Travel eSIMs for families, and when to share one connection instead
Two adults, two kids, two tablets and a long drive from the airport. Connecting a family abroad is less about finding one plan and more about deciding which devices need their own connection and which can share.
Rule one: one eSIM per phone
An eSIM installs once, on one device. It cannot be moved between phones or shared by two at the same time. So every phone that needs to be online on its own, away from the rest of the family, needs its own eSIM.
Before you buy, check each phone supports eSIM and is carrier unlocked. Our guide on whether your phone supports eSIM takes a minute per phone.
Rule two: everything else can share
A phone with a travel eSIM can share its connection by personal hotspot, just as at home. Tablets, a laptop, or an older phone without eSIM can all join it.
| Device | Own eSIM or share? |
|---|---|
| Each adult's phone | Own eSIM |
| A teenager's phone that goes out alone | Own eSIM |
| Younger kids' tablets | Share a parent's hotspot |
| A phone without eSIM | Share a parent's hotspot |
| A laptop | Share a hotspot |
A setup that works for most families
- One larger plan on the phone that shares. Pick the parent who is usually with the kids.
- A smaller plan on the other adult's phone for maps, messages and ride apps.
- Downloads on wifi before every travel day: shows, games that need updates, offline maps.
- Hotspot off when nobody is using it, so background updates on tablets do not quietly use the shared data.
How much data a family uses
Use our cost and data guide to work out each adult's own use, then add the shared devices:
- Streaming video is the biggest cost, around 1GB an hour in standard definition. Downloading on wifi first avoids almost all of it.
- Games and app updates can pull hundreds of megabytes without warning. Turn off automatic updates on the kids' devices before you leave.
- Video calls to family at home use far less than streaming, but add up over a long trip.
If the kids will stream on the road every day, an unlimited plan on the sharing phone, such as our unlimited travel eSIM, Endless, is usually simpler than watching a meter. Check the daily full speed amount, because the plan slows down after it until the day resets.
Keeping the shared phone going
- Battery: hotspotting drains it fast. Bring a car charger or a battery pack.
- Name the hotspot something the kids recognise, and set a password.
- Screen time settings work over hotspot too, so the same limits apply as at home.
Installing on travel day
Install every eSIM at home on wifi, a day or two before you fly, and name each line so you know whose is whose. On arrival, each adult follows the landing day checklist: airplane mode off, eSIM line on, Data Roaming on for it, and the eSIM chosen for mobile data.
Stamps for the family
Every eSIM purchase earns a Frequent Roamer stamp, and six stamps get you US$10 off your next eSIM. Frequent family trips fill a card quickly.
Prices for popular trips
Cheapest plan with 1GB or more, in US dollars from our catalogue, updated 27 Sep 2026.
Questions travellers ask
Can two phones share one eSIM?
No. An eSIM installs once, on one device. A second phone can use the first phone's data through its personal hotspot instead.
Do kids' tablets need their own eSIM?
Only if the tablet has eSIM and needs to be online away from the parent's phone. Most wifi only tablets simply join a parent's hotspot.
How much data does a family use on holiday?
Roughly each adult's own use, plus whatever the kids stream on shared data. Streaming video is the big one, at around 1GB an hour in standard definition, so downloading shows on wifi first saves the most.
Does hotspotting drain the battery?
Yes, noticeably. Keep the sharing phone on a charger or battery pack during long car trips, and turn the hotspot off when nobody is using it.
Can I buy eSIMs for the whole family at once?
Yes. Buy one eSIM per phone. Each needs to be installed on its own phone, ideally at home on wifi before you fly.