How much eSIM data does a family need on holiday?

November 5, 2026

4 min read

Graba SIM Team

How much data does a family need on holiday?

A simple way to size each person's plan

Buying too little data means someone runs out halfway through the trip. Buying too much wastes money. The good news is that most families fall into a few simple patterns, and each person can have a different plan.

The short answer

As a rough guide, maps and messages use about 0.5 GB a day, social media and browsing about 1 GB a day, and video or video calls 2 GB a day or more. Multiply by the days away, add a little spare, and pick a plan for each person.

Why This Matters

Children and adults use their phones very differently on holiday. Sizing each plan on its own means the teenager who streams gets enough, and the parent who only checks maps doesn't pay for data they won't use.

Start with how each person uses their phone

Think about a normal day away. Who navigates? Who posts photos? Who watches videos in the evening? The answers tell you more than any average. Light users mostly use maps, messages and a little browsing. Regular users add social media and photos. Heavy users stream video, make video calls or play online games.

Turn it into a plan size

Multiply each person's daily use by the number of days, then add about 20% spare. For a week, that gives roughly 3 to 5 GB for a light user, 7 to 10 GB for a regular user and 15 GB or more for a heavy user.

Our data guide has a calculator if you want to be more exact.

Save data without trying

Download offline maps and films on hotel Wi-Fi. Turn off automatic app updates and photo backups while you are away. Set streaming apps to a lower quality on mobile data. These small changes often halve what a family uses.

Every Graba SIM eSIM supports hotspot, so one phone can share data with a tablet or another phone. That can be cheaper than a separate plan for a young child who only needs data now and then.

Rough data needs for a 7-day trip
Who	Typical use	Plan to look for
Light user	Maps and messages	3 to 5 GB
Regular user	Social media and photos	7 to 10 GB
Heavy user	Video and video calls	15 GB or more
Young child	Occasional games and videos	Share a parent's data

Video is the big one

An hour of video on mobile data can use 1 GB or more. If someone streams every evening, size their plan for it, or save films to watch offline before you leave.

Mixing plans for a week in Portugal

Dad navigates and messages, so he takes 5 GB. Mum posts photos every day, so she takes 10 GB. Their teenager streams music and video, so he takes 20 GB. The youngest uses Mum's hotspot for the odd game.

Sizing a plan per person

1 Daily use
2 Times days
3 Add 20%
4 Pick a plan

Daily use times days away, plus a little spare.

Does everyone need the same plan?

What if someone runs out?

Is a daily plan better for families?

Final Thoughts

Size each plan to the person, not the family average. Light users need less than you think, and heavy users more. Download what you can on Wi-Fi and share data where it makes sense.

Read next: the family travel eSIM guide, sharing data with tablets, the data calculator.

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