Before you buy
A month of travel: how much data you need and how to split it
On long trips the sums break down: the countries change, the usage changes and so does your discipline. How to estimate it, when to buy in stages, and what to watch.
Claudia Ferrán 7 min Photo by xx liu on Unsplash Working out a week's data is easy because the trip is uniform. Over a month it isn't: the countries change, the pace changes and, above all, the discipline changes, because nobody keeps up the habit of only uploading photos on wifi for thirty days straight.
The base sum
| How you travel | One month |
|---|---|
| Backpacking with wifi where you stay | 8 to 15 GB |
| Normal use with social media | 15 to 30 GB |
| Posting daily with video | 30 to 50 GB |
| Working along the way | 50 GB or more |
The ranges are wide on purpose: over a month, the gap between somebody disciplined and somebody who isn't multiplies by three.
Buying in stages, which usually works out better
On a long trip through several countries, buying a plan per stage or per country usually beats one enormous plan for everything, for two reasons.
- Because single-country plans use local networks and tend to give better coverage than a regional one in rural areas.
- Because a plan that expires mid-trip forces you to look at your usage, and that moment of looking is what stops you running dry on the last day.
The regional plan wins when your route crosses borders every two or three days and you don't want to be installing things.
The three moments that spike your usage
- The first week, when everything is new and you share twice as much.
- Travel days, with hours of waiting around and a lot of phone.
- The end, when it's time to upload everything and sort out the journey home.
Keeping an eye on it without obsessing
Your phone's data counter, checked once a week, is enough. If you're past half your plan halfway through the trip, it's time to adjust: lower the video quality, leave backups for wifi, and not much more.
The per-app figures, for knowing where to cut back, are in how much data you actually use on a trip.
Frequently asked questions
How much data do I need for a month of travel?
Between 8 and 15 GB if you sleep somewhere with wifi and use your phone lightly out and about, and between 15 and 30 with normal social media use.
One big plan or several by stages?
By stages usually works out better on multi-country routes, because local plans cover rural areas better and they make you check your usage along the way.
When is a regional plan worth it?
When you're crossing borders every two or three days and don't want to keep installing new plans.
How do I keep track of my usage?
With your phone's data counter, checked once a week. If you're past halfway at the midpoint of the trip, adjust your video quality and your backups.
What if I run short?
Depending on the plan, you top it up or install another without deleting the first. Checking whether it can be topped up before you buy is what saves you the problem.
