Five Reasons It can be a nightmare not to have data on holiday.

July 8, 2024 / 4 MINUTE READ

So, you thought you’d be clever and save a bit of dosh. “I’ll just use Wi-Fi on holiday,” you told yourself. “No need to fork out $20 daily for a travel plan.” After all, you’re not addicted to your phone. Definitely not! You’re pleased to wait until free Wi-Fi in a coffee shop or back in your lovely, calm, air-conditioned hotel room. Except … what happens when you’re out and about, exploring a new city?1. You can’t find anything (or anyone).

Lost in Translation (and Navigation): West? East? Never heard of them. We’ve become so reliant on asking Siri how to get anywhere that we’re lost (literally and figuratively) without our map apps.

• Paper Map Mayhem: The hand-drawn map on your napkin just got soaked. Should you turn left on the next street?
• Guesswork: Three hours away? The car in front of me may be heading to the same spot.
• Relationship Stress: I’m not sure we’ll still be married when we get there.

• Well, they made it to the airport … and then I’m not sure what happened.
• Did their phone die? Did it get stolen? I can’t see anything after they left the hotel.
• “Last seen three hours ago?” Well, they didn’t just vanish?

2. You can’t message with anyone. 

Communication Breakdown: If you don’t have data and are not connected to Wi-Fi, you might as well be using 1980s tin-can phones connected by a dirty piece of string.

• You can’t use  VoIP apps like WhatsApp, Line, Viber, etc.
• You won’t be able to keep up with group chats on Messenger or WhatsApp.
• Your iMessages won’t go through (even the hilarious ones).
• Messenger? DMs? Nope, don’t even think about it.

Language Barrier: Translation apps make it easy to know what’s happening around you in a country where you don’t speak the language. But apps require data, and you’re out of luck, pal. Good luck carrying around a thick guidebook with popular phrases and deciphering all the words around you.

• That restaurant menu? Might say ‘fries,’ might say ‘eels.’
• The sign with all the warnings? That seems important.Your Uber driver understands you even less than your ex.
• Time to play Train Roulette, and I hope you picked the right destination.

4. Standing in line is so incredibly dull.

Entertainment Void: You can make small talk with the people around you. But … ugh.

• Need more data? Sorry, you can’t scroll through social media.
• Seriously, TikTok is not going to load.
• Why is Instagram spinning like that? Right, no data.
• You can’t make witty observations on X(Twitter).
• Even going on Facebook would be better than nothing … but nope.

Planning Nightmare: We’re so used to having our phones do the heavy lifting when making plans. But when we’re stuck without data, we realise we can’t just buy tickets, check confirmation numbers, or make reservations in two seconds flat.

• Buy tickets online? Right, well … I just need to find some Wi-Fi.
• You emailed me my confirmation number. Uh …
• Change the dinner reservation to eight o’clock. How do I look up the restaurant’s phone number?
• Swap our tickets for later ones? Ah, let me just … find a phone book.

Who Needs Data on Holiday? Umm, Everyone!

So, if you’re looking to book a retro-inspired trip to the Dark Ages, plan not to use any data on holiday. You’ll get the whole experience! No maps, no apps, no messaging, no convenience, and zero fun times. Just lots of frustration, and sadness.

But if you’re a fan of living in 2024 and you’ve decided it makes sense to have data on holiday, we suggest installing an eSIM from our website, eDataSIM.

How to Get Data with eDataSIM:

Quick Setup:

• Get data in five minutes.
• Choose where you’ll be visiting (175+ countries available).
• Purchase a prepaid data package, eSIMs start at $ 4.50.
• Install the eSIM we provide.
• Activate your package for instant prepaid data on holiday.

With eDataSIM data, you can use all of your favourite apps anywhere you go.