Holafly Review: Why I’ll Never Use Airalo Again

Plan Options and Prices

​Holafly now offers customizable day plans for over 200 destinations across the globe, allowing you to select the exact number of days you need, from 1 up to 90 days. This flexibility ensures you pay only for the duration of your trip, providing seamless connectivity tailored to your travel schedule.

Regional Plans work great if you’re hopping between countries. They offer 9 regional plans covering multiple countries, like Europe or Asia, starting at $36.90 for 7 days.

Installing and Activating the eSIM

To install your eSIM you have three easy options:

• Scan the QR Code
• Manual Installation
• One-Button Install for iOS 17.4 or above

Smooth and simple—just choose the method that works best for you! Holafly recommends that you activate your eSIM upon arrival at your destination.

You do want to keep your primary SIM active so that you can receive calls and texts while using Holafly for data. This way, you don’t miss important messages.

My First Experience Using Holafly

When my husband and I moved to Berlin for three months, staying connected wasn’t just a nice-to-have—it was essential. We both work remotely, so finding a reliable internet solution topped our travel prep list. After comparing a few options, Holafly kept coming up for all the right reasons: unlimited data, easy setup, and responsive customer service.

We each got a Holafly eSIM before we left, and honestly, it turned out to be one of the smartest decisions we made. The setup was quick—I just scanned a QR code, followed a few simple steps, and I was ready to go. From the moment we landed in Germany, we had full access to data. I worked from cafés, co-working spaces, and even parks, without a single hiccup in my connection.

There were no hidden charges or billing surprises. The signal was consistently strong in the city, and while we did hit a few patchy spots in more remote areas—like while driving through the Harz mountains on the way to the charming village of Quedlinburg, that’s pretty standard anywhere without decent infrastructure.

Overall, Holafly did exactly what I needed it to do: keep me connected, stress-free, and focused on enjoying life in Berlin—not troubleshooting internet problems or the fear of running out of data.

My Bad Experience with Airalo

For a solo trip to Spain, I wanted to give Airalo a try as I heard other travellers using it. In fact, I was gifted a 30-day, 5GB eSIM from them with the hope that I might become an affiliate partner. At first, things seemed promising. I installed the eSIM before leaving home, and it worked fine during the initial test. But once I landed in Madrid, that changed.

The connection was dead. Stuck at the airport, I tried to troubleshoot using their 24/7 tech support. I was on hold the entire time I went through customs and collected my luggage. By the time I was ready to catch a cab to the train station for my connection to Valencia, I had to hang up or risk missing my train. So much for “24/7 support.”

Arriving in Valencia without wifi and needing Google Maps to find my rented apartment, I had no choice but to switch to my home provider’s roaming plan—an unexpected cost I wasn’t happy about. Once I got into the apartment and connected to the wifi, I contacted Airalo again. Another long wait. Eventually, I was told to delete and reinstall the eSIM. It worked—but by then I was jet-lagged, frustrated, and decided to stay in for the night instead of exploring.

The next day, I finally got out and relied on Google Maps to get around the city. After just four hours of walking around Valencia, I got a notification saying I was almost out of data. Confused, I went back to the apartment, jumped on Wi-Fi, and contacted support—again. This time, after nearly an hour of back and forth, they told me background apps had used up most of my 5GB. This wasn’t something mentioned in their onboarding, on their site, or even the day before when I’d asked for help.

The solution? Buy another 5GB plan and manually disable every other app that might use data. By then, I was over it. Between the poor support, lack of clear communication, and surprise costs, I knew I needed to dump Airalo.

Feeling defeated, I messaged my husband for advice. He reminded me of our stress-free Holafly setup back in Berlin and suggested I switch. Within 15 minutes of purchasing Holafly, I was connected—and stayed connected—for the rest of my trip, with zero issues.

What stuck with me most was the difference in support. Airalo’s tech team felt unempathetic. As a solo traveller dealing with connection problems in a foreign city, I didn’t just need technical help—I needed a bit of understanding. But there was no apology, no goodwill gesture, not even a hint of concern for the time and stress I’d been through.

As travellers, we know how precious every minute is. Between the delays, the extra costs, and the mental toll, I wasted far too much on what should’ve been a simple solution. Holafly, once again, saved the day—and honestly, after that experience, I don’t see myself ever switching to another eSIM provider. Holafly earned my trust, and they’ve got it for good.

Holafly stands out as the top choice for travellers due to its unlimited data plans, exceptional customer service, effortless setup, and extensive global coverage.

Final Thoughts

If you want reliable, stress-free connectivity on your next trip, skip the guesswork—get Holafly and stay connected from the moment you land.