Gone are the days of fiddling with SIM cards when travelling overseas. The growth in popularity and compatibility of eSIM technology saw to that. But another major change is the rise of travel SIMs not tied to a single location, made for country-hopping travellers.
One of the latest examples of this trend is the new unlimited data plan from Holafly, an Irish company that specialises in selling travel eSIMs. Instead of choosing a specific location or region, Holafly’s newly launched plan is designed to operate seamlessly between countries, with no limits on downloads.
It works on a monthly basis, charging users US$64.90 (approximately AU$100) for unlimited data across more than 160 destinations. A phone number comes included for receiving text messages, but the plan doesn’t support calls. However, the included data enables internet-based calling via apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, and FaceTime.
As a cheaper alternative, Holafly also sells a ‘Light’ (US$49.90) plan, which limits the monthly data to 25GB. An interesting addition is the free ‘Always On’ tier, which includes 1GB per month, albeit valid in fewer countries (Holafly advertises “70+ countries”).
Other travel SIM providers also have variations of unlimited global data, including the Australian-based Simify. Simify sells unlimited data eSIMs that work across 111 countries, but not in the same monthly format as Holafly.
For example, the Australian company sells its plans in set increments from seven days, all the way up to 90 days. In a reasonably 1:1 comparison, a 30-day Simify global eSIM costs $129 at full price, charged in Australian dollars. Holafly’s product is currently cheaper, although its website references a “special launch price”. That suggests it’ll likely increase sometime in the future.
Seeing more of these plans pop up means travellers have more choice, and fewer barriers to staying connected on longer multi-country trips.
