Planning a trip overseas? No big shocker — how much data you burn through will depend on what you do and how long you're abroad.

We launched Simsurf's travel data calculator as a quick way to find out the size of the plan that would be the best fit for your trip duration and "surfing style".

Our calculator will guide you towards the type of plan size you should look for in our comparison results. We then leave it up to you if you prefer a bigger plan than recommended (i.e., more peace of mind), or a smaller one (i.e., keeping in mind it's super easy to buy a new eSIM plan mid-trip if you need it)...

In this post, we describe the three surfing styles we use in our calculator in more detail, give you tips about how to consume less mobile data, and share all the nerdy information about how much mobile data different apps and usages will consume.

What's your data surfing style?

In our travel data calculator, we define three broad "data surfing styles" :

• The Tide Watcher: You use 0.3 GB or less /day.
• The Shoreline Stroller: You use around 0.7 GB /day.
• The Streaming Surfer: You use 3 GB or more /day.

You will only be a Tide Watcher if you only use your phone for sending messages and emails, using a navigation app on your phone to find directions, and browsing the web for restaurant reviews.

As soon as you're planning on watching videos on your phone (whether it's Reels on Instagram or Tiktok, video calls with Facetime or Zoom, or streaming services like Netflix), you'll automatically be upgraded to a Shoreline Stroller.

If you use those data-hungry apps for more than 30 minutes a day, then you become a Streaming Surfer.

Below is a table that summarizes the recommendations from our travel calculator tool, as well as more detailed description of what each surfing style entails.

The Tide Watcher

You're someone who uses mobile data only when necessary. Whether it’s checking directions, translating a menu, or sending a quick message, a small plan is more than enough. You always rely on public Wi-Fi for heavier tasks like media streaming.

Plans recommended by our calculator for light daily usage category are perfect for:

• Sending messages and emails
• Checking directions on maps
• Light internet browsing

The Shoreline Stroller

You're an everyday internet user who likes to stay connected, share photos, scroll through your feed, and maybe enjoy a few videos. This plan size is well-suited for travelers who want to enjoy their trip without having to count every MB. You will still use Wi-Fi at your hotel or in restaurants for backups and large downloads.

Plans recommended by our calculator for moderate daily usage category are perfect for:

• Sharing travel stories on social media
• Making occasional video calls
• Streaming short videos and staying in touch

The Streaming Surfer

You’re always connected — whether it’s for remote work, streaming your favorite shows, uploading content, or keeping in touch with family. An unlimited plan ensures you can use your phone freely without worrying about limits or extra charges. It’s the ideal choice for travelers who rely heavily on their data every day.

Plans recommended by our calculator for heavy daily usage category are perfect for:

• Watching YouTube or Netflix
• Scrolling social networks for hours
• Working from anywhere
• Video conferencing
• Uploading large files and using cloud services

Tips to save mobile data

If you're on an unlimited plan at home, you might not be aware of how much data your using and what activities are responsible for most of your data consumption.

Unless you go for an unlimited eSIM plan for your trip abroad, you will want to take a few steps to ensure you don't run out of data before the end of your trip:

1. Turn on "low data mode" (iOS) or "data saver mode" (Android) on your phone, this can save up to 50% to 70% of your data usage and you'll barely notice the effect.
2. Download content ahead of time, whether it's music you like, videos on YouTube (💡 get yourself a premium trial for the duration of your trip) or films on Netflix, or even download the Google Maps offline map of your destination before your trip.
3. Connect to a WiFi whenever you can, and wait to be connected before data-heavy activities like streaming videos, data back-up, conference calls or app downloads.
4. Pick which app can use mobile data, so that you stay in control of where you spend your eSIM plan data on. This can be great to help you enjoy your trip instead of checking your socials while on the go.

The power of "Low Data / Data Saver" mode

In your phone settings (on both iOS and Android phones), you can turn on "low data mode" or "data saver mode", which can help you save a lot of mobile data during your trip.

In low data mode, compatible apps like YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, FaceTime, Instagram and more, will use up to 70% less data. They achieve this by loading thumbnails instead of full images, or reducing stream quality.

This mode also prevent app you're not currently using from refreshing in the background, stop automatic downloads and updates and pause iCloud backups or Photos sync.