When choosing an eSIM for a trip or long stay, the question that trips up most people is simple: how many GB should I actually buy? The short answer is that your data needs come down to one thing — “how you use your phone each day × how many days you’re away.” If you mostly use maps, messaging apps and search, plan for around 0.5GB a day. Add social media and the occasional video and you’re looking at 1–1.5GB a day. Stream long videos or tether other devices and roughly 3GB a day is a safer benchmark. Start with the quick-reference table below and find where your length of stay and usage style meet.
- Your data need is basically daily usage × number of days
- Rough guide: maps and messaging ~0.5GB, social and video 1–1.5GB, tethering ~3GB/day
- When in doubt, size up one tier; pick a validity window a little longer than your stay
- No phone number, no voice calls and no SMS verification — but app calls (WhatsApp, etc.) work over data
- Top up if you run short; for long or heavy use, an unlimited plan can be worth considering
Quick-reference table: data needed by length of stay
These are rough estimates based on “daily usage × number of days.” Real consumption shifts with the apps you use and how long you watch video, so when you’re unsure, choosing one tier up gives you peace of mind.
| Length of stay | Light (0.5GB/day) | Standard (~1.5GB/day) | Heavy (3GB/day+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 week (7 days) | ~3GB | ~10GB | ~20GB |
| 2 weeks (14 days) | ~7GB | ~20GB | Consider unlimited |
| 3 weeks (21 days) | ~10GB | ~30GB | Consider unlimited |
| 1 month (30 days) | ~15GB | ~45GB | Consider unlimited |
If you’re not sure which type you are, think about how much video you usually watch on your phone. If you often stream or make video calls when you’re out without Wi-Fi, you’re closer to “standard–heavy.” If you mostly rely on Wi-Fi at home or your accommodation and only need maps and a few messages while out, you’re closer to “light.” You can match specific plans and pricing to your length of stay and data needs on the eSIM comparison page.
Three factors that change how much data you need
Even for the same number of days, the right amount of data varies from person to person. Checking these three points before you buy helps you avoid over- or under-estimating.
1. How much Wi-Fi you can use
The more time you spend on Wi-Fi — at your accommodation, hotels, cafes and so on — the less data you’ll use on your eSIM. If you’re mostly on Wi-Fi, you may well need less than the table suggests.
2. How often you watch video or make video calls
Video streaming and video calls eat up the most data by far. If you watch a lot of video on the move, or have long video calls with family, it’s worth budgeting one tier higher.
3. Whether you’ll tether (share data with other devices)
Sharing your phone’s data with a laptop or tablet pushes consumption up quickly. If you plan to tether, lean toward a larger allowance — or an unlimited option. For the bigger picture across different connectivity options at home and abroad, see our guide comparing connectivity options for travel and everyday use.
Daily data use, by usage style
Once you can picture “how many GB I use in a day,” choosing the right size gets much easier. These are general estimates only and will vary with your network and video quality settings.
| Usage style | Typical activities | Daily estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Messaging, maps, search, email | ~0.3–0.5GB |
| Standard | The above + social media, occasional video | ~1–1.5GB |
| Heavy | Video streaming, video calls, tethering | ~3GB+ |
For example, if you’re away for a week and only use messaging and maps when out, around 3GB is often enough. If you’re away for two weeks and use a fair amount of social media and video, budgeting around 20GB gives you a comfortable margin.
Bloomy plans and how to choose the right size
Bloomy offers data-only eSIMs you can use during your stay. Here are some representative sizes and validity periods (pricing and details can change, so please confirm the latest on the comparison page at the time of purchase).
| Data | Validity | Best for (guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 1GB | 7 days | A few days of very light use, or a backup |
| 3GB | 30 days | Short stays, light use with mostly Wi-Fi |
| 10GB | 30 days | Standard use over 1–2 weeks |
| 20GB | 30 days | Standard use over 2 weeks to a month |
| 50GB | 30 days | A full month, or heavier use |
The trick to choosing is simple: pick the size closest to the estimate from the quick-reference table, and when in doubt, go one tier up. Validity matters too — a plan whose validity runs a little longer than your stay gives you breathing room around your arrival and departure dates. Before you start using it, it’s also worth confirming that your device supports eSIM on the eSIM-compatible devices page.
Things to know about data-only eSIMs (numbers and SMS verification)
Just as important as the data size is this: Bloomy is a data-only service. It does not include a phone number, and it does not support sending or receiving SMS (text messages) or voice calls. Overlooking this can cause headaches, so it’s worth sorting out up front.
- No phone number is included. You can’t make or receive calls on a regular mobile number.
- You can’t receive SMS verification. If you need SMS one-time codes from banks, government services or other accounts, you’ll need a separate method.
- App calls and messages such as WhatsApp may work as long as you have a working data connection.
If you expect to need SMS verification or a phone number during your stay, it’s wise to also consider keeping a number-enabled plan or a SIM with a number alongside your eSIM. Our guide to phone numbers and SMS covers the details. Thinking of it as “data from the eSIM, number from a separate source” makes the decision much clearer.
Heavy use or a long stay? Unlimited can be an option
If you’d rather not keep an eye on your data, or you expect heavy use including tethering, an unlimited-type plan may be worth considering. Keep in mind, though, that unlimited plans commonly may reduce speeds after a certain amount of usage, and often come with a fair-use policy and tethering conditions. “Unlimited” doesn’t mean “no conditions of any kind” — it’s worth understanding that before you buy.
You can see how the premium unlimited tier is positioned, along with its conditions, on the Bloomy Unlimited Max page. That said, for many trips a fixed-data plan matched to your usage tends to be easier on the budget and perfectly sufficient. Whether a fixed-data plan or unlimited suits you better comes down to your length of stay and how you use your phone.
If you run low on data or can’t connect
If you end up using more than you expected, there’s no need to panic. With Bloomy you can top up by adding data to the same eSIM. If you’re worried about running low, it helps to learn how to add data before you start using it (you can read about adding data and automatic top-ups in our guide to data top-ups and auto-charge).
If you feel you “can’t connect,” start by toggling airplane mode on and off, checking your mobile data and data roaming settings, and confirming your network selection. In most cases, reviewing your settings resolves it. Note that actual connection quality varies with the local network, your device and your location. For any finer questions before or after purchase, compare plans by length of stay and data size on the comparison page as you prepare.
