Holafly Review: Is This the Best eSim for International Travel?

How Do Holafly's eSIMs work?

Setting up Holafly is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps you’ll need to take before your trip to make sure everything works smoothly. Here’s what to expect:

1. Check if Your Phone Supports eSIMs
   Not every phone is eSIM-compatible, so the first thing you’ll need to do is confirm your device works with eSIMs. Most newer models—like iPhones from the XR onwards or high-end Androids like the Samsung Galaxy S21—are compatible. Once you know your phone is good to go, you can head to Holafly’s website, choose the region or destination for your trip, and buy a plan that suits your needs.
2. Receive Your Setup Instructions
   After purchasing, Holafly will email you instructions to install the eSIM. This includes a QR code that you’ll need to scan to add the eSIM to your phone. But there is also the manual installation method and a "one click install" on some iPhone models. The setup process is pretty simple, but I recommend doing it before your trip so you’re not fumbling with settings when you arrive.
3. Activate the eSIM Before You Go
   Once installed, the eSIM sits on your phone but doesn’t use any data until it’s activated. You won’t need to do anything extra—activation happens automatically as soon as your phone connects to the network in your destination.
4. Stay Connected from the Moment You Land
   When you arrive, your phone should automatically connect to the local network, and you’ll be online.

Holafly Review: Setup Process

Setting up Holafly’s eSIM was simple, but here’s exactly how it went for me, step by step:

1. Choosing a Destination
I picked the Europe eSIM on their website. They have a "compatibility tester" that checks if your phone supports eSIMs by selecting your model. This saved me the hassle of researching compatibility myself, which was a nice touch.

2. Payment Process
The payment screen was straightforward, with options like card, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. However, I wasn’t a fan of having to provide so much personal information (name, address, etc.), but that seems standard for online purchases these days.

3. Discount Code
On the next page, I entered the discount code WESEEKTRAVEL for 5% off and got the order confirmation. An email with setup instructions arrived immediately after.

4. Installing the eSIM
The email contained a QR code for installation. You can either scan this with any of your devices, or opt for a manual install. Since I was using an iPhone, I could just press and hold the QR code in the email (one click install) and select “Add eSIM”—this was super quick and easy. For devices without this feature, they offer the option to install via their app or via the manual install process in the email (still sounds pretty straightforward). Personally, I avoid downloading extra apps when possible, but I did try it later for review purposes.

5. Configuring the eSIM
Here’s how I set it up on my iPhone:

Added the eSIM, which activated in about 2 minutes.

Labeled the eSIM “Holafly Europe” so I could easily switch between it and my regular SIM.

Set my personal number as the default line for calls and texts, and used Holafly for data only.

Ensured “Allow Mobile Data Switching” is off to avoid accidental roaming on my main plan.

6. Confirming It Worked
To make sure everything was working, I went into Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data, switched to Holafly, and loaded a webpage. It connected instantly.

Final Thoughts on Setup: The setup process was quick and easy, especially with the QR code method. It’s not groundbreaking, but it works smoothly, and I didn’t run into any issues. I also preferred not needing an app to manage the eSIM, which keeps things simpler. Overall, no complaints here—the process does what it needs to without overcomplicating things.

Reviewing Holafly eSIM Connectivity for International Travel

When I landed in Athens, coming from Turkey, I activated my Holafly eSIM while still on the plane. While I could have set it up earlier, I’ve used eSIMs enough to know the process is quick and easy. In fact, I installed it while waiting for the doors to open and had connectivity before stepping off the plane—a convenient start.

This kind of setup is especially useful in countries where airport arrivals can be hectic, like India, Indonesia, or Morocco. With an eSIM, you can skip the touts, arrange your Uber or Grab, and move on without the hassle of haggling or finding a SIM vendor after a long flight.

Performance Across Destinations

The eSIM worked flawlessly throughout Greece, including at the Athens airport and later in Santorini. I relied on it heavily during transit, not just for scrolling memes but also for work. The hotspot feature worked as expected, just like any physical SIM.

In terms of reliability, it’s hard to fault Holafly’s Europe regional eSIM. It worked everywhere I traveled, with consistent connectivity. Haylea, who was using local SIMs throughout the trip, experienced the same speeds and coverage since both rely on the same telecom towers. Even when crossing borders, the eSIM transitioned seamlessly. For instance, near the Montenegro-Croatia border, I connected to Croatian towers without any hiccups.

That said, there were a few patches—like rural Tuscany—where connectivity wasn’t great. But this seemed more about the local network coverage than the eSIM itself, as Haylea had similar issues in those areas.

Holafly eSIM Speeds

The speeds I experienced were solid for real-world use. Across the countries I visited, I generally saw download speeds of 20-50 Mbps and uploads of 1-15 Mbps. Occasionally, I hit over 100 Mbps on strong 5G signals in cities, which was impressive. For typical travel tasks like booking trains, using Google Maps, or researching restaurants, the speeds were more than sufficient.

For work, the connection held up well, even while tethering via hotspot. While the speeds could be faster, it’s hard to say if the limitations came from the eSIM or just the local networks. When we tested, Haylea’s local SIMs usually matched my speeds, so I’d say Holafly is on par with physical SIMs in terms of performance.

Final Thoughts on Connectivity

Holafly’s Europe eSIM delivered exactly what I needed: seamless connectivity across borders, reliable performance, and speeds sufficient for both work and travel. It’s not perfect, but for general international travel, it’s hard to find fault. If you’re after convenience and hassle-free connectivity, it’s definitely worth considering.

Review: Is Holafly Worth it?

These days, eSIMs are becoming as essential as long-term travel insurance for digital nomads and frequent travelers. From my experience, Holafly is a great option for travelers who value convenience and hassle-free connectivity.

If you’re someone who wants to land in a new country and be connected immediately—without lining up for a local SIM or dealing with touts—this is an excellent solution.

What drew me to Holafly was their regional plans, which make it so much easier to stay connected across multiple countries without constantly switching SIM cards. For shorter trips, it’s much cheaper than paying for roaming through your home country’s plan, and the unlimited data removes any guesswork.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone spending an extended period in just one country, as buying a local SIM on arrival will likely save you money. While I can’t speak for every destination, my experience using Holafly in Europe and Pakistan was seamless—connectivity was reliable, speeds were solid, and setup was simple.

Ready to try Holafly? Grab yours now and save 5% with code WESEEKTRAVEL for 5% off any plan. Use the link above to stay connected easily while you explore the world.

Update: I've recently reviewed Jetpac's eSims as well– check out the latest post.