How Much Data Do You Need for a 2-Week Holiday?

Choosing too little data means topping up mid-holiday (annoying). Choosing too much means wasting money. Getting it right comes down to understanding how much data different activities actually consume -- and being honest about your phone habits.

How much data common activities use

• Google Maps navigation (active): approximately 5-10 MB per hour
• WhatsApp messages and photos: 1-5 MB per day for typical messaging
• WhatsApp voice call: approximately 1 MB per minute
• WhatsApp video call: approximately 5 MB per minute
• Instagram scrolling (30 minutes): 100-150 MB
• Spotify streaming (1 hour, normal quality): 60-80 MB
• YouTube watching (1 hour, 720p): 700 MB to 1 GB
• Email (no large attachments): 5-10 MB per day

Data recommendations by travel style

• Light user (navigation, messaging only, use hotel Wi-Fi for everything else): 3-5 GB for two weeks
• Moderate user (navigation, messaging, social media, occasional video calls): 8-12 GB for two weeks
• Heavy user (regular social media posting, video streaming, remote work): 15-25 GB for two weeks
• Remote worker or content creator: Consider an unlimited plan for peace of mind

What eats data faster than people expect

The biggest data surprise for most travellers is video. Watching one hour of Netflix at standard definition uses about 1 GB. A 30-minute FaceTime video call uses about 700 MB. If you plan to stream or video call regularly, you will burn through a 10 GB plan faster than you think. Save streaming for hotel Wi-Fi.

Tips to make your data go further

• Download maps offline before you arrive at each new city -- zero data needed for navigation
• Set all streaming apps to Wi-Fi only in their settings
• Check your data usage in phone Settings each morning to track consumption
• Turn off background app refresh for apps you are not actively using
• Reduce Instagram and TikTok to 'lower data use' mode in their settings

Our recommendation for most two-week trips

For the average UK traveller on a two-week city break or beach holiday, 10-15 GB is the sweet spot. It is enough for daily navigation, social media, and video calls, with some room to spare. If you are travelling to a beach destination with good hotel Wi-Fi, 8 GB may be sufficient. For city breaks with heavy sightseeing and no reliable Wi-Fi, go for 15 GB.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I run out of data mid-trip? You can top up your LimitFlex eSIM at any time. Your phone will also show a warning when you are running low, so you will have time to top up before you hit zero.