Holafly Plans Review: The Best eSIM for Digital Nomads?

Looking for the best eSIM for digital nomads and full-time travellers? Holafly Plans is designed to keep you connected across 160+ destinations with one global eSIM, but after 11+ years of travelling, is it actually worth it? After a decade of digital nomad life and backpacking the globe, I'm going to give you the honest truth about how Holafly Plans genuinely perform and how they impact my business and travels.

After more than 11 years of travelling, I've learnt that there are certain things I simply don't want to think about when I'm on the road.

• Where I'm sleeping tonight? Usually important.
• Where I'm going to find good coffee? Extremely important.
• Whether my phone is going to have data when I land in a new country? I'd really rather not have to think about it.

If you're new here – hi, I'm Lucy! I've travelled solo through more than 60 countries, spent two years living in Australia and another year living in Germany, and spent plenty of time backpacking around Europe, Asia and Central America. I've also worked remotely while travelling, and these days I still spend more than half the year on back-to-back trips while working as a travel blogger, content creator and marketing consultant.

So, my phone isn't just my phone anymore. It's my map, my translator, my boarding pass, my office, my camera, my way of contacting home and, when I'm travelling solo, an important part of my safety net. My fellow solo female travellers will understand how much of a lifeline your phone becomes when travelling alone.

I've used Holafly for more than 8 years, long before this partnership, and it's become one of those bits of travel tech I don't really want to travel without. But Holafly has now introduced something slightly different: Holafly Plans. Rather than buying an eSIM for one particular holiday, Plans are designed for people who are constantly travelling, working remotely or living the digital nomad lifestyle. So, if you're wonder whether Holafly Plans actually worth it? Here's my honest take.

This post contains affiliate links and is a paid partnership with Holafly. I've genuinely used Holafly for years, before working with the brand, and this review is based on my own experience and what I think is most useful for frequent and long-term travellers.

Check out my Holafly Plans Review: Here's where you'll find:

1. What is Holafly Plans?
2. Who is Holafly Plans actually for?
3. My experience using Holafly as a frequent traveller
4. Holafly Plans vs a classic Holafly eSIM
5. Is Holafly Unlimited worth it for digital nomads?
6. Can I use WhatsApp with Holafly eSIM?
7. What is Holafly Always On?
8. Holafly Plans vs a UK mobile provider
9. How does Holafly Plans work?
10. Holafly Plans: the pros and cons
11. Is Holafly Plans worth it?

What is Holafly Plans?

Holafly Plans is a monthly global eSIM subscription designed for frequent travellers. Instead of buying a new eSIM every time you arrive in a different country, you have one eSIM that works across 160+ destinations, with the option of either 25GB of data or an Unlimited Plan. Plans can be billed monthly, quarterly or annually, depending on the option you choose.

And this is the bit I think makes it particularly interesting for digital nomads. You're not buying connectivity for just one trip, you're buying connectivity for a lifestyle where you're constantly moving between countries. For me, this was the part that has been a game-changer while working as a digital nomad and travelling to up to 20 destinations each year.

Holafly describes Plans as a global data plan for frequent travellers, with the ability to cancel or reactivate your subscription rather than being locked into a traditional long-term mobile contract. For someone who might spend January in Thailand, February in Australia and March travelling around Europe, that is a very different proposition from buying three separate travel SIMs.

You may also be interested to read my guide to the Best eSIM For Safe Solo Female Travel

Who is Holafly Plans actually for?

If you're still wondering whether Holafly Plans is the right choice for you, here's my guide to who can benefit from using them. If you are a:

• Digital nomad
• Full-time traveller
• Long-term traveller
• Backpacker
• Frequent international traveller
• Remote worker
• Business traveller
• Travel content creator
• Or, anyone who regularly crosses international borders

Trust me, if you're travelling for several months and moving between countries, having one global eSIM can save a lot of faff. As someone who has spent years backpacking before eSIMs became commonplace. I've had to find local SIM shops, work out which data package I need, deal with unfamiliar currencies and repeat the whole process every time I crossed a border. Often getting ripped off, wasting precious hours or struggling because of language barriers. These days, I'd much rather spend those first few hours in a new country actually exploring it.

My experience using Holafly as a frequent traveller

So, why am I sharing Holafly? I'm very selective about the brands I choose to champion and Holafly is a brand that I have been using organically for nearly a decade. I actually started using their eSIMs when I was living in Australia as a backpacker, before continuing on my travels across the globe.

Since then, I've lived in Germany, travelled across Europe, Asia, Central and North America using their eSIMs and more recently their Holafly Plans. That's important to me because when I recommend something on Absolutely Lucy, I want to know that I'd still be using it if there wasn't a sponsored post attached to it.

I've gone from full time backpacker, to digital nomad, to part-time traveller and business owner – and Holafly has been one of the few constants on this journey so I feel well qualified to talk about this brand and genuinely recommend it. I've also tested out many other eSIM companies during the last decade through my work as a travel creator and I still have yet to find another brand that offers me the same coverage and consistency across the globe.

Over the years, I've gone from travelling with a physical SIM and desperately hunting for Wi-Fi to essentially carrying a tiny office around in my pocket. For many years, I used individual eSIMs for each destination, which made life a lot easier as a solo female traveller so I would have connection as soon as I arrived in a destination. I had the privilege to be among the first to trial Holafly Plans before they even launched and I was an instant convert and have used them ever since.

This year already, I've travelled to 11 destinations on 3 continents – which has allowed me to work and be online as a travel creator and blogger, to work with tourism boards and global brands, to continue to run my marketing consultancy agency, to enjoy a holiday with my partner and to book our wedding in our dream destination. Interestingly, I also tested my Holafly Plans against another eSIM while on one trip and found that in remote areas where the other brand's eSIM didn't have coverage, my Plans were still able to connect me.

When I first started travelling, being disconnected could actually be part of the fun, but now staying connected is part of what enables me to live this lifestyle by running my business. Holafly Plans allows me to:

• Feel safe as a solo female traveller
• Navigate unfamiliar cities & check transport
• Translate and communicate with locals
• Contact or book accommodation
• Stay in touch with loved ones
• Join meetings and manage my clients
• Post on social media and run my travel blog
• Research for interviews & travel
• Access travel bookings
• Book a wedding!

Staying connected not only makes me feel safer and gives me independence as a solo traveller, but having access to unlimited data is what empowers me to run my business and work as a digital nomad.

You may like to check out my guides on How to Prepare for First Time Solo Travel and The Essential Toolkit for Digital Nomads

Holafly Plans vs a classic Holafly eSIM

If you're still feeling unsure which type of eSIM you should be using, this guide should help you decide:

Classic Holafly eSIMs

These are designed for individual trips if you are travelling to one destination or region, choose the plan you need and use it for a set period. They're ideal for holidays, short trips, one-country adventures, two- or three-week backpacking trips or travellers who only need an eSIM occasionally. I previously used these and also really rate them – they're a great way of keeping costs lower and still having connection for your trips.

Holafly Plans

Holafly Plans are designed for ongoing travel. You get one global eSIM covering 160+ destinations, with a monthly subscription and different data options. These are more suited  digital nomads, full time travellers or frequent travellers. If you're spending six months travelling through Europe, Asia and Australia while working online, I'd be looking much more closely at Holafly Plans.

What are Holafly's monthly data plans?

Holafly Plans currently has two main options: Light and Unlimited.

The Light Plan gives you 25GB of data per month. For a traveller who mainly uses their phone for Google Maps, WhatsApp, browsing, social media and general travel admin, that could be plenty. It's also a good option if you tend to have reliable Wi-Fi where you're staying.

If you're working remotely, creating content or simply use a lot of data, the Unlimited Plan is the one I'd be looking at. It includes unlimited data, hotspot functionality and global connectivity across 160+ destinations. For me, this is where the difference becomes particularly noticeable. I'm not just using my phone to check Instagram while I'm travelling. I'm uploading content, sending emails, managing social media, researching destinations, using maps, joining calls and sometimes connecting my laptop to my phone. When you're working from the road, data stops being a nice-to-have and becomes part of your office infrastructure.

Is Holafly Unlimited worth it for digital nomads?

For me, this is where Holafly Plans gets interesting. If you're a digital nomad, you're essentially taking your workplace with you. That might mean your laptop is sitting on a hostel balcony in Thailand one day and you're working from a café in Lisbon the next. You can't always rely on consistent Wi-Fi.

In the last few months alone, I've faced issues where I couldn't access Wi-Fi in hotels because I wasn't able to receive a text message to get online. This cost me hours of messing around trying to get it to work, but in the end what solved it was switching to my Holafly Plans. I've worked from many hotels with supposedly “excellent Wi-Fi” that turned out to be anything but, and I've sat in cafés where the connection disappeared halfway through uploading something.

I've had travel days where my phone has been my only reliable connection on long bus or train journeys. This year I travelled in business class on the Eurostar and was genuinely in shock to realise how bad their Wi-Fi connection is. I had planned to work the entire journey and luckily, thanks to my Holafly Plan, I could. Having unlimited mobile data means your phone can become your backup internet connection.

I'd consider Unlimited worth it if you:

• Work remotely
• Use video calls regularly
• Upload photos or video
• Hotspot your laptop
• Travel continuously
• Move between multiple countries
• Use large amounts of mobile data
• Need predictable connectivity
• Don't want to buy a new eSIM every time you cross a border

I'd probably choose Light if you:

• Use relatively little data
• Have good access to Wi-Fi
• Mainly use maps and messaging
• Don't upload much content
• Travel frequently but don't work online
• The important thing is not to pay for unlimited data just because it sounds impressive.
• Pay for the amount of connectivity you actually need.

Can I use WhatsApp with Holafly eSIM?

Yes and this is such a handy thing to know before committing to an eSIM or Plans! This is something many people misunderstand about travel eSIMs. You don't need a new WhatsApp account just because you're using a different data connection. You can keep your existing WhatsApp number when using a Holafly eSIM or Plan. A

s long as you don't activate a new number within WhatsApp, your existing WhatsApp account remains associated with your original number. This is super helpful for when you're trying to keep up with clients at home, while also arranging travel with tour companies, drivers, guides while on your travels.

What is Holafly Always On?

This is one of my favourite additions to Holafly Plans because it solves a very specific travel nightmare: running out of data when you actually need it.

Always On gives you 1GB of backup data every 30 days at no additional cost. It's designed as a safety net for those moments when your main plan isn't available or you've reached the end of your data allowance. This means when you've just landed, you're facing delays, you're trying to find your accommodation and need Google Maps or you simply want to let someone know you're okay – you can.

Always On can be used for things like maps, messaging, email and travel bookings, although hotspot/data sharing isn't available with the backup allowance. The 1GB allowance refreshes every 30 days and unused data doesn't roll over. One important detail: keep the eSIM installed if you want to retain access to Always On.

Holafly Plans vs a UK mobile provider

So, could you just use your normal UK SIM abroad? Yes, of course you can, but whether that's the best option depends entirely on your provider and your contract. Some UK mobile plans include roaming in certain destinations, while others charge additional fees. My UK provider is incredibly cheap, but the second I add EU roaming (which doesn't even cover me for other continents) it becomes very expensive, which is why it makes sense for me to use a separate eSIM plan.

For me, the attraction of a global eSIM isn't necessarily that it's always cheaper, it's the predictability. If I'm travelling through several countries (sometimes 10 in the space of two months), I don't want to arrive home to discover I've accidentally racked up a huge roaming bill, but I also don't want to have to research the roaming rules for every country I'm visiting. It also gives me the convenience and ease of knowing I can always stay connected, without actually needing to check I've remembered to renew my subscription. 

How does Holafly Plans work?

1. Check your phone: First, make sure your phone supports eSIM technology and is unlocked. This is important because an eSIM won't magically bypass a carrier lock.
2. Choose your plan: Choose between Light and Unlimited, depending on your data needs.
3. Choose your billing option: Holafly currently offers monthly, quarterly and annual billing options.
4. Install your eSIM: You'll receive instructions and a QR code/manual activation details to install the eSIM on your phone.
5. Connect when you travel: When you reach your destination, you can use the Holafly eSIM for mobile data.

When you arrive, enable data roaming for the eSIM when you reach your destination and want to use the plan. Just make sure you've correctly configured your phone's mobile-data settings so you don't accidentally use your primary UK SIM for roaming. If you have any problems, contact Holafly Support through the app, I've done this before when I had a problem with a SIM and they helped me right away.

Holafly Plans: the pros and cons

I always think it's important to share a balanced view of a product, because it won't be right for every traveller, but it genuinely could be a game-changer for so many full-time or frequent travellers.

The pros

• One eSIM for multiple countries – You don't need to keep buying and installing new eSIMs as you travel.
• Unlimited data option – Particularly useful for digital nomads and heavy data users.
• 160+ destinations – Useful if your travels take you across multiple continents.
• Hotspot available – Very useful when working remotely or when Wi-Fi isn't up to scratch.
• Always On backup data – A useful safety net when you need basic connectivity.
• Flexible subscription – You can choose the billing period that suits you and cancel rather than being locked into a traditional long-term mobile contract.

The things I'd consider

It's not necessarily the cheapest option for everyone and if you're taking one short holiday a year, a destination-specific eSIM may be better value. You will need a compatible, unlocked phone in order to use Holafly Plans (also for an eSIM).

Also, hot tip, the Holafly Plans subscription activates immediately after purchase so don't buy it too far in advance, you'll want to purchase right before your trip to maximise the value of it. And, as with any mobile service, coverage and performance can depend on the local networks available where you're travelling.

So, is Holafly Plans worth it?

For me, the answer is yes – if you're a digital nomad, frequent or full-time traveller who spends months each year moving between countries. This is an eSIM which is quote literally designed to fit your lifestyle and follow you around the world on your adventures.

After 11+ years of travel, I've become less interested in finding the absolute cheapest possible option and much more interested in finding things that make travelling easier. Particularly as a solo female traveller and solo entrepreneur running a busy marketing agency, Holafly Plans takes this piece of admin off my shoulders and gives me one less thing to remember. It helps me to optimise my travels and my business so that I can live my dream lifestyle, which is something I'll forever be happy to champion.

No arriving somewhere and immediately hunting for a SIM shop, no more worrying about roaming charges or comparing data packages. Now I can just connect, get on with my adventures and feel confident that I'll always be connected so I can work while I travel. If your lifestyle involves constantly moving between countries, working remotely or spending months at a time on the road, Holafly Plans is one of the travel-tech products I'd genuinely consider worth having.

Happy travels – and may your Wi-Fi always work when you need it.