Holafly eSIM Review (UPDATED After Testing in 11 Countries) | Best Travel eSIM or Not?
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- 📲 Grab special discount on Holafly eSIMs ➡️ bit.ly/4aRE01N
Click "show more" to see links mentioned in this video and ad disclosure 👇
In this Holafly review, I share my thoughts after testing in 11 countries across 5 continents.
Here are some links I mentioned in this Holafly eSIM review 👇
Check if your phone is compatible with Holafly: bit.ly/4bN0rqb
Holafly setup guide for iOS / Android: bit.ly/3ySt0Uu
Is this the best eSIM for travelers? I'll let you decide based on the takeaways in this Holafly SIM card review.
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🔴 H E L P F U L V I D E O S 😎 :
▶ BEST International eSIMs Compared (5 Continents, 21 Months): • BEST 2024 Internationa...
▶ 15 Travel Apps That SMART Travelers Are Now Using: • 15 Travel Apps That SM...
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🟠 C O O L S T U F F :
▶ My favorite credit cards for free flights & travel perks: bit.ly/3Wds0U0
▶ 100+ ways to make money traveling (free download): bit.ly/2Qku25X
▶ How to become a digital nomad for beginners (complete blueprint): bit.ly/3fkkgLa
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🟢 T O P R E C O M M E N D A T I O N S :
→ Newsletter that sends out crazy cheap flight deals:: bit.ly/40R1SyM
→ Everything you need to plan your trip: bit.ly/2QsWmCz
→ Get free accommodation around the world: bit.ly/3jXCjeL
→ Cheap travel insurance (that saved me $15k in medical expenses): bit.ly/3xlZiU2
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🔴 C H A P T E R S:
0:00 Holafly eSIM tests
0:57 How to get data on your phone while traveling
2:08 Watch BEFORE buying an Holafly eSIM
3:50 How to set up Holafly eSIMs
5:57 Holafly review - my honest thoughts
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🟣 A L I T T L E A B O U T U S
Heyo! Mitch and Day here 👋🏼
We’re just your typical American-Colombian couple determined to live every second of our precious time here on earth to the fullest. After a 10-month solo backpacking trip through South America, I (Mitch) stopped in Cali, Colombia to take salsa dancing classes 💃🏻. I only planned to stay for a couple weeks, but God had other plans for me. I met a cute Colombian girl (Day) in class, those couple weeks turned into a couple years, and before we knew it...we were married 👰🏻🤵🏼
Now we’re traveling the world full time as digital nomads, supporting ourselves by working online 👨💻👩💻
Our goal with these videos is to inspire you to step outside your comfort zone, give you an inside peek at our crazy imperfect lives, and show you that you don’t have to be rich to live an extraordinary life...all you need to do is make the choice!
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Advertiser Disclosure:
This video may contain links through which we are compensated when you click on or are approved for offers. The information in this video was not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Offers are current only as the time of the video publishing date and may have changed by the time you watch it.
Project Untethered is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as Milevalue.com and Dailydrop.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial advisor. Project Untethered does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.
Grab an extra discount on Holafly eSIMs here: bit.ly/4aRE01N
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Can you test yesim or other esim with free internet sharing.
I had yesim without calls and i needed to call hotel security guy..
I was needed internet sharing to my pc so no holafly
Good news is that Holafly is rolling out data sharing in many countries :) Also I recommend just loading up a few Skype credits if you ever need to make an odd phone call using a local number!
I like to load up a couple dollars of skype credit just in case of emergency if I need to make a local phone call every so often.
I used the Airalo when I went to South Africa earlier this year & it was pretty good. I could share data with my daughter for her tablet while on the road. I look forward to using an eSIM that will one day allow making calls. Thank you for all the helpful travel tips.
Just found your content a couple of days and finding it all cheerful and approachable. Thanks, buddy. I'm planning for a 3 week trip in South America but need to stay connected to the office in the UK so learning avidly about e-sims. I'm learning useful stuff, so grateful. I'm finding it very helpful. AP
That sounds like an awesome trip! Which parts of South America will you visit? Yeah definitely look into an eSIM if you value convenience. Also make sure to turn on wifi calling to your home line like I mentioned in the video so you can keep receiving texts/calls to that line while you're abroad (and keep that line activated with data roaming off while you're traveling). Hope this helps!
@@ProjectUntethered Ha! The man himself! I'll be in Chile, and as to your tips, I've made a note to rewatch a couple of days before flying out. ✈ 🙏🌟
Sounds like a fun trip - if you get a chance to make it down to Patagonia....totally worth it!
Thanks as always Mitch for your honest opinion of Holafly. As I'm not a heavy data user it doesn't make sense for me at this point but I will certainly give it a go if and when I'm in a situation that requires heavy data usage. For now, what I get on Airalo is more than sufficient for my family when we travel.
Side note: You're getting real close to 100k subs - I'm happy to see it!
Yes, that is an awesome option for lighter data users, for sure! And thanks so much - sooo close 🥳
Thanks for the discount code! I will be travelling to Europe and this esim will be of great help.
You're very welcome - have an awesome trip!
Purchased my esim thanks to this video. Morocco, here i come!!!!
Hope you enjoy it!
I found your video by accident, but now I am glad I found it!
I'm glad you found it too! 😎
Travelling in Europe through 5 countries over 3 weeks with my family starting next week. I've been looking for a data solution for us (family of 4). Our US carrier has an international data plan, but it's wicked expensive ($10/day with only 500MB per day - my kids will burn through that in an hour). After doing a ton of research, and watching this video, I've decided to give Holafly a shot.
That's awesome, have a fun trip!
Me too. 3 weeks in Europe across 5 countries. After research then watching @projectumtethered previous video on Hola Fly, I chose to proceed with HolaFly.
I ran low on data off my T Mobile plan on a recent trip to SE Asia. I used an Holafly Sim on my last day and it was perfect.
Glad to hear it worked well for you!
Project, cool !godspeed- 🙃
Hi very informative video. Quick question Ive gone for the 5 day plan. Do use a different QR code each day as I have 5
If you bought a 5 day plan, you should just have to scan it once for the entire period :)
When you activate wifi calling and switch to esim in another country, do you still get home country numbers messages? Not sure i get it %100
Yup, but you still need to have the home line active as well. Both lines are active, but you set the travel eSIM as the eSIM you want to use for your data connection
@@ProjectUntethered goot it thank you!
Thanks for the Holafly review. The lack of unrestricted tethering kills this as a valid unlimited data option for my wife and I when we travel together. At least I now know to look elsewhere.
I'd love to get your recommendation on which travel eSim company you'd recommend to those that are not good with tech... namely, an eSim app that will install the eSim and are least likely to require further tinkering with settings like APN, etc. I ask mainly for my father as we've had issues with getting international roaming to work. I've given him a new phone with eSim capabilities but don't want him running into issues when he doesn't know how to add an APN, etc. Thanks in advance!
Hey Ryan! Yeah, in the end, it's hard to give a blanket recommendation for everyone since everyone's needs are different. Are you looking for a plan that allows you to share unlimited data so that you only need one plan for both you and your wife?
As far as your question goes - I honestly haven't had to change the APN very often with any of the companies I've tested. Normally automatically sets correctly, and you only have to mess with it if for some reason things aren't working as expected (which happened maybe 5% of the time for me). I'd say the least complicated option would be to just set your dad up with a home phone plan that includes international data. One option is Google Fi, which many people like (although there are some limitations). But here is the home plan I use that also includes international data and is cheaper than Google Fi: bit.ly/3PKRANl (affiliate link).
Or lastly, you could just set a travel eSIM up for him before he leaves, and just show him how to turn the line on when he arrives in his destination. Hope this helps!
@@ProjectUntethered Cheers for the advice. We're in Australia and had set up Dad with Amaysim for his home mobile plan as they're one of the few with roaming plans that lasts 365 days. However, we've had trouble getting roaming to work consistently after a few trips now. Mum and Dad are in South Korea and this is the first time roaming has worked well. They were in Japan a week ago and none of Dad's phones connected to roaming properly there. And a few months back when they were in China, Dad had one phone where roaming worked but Google and Meta services were blocked... I didn't think that was meant to happen over roaming. I suspect Dad's phone has the wrong APN or something on his phone but he has no idea how to check.
Yes, I'm thinking I might have to set Dad up with a travel esim. They're abroad every second month and their home is 1hr drive away so I may not be able to physically visit them to set everything up for each trip... Dad's had past success with getting local sims at the airport in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia so he may have to resort to that again. The only country they'll visit where having an esim installed before leaving is a must is China due to the Great Firewall. But that's an easy one... there's a 180 day, 15Gb esim from TravelKon that's pretty cheap that will last Dad two or three visits easily.
As for the unlimited plan for my wife and I, yeah, my wife is a big data user so I'd likely install the esim on her phone and I'll hotspot from it when I need to use lots of data.... probably set myself up a cheap international roaming plan so we have data during stopovers and also in emergencies when I am by myself and cannot hotspot off her.
Great idea, wish I'd known about eSIMS before buying my Samsung A53, which is not compatible. You visited Everest Base Camp! That'd make a great video by the way, are there still permits you've got to purchase if you are only visiting and not climbing?
Awww snaps! I think I've tested an eSIM company that offers a physical SIM that you can use and just load up data for whatever country you're going to, but I didn't test the physical option. Not sure what the prices are like for that though compared to other travel eSIM companies.
You do have to get a permit, but I just booked a complete tour with a Nepalese tour company, and they took care of everything for me. The price was just a little more than trying to figure everything out myself, so it seemed like a great deal to me.
I was SOOO tempted to make a video while I was there. But I actually went their with the specific purpose of disconnecting and NOT working, because I was starting to feel burnout. I highly highly recommend it if you like mountains and hiking!
@@ProjectUntethered It's okay, gives me an excuse to buy a new phone soon haha. Thanks for Everest Base Camp information, good to know. It's on my bucket list. By the way, I do understand not wanting to do a video. What better place to disconnect than Everest Base Camp! 😀
Really informative. However a question. I'm going to Vietnam & Cambodia I have used sims before. Would I need to buy a different plan/esim for each country or is there a plan that would cover Both?
I believe they have an Asia plan that would cover both :)
Hello bro, We are planning to visit Europe on coming days, like Budapest, vienna, slovakia, fussen, zurich, etc, which e sim better ( coverage for data) Airalo or holofly or orange ? Kindly advise Thanks
I am going to try Mint Mobile Intl esim.
Let me know how it goes!
I need a plan that covers both Australia and New Zealand. Did not see that they have a regional plan.
Might be able to find one here! (affiliate link): bit.ly/3RM8hYb - I've tested their single country plans, but haven't tested regional plans yet
Hopefully someone can answer this question so when you mean unlocked, do you have to have the carrier unlock it? I attempted it, but since I’m still currently paying off my phone, it won’t let me unlock it. Does that mean that I won’t be able to use holafly?
Unfortunately it won't work if your carrier won't unlock it :(
Thx to your video, I now know my redmi 9c isn't on the list of compatible devices. Imagine that. Arriving in a foreign country, and it doesn't work. Is there still a way to make it work? I'm looking at Airalo.
You could try this company, which has an option to send you a physical SIM, and then you just load up credits, and it charges you for the data you use: www.projectuntethered.com/drimsim (affiliate link). But I found this is kind of an expensive way to do it. You might just be better off trying to buy a local SIM on arrival, being extra careful that you're getting what you're paying for (and perhaps using cash or a virtual credit card number to sign up, to prevent any recurring charges). If you plan to be traveling a ton, it might be worth switching phones if yours isn't compatible.
I still need an app that will help me journal my trip next month to Germany and Italy
I'm using the Day One journal app and I really like it 🤓
Thanks for a great informative video. Warning! if you travel to China, Skype no longer works it was barred because it did not comply with technical requirements. So if you need to make local calls using Skype near the Chinese border it may not work. Also Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and anything Google owned are all blocked in China and to make them work you will need a good VPN. Having lived tn China on and off for a long time the only VPN I got to work consistently well was the expensive Astrill, all others I tried failed and most failed miserably especially at peak political conference times and during public holidays.
These are great tips! Thanks so much for sharing! Would you recommend getting a local SIM in China in order to get a local phone number? Or do most businesses just use WeChat?
how do you still use an iphone XR?
Haha it's my backup phone now. I mostly just use it just to keep my notes on...and also if I'm going somewhere where a nicer phone might get stolen ;)
Many European countries do 40gb 1 month for €10 SIMs. Ask the shop to install it most will and all you need is a passport..
That's a great deal - just be careful for SIM scams! I'll have a video coming soon that talks about one in Italy 😬
@@ProjectUntethered These are from phone shops, we bought one in Austria, all good and are planning on getting a Moviestar one in Spain.
500mb data hotspot/tethering for one day is too less. no phone number, no sms
If you plan to use your phone's data as your main internet connection for your laptop, then it's probably not the best option. But if you're just using it as a backup plan, 500mb seems reasonably for a few hours of work as long as you're not watching a bunch of videos or downloading tons of stuff.
If you need a local phone number, SMS, and high tethering limits, then you're better off setting up a local SIM once you arrive - just be careful you're getting what you pay for.
@@ProjectUntethered thank you very much for your information. i like your channel. i have subscribed for it. best greetings from austria
I'm honored to have you as a subscriber!! 😇🙌
OH MY GOD. I literally developed a splitting headache listening to this E-sim installation video. Download, activate with two devices, toggle on, etc. etc. What a bunch of nonsense.
Fly to your destination, drop in a sim card, and move on with your vacation. This 15+ set up installation process is insane, and simply not worth the hassle.
So trying to find somewhere to buy a physical SIM, assuming someone will sell one to a tourist, is easier? Yeah, ok.
None of the steps are particularly complex. If you were to try it, you'd be fine.
I was showing 3 different ways you could do it - each one of these ways takes about 2 minutes. But if that sounds overwhelming to you, you can certainly continue buying physical SIMs on arrival. I guarantee it will be more of a hassle and odds are you'll eventually get scammed, but travelers have been doing it this way for ages, so it's not a bad option (just not the best, imo). If you prefer it, you do you!