Performance section.
Use code THESAVVYBACKPACKER to get 5% off your order at Holafly.
How I Test Holafly eSIM and Why You Trust Me
For this Holafly test, I traveled to Italy for two weeks using Holafly’s 15-day unlimited data eSIM plan on my iPhone 14 Pro. This trip was split between Rome and Naples, but I often took day trips outside the city (Capri, Pompeii, trains between Rome and Naples, etc.).
During my last trip to Europe, I tested the Orange Holiday Europe data plan and the Bouygues Telecom Vacation prepaid data plan. I also tried T-Mobile’s international data plan (the carrier I use at home).
I’ve also written extensively about using data plans in Europe, so check out my savvy backpacker’s guide to using data plans in Europe and how to buy SIM cards and data plans in Europe.
Holafly plan options, pricing and country coverage
Now, let’s take a closer look at how Holafly works and what you want to know before purchasing their service.
Holafly’s Unlimited Data Plan Pricing
Holafly’s European and North American eSIM plans both offer unlimited data with customizable dates from 1 to 90 days (so you only pay for what you need).
Holafly’s daily pricing gets cheaper the longer you plan, so a 7-day plan costs about $4.27/day and a 21-day plan costs about $3/day. Browse the Holafly website for exact details on data package options for your destination.
Note: I’m always a bit skeptical of “unlimited” data plans because local providers may cap data if you start consuming too much data. If you stream a lot, for example Netflix, your data speeds may slow down. I’ve never experienced any data limitations, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Country/Region Options
Holafly offers eSIM data plans for over 200 destinations. Visit the Holafly website to see the full list of countries.
As mentioned earlier, I tested Italian eSIMs, but Holafly works in Turkey, UK, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Greece, Andorra, Portugal, Netherlands, Ireland, Serbia, Norway, Poland, Iceland, Austria, Croatia, Sweden, Bulgaria, Belgium, Macedonia, Malta, Denmark, Cyprus, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Finland, Monaco, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein.
What mobile networks does Holafly use?
Holafly is not a mobile service provider. That is, they do not own mobile towers. Holafly simply partners with local providers and essentially leases bandwidth from those larger companies. For example, in Italy I’m actually connected to the Wind Tre network (in France I’m connected to SFR, in the US it’s AT&T, in Germany it’s T-Mobile, etc.).
In most cases, you will get the same service and speeds as everyone else on the network, but some users report slightly slower speeds during periods of high network usage (this again depends on the network).
(Discontinued) European phone numbers with 60 minute call credit
Update: In June 2023, Holafly updated its European eSIM data plans to include European phone numbers with 60 minutes of calls to other European phones. However, it appears that this service will end in the summer of 2024.
Setting up, installing and activating the Holafly service
Update (March 2024): Apple’s iOS 17.4 update includes a great new automatic eSIM installation and activation feature, making it much easier to set up and manage your eSIM. Just follow the instructions on your phone and we’ll guide you through the process.
It is important not to activate your Holafly eSIM until you arrive at your destination.
That said, the process is a bit confusing since you can install an eSIM while you’re at home, but it’s easy to accidentally activate the service while you’re setting everything up.
When in doubt, install your Holyfly eSIM by the morning of your flight. This way, if you accidentally activate your plan too early, you won’t use up too much of your plan’s validity.
So, in this section, we will guide you through the process of installing eSIM and activating the service.
Install and activate Holafly eSIM
When you purchase a Holafly data package, you will receive an email with a QR code (if you cannot scan the QR code, you can also enter the code). Simply scan the QR code with your phone and it will guide you through the activation process.
Your phone will ask you to change a few settings and the service will be activated. You will automatically be connected to your local provider.
It was surprisingly simple.
Holafly eSIM real-world performance
I was skeptical about Holafly’s service before using it (especially since it offers “unlimited data”), but I’ve been very satisfied with its performance. Most of the time it used 5G speeds, but sometimes it used LTE/4G speeds. I didn’t notice any data limitations at all.
My Google Maps/Google Search worked perfectly, my iMessage had no issues sending photos and videos, all my social media posts delivered quickly, and my mobile data had no issues. I’ve never streamed large amounts of data using Holafly, so I can’t comment on how this might affect performance.
In short, my Holafly data worked very well for the entire two weeks of my trip to Italy.
Naturally I can’t comment on how Holafly works in other parts of the world, but I’m sure it will work similarly in Europe and other developed countries.
Is Holafly a good deal? And my final thoughts
I think Holafly is a great deal for travelers who want a cheap, hassle-free international data plan that offers great speeds and very fair prices. I seriously expected it to be slow or at least have some kind of issue, but everything worked very well.
And Holafly now includes European phone numbers in its European plans, making it even more impressive.
My 15 day service was $50.9. Basically, it costs $3.39 per day (there are plan options from 1 to 90 days). Most people’s domestic carriers charge more than $10 per day for international service, and data speeds are often still slow, so $3 per day is a very good deal.
Use code THESAVVYBACKPACKER to get 5% off your order at Holafly.
James Feess is the founder of The Savvy Backpacker and author of the book “The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide To Europe On A Budget”. He has been blogging about budget travel in Europe since 2010.
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Thanks for reading! — James
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