The Best eSIM for Travel in 2026: Our Honest Holafly Review (+ Discount Code)
You land, switch your phone off airplane mode, and there it is: the text from your network telling you roaming will cost you a few quid a day. Multiply that across a week-long trip, or a girls' holiday where everyone's sharing locations and posting stories, and it adds up fast.
We've tried the airport SIM kiosks, the "I'll just use hotel wifi" approach, and the eye-watering bill when you get home. These days there's one thing that's permanently on our pre-trip checklist: a Holafly eSIM. We've used it ourselves, we genuinely rate it, and you can save 5% with our discount code ‘CITYGIRL’ too.
Here's everything you need to know before you buy, including what it costs, how to set it up, and when it's not the right choice.
What is an eSIM (and why should you care)?
An eSIM is a digital SIM that's built into your phone. Instead of swapping a tiny plastic card in and out, you download a travel data plan by scanning a QR code. Your normal UK SIM stays exactly where it is.
That means:
No hunting for a SIM shop when you land
No losing your UK SIM in a hotel room in Lisbon
Your UK number keeps working for texts and calls (including those all-important bank security codes)
You're online the second you land, so you can order the Uber, find the hotel and message the group chat straight away
Why we rate Holafly
Unlimited data on most plans. This is the big one. Instead of picking a data allowance and nervously watching it tick down, you just pick your destination and how many days you're away. Maps, Instagram, TikTok, video calls home, all without doing maths.
You pay for the exact number of days. Going for 4 days? Buy 4 days. You're not forced into a 7-day block you won't use.
It's genuinely easy to set up. Buy online, scan the QR code at home, switch it on when you land. It takes about five minutes, and there's 24/7 support on WhatsApp and live chat if you get stuck.
It covers loads of destinations. 200+ Destinations, plus regional plans for Europe and a global plan if you're hopping between places.
How much does Holafly cost?
Prices depend on where you're going and how long for, so always check the checkout page for your exact trip. As a rough guide at the time of writing (September 2026):
Short European trips (3 days): £10, £3.33 a day (£9.50 with the CITYGIRL discount)
A week-long European holiday (7 days): £22, £3.14 a day (£20.90 with the CITYGIRL discount) - Tried, tested and loved during a Croatia trip
Longer trips (up to 30 days)
Europe, Asia, USA and Australia for a 31 day plan : £61, £1.97 a day (£57.95 with the CITYGIRL discount)
United Arab Emirates for a 20 day plan: £49, £2.45 a day (£49.55 with the CITYGIRL discount)
Canada for a 31 day plan: £81, £2.61 a day (£76.95 with the CITYGIRL discount) - Tried, tested and loved during our Canada trip!
Global plan (multiple countries): £38.95 for the Light Plan and £50.95 for the Unlimited Plan if both billed monthly (annual is cheaper). Our discount doesn’t apply to this option.
Travel a lot? Look at Holafly Plans
If you travel several times a year, Holafly also has monthly subscriptions that work across multiple countries, so you don't need to buy a new eSIM for every trip. There's a Light plan with a set monthly data allowance and an Unlimited plan, with a discount if you pay annually. Both keep a small amount of data running between trips in lots of destinations, so you're never fully offline.
Holafly vs the alternatives
Roaming with your UK network Easiest option, zero setup. But daily roaming charges add up quickly on anything longer than a weekend, and some networks cap how much data you can use abroad.
Airport or local SIM cards Can be cheap, but you'll queue on arrival, often need your passport to register, and you lose use of your UK SIM while it's swapped out.
Wifi only Free, but you're stuck the moment you leave the hotel or café. Not ideal when you're trying to find your way back from dinner at midnight.
Other eSIM brands (Airalo, Saily and others) Often cheaper if you only need a small amount of data, because you buy a set number of GB. If you mostly use maps and WhatsApp, these are worth comparing.
Holafly Best if you want unlimited data and zero faff. You pay a bit more for the peace of mind of not tracking your usage.
Is Holafly right for you?
It's a great fit if you:
Use your phone a lot on holiday (maps, socials, streaming, video calls)
Hate the idea of running out of data mid-trip
Are travelling solo and want to feel safe and connected at all times
Want something you can sort the night before you fly
It might not be for you if you:
Have an older or locked phone, so check your phone supports eSIM first (most iPhones from the XS onwards and most recent Samsung and Google phones do)
How to set it up in 5 minutes
Check your phone is eSIM compatible and unlocked
Buy your eSIM on Holafly's site, choosing your destination and number of days, and add code CITYGIRL for 5% off
Scan the QR code from your email while you're still at home on wifi (you can also do manual installation or there’s a one-button install for iOS 17.4 or above)
When you land, switch your Holafly eSIM on for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that eSIM only
Keep your UK SIM switched on for calls and texts, but turn off data roaming on it so you don't get charged
That's it. You're connected.
Our top tips
Install before you go. You need wifi to scan the QR code, so do it at home, not at the gate. That said, for those reading this already on holiday and slightly panicked, we very easily installed our Holafly eSIM whilst in Croatia and it worked perfectly.
Your plan starts when you connect abroad, not when you buy it, so you can sort it days or weeks ahead.
Screenshot the QR code in case you need to reinstall.
Going to multiple destinations? Pick a regional Europe plan or the global plan rather than buying separate eSIMs.
Double-check your UK SIM's data roaming is off once you land. This is the one mistake that still leads to surprise bills.
Our verdict
For anyone who wants to land, switch on and just be on holiday without thinking about data, Holafly is the easiest option we've found. It's not always the cheapest, but for us the peace of mind is worth it, especially on solo trips or busy girls' holidays where everyone's relying on their phones.
And with 5% off, it's a no-brainer to add to your packing list.
This article contains affiliate links.