How much data do I need for travel?
5 min read
Most travellers use 0.15–1 GB per day. Light use (maps, messages, email) is about 150 MB a day; everyday use with social apps and photos is around 400 MB; heavy use with video calls, streaming or hotspot is 1 GB or more. For a 7-day trip that's roughly 1 GB, 3 GB or 7 GB.
| Trip length | Light (0.15 GB/day) | Everyday (0.4 GB/day) | Heavy (1 GB/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 0.5 GB | 1.2 GB | 3 GB |
| 7 days | 1 GB | 3 GB | 7 GB |
| 14 days | 2 GB | 6 GB | 14 GB |
| 30 days | 5 GB | 12 GB | 30 GB |
What uses the most data
- Video streaming: 1–3 GB per hour in HD.
- Video calls: around 0.5–1 GB per hour.
- Hotspotting a laptop: updates and cloud sync can burn gigabytes quietly.
- Social feeds with autoplay video: several hundred MB per hour.
- Maps and messaging: very little — a few MB per hour.
Use the calculator
The calculator on our home page takes your trip length and usage style and suggests a matching plan. Add about 20% headroom — running out abroad is more annoying than a slightly bigger bundle.
For maps, messaging and email, yes. Add social media and photos and you'll want around 3 GB.
For everyday use, roughly — 6 GB is safer. Heavy users should look at 10–20 GB.
Turn off autoplay, download maps and playlists on Wi-Fi, and disable automatic app and photo backups on mobile data.