Staying connected while traveling can make or break your trip. Whether it’s navigating with Waze, booking tours through WhatsApp, or letting family know you arrived safely, reliable internet is essential. Over the years, I’ve tried every option—local SIM cards, U.S. carrier passes, even scraping by on hotel WiFi. Once I switched to Holafly’s unlimited eSIM, though, my trips got a whole lot easier.
So, is Holafly good? In this review, I’ll share my personal experiences using Holafly in Costa Rica for everything from family vacations to solo work trips, and give you my honest take on whether it’s worth it in 2025.
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Why I Decided to Try Holafly
For years, my go-to was buying a physical SIM card in Costa Rica. It was cheap, and it worked. But when I upgraded my iPhone, I found myself with no SIM card slot and no option but to try an eSIM. At the time, Costa Rican carriers didn’t even offer eSIMs, so I started researching international providers.
That’s when I found Holafly. The name itself caught my eye—I liked the “Hola” connection—and the unlimited data plan sealed the deal. I was tired of rationing data, chasing down WiFi, and juggling kids’ devices. I wanted to land, connect, and move on with my trip.
So I installed my Holafly eSIM before leaving the U.S. and activated it right on the tarmac when we landed. It worked instantly. To compare, my husband used a local SIM during that trip. The coverage and speed were basically the same, since Holafly runs on Costa Rica’s main network. The difference was that I had no lines, no Spanish paperwork, no juggling SIM cards.
The only hiccup I had was with my Costa Rican bank account. Because Holafly sometimes routes IP addresses through Asia, the bank flagged my login. A VPN solved the problem, and it hasn’t been an issue since. Overall, the setup was simple and the experience was seamless.
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What It’s Like to Use Holafly on the Ground
One of the biggest tests came in November 2024 when we had to make an emergency trip for my husband’s grandmother’s funeral. Normally, we arrive at night and drive the next morning, staying at Adventure Inn, which is a super low-stress first-night option I always recommend (and I have a discount for readers). But this time, we needed to drive straight from the airport to the visitation.
I had already installed my Holafly eSIM at home, so the moment we landed I flipped it on, picked up our car from Adobe Rental Car (again, huge discount for my readers and hands-down the easiest process in Costa Rica), and navigated directly to our destination. It was quick, easy, and stress-free—something we really needed that night.
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Another time, I traveled solo to La Fortuna to research a Lonely Planet chapter. As a woman traveling alone, having unlimited data gave me peace of mind. I could WhatsApp contacts to check in, call if I needed help, or even stay on the phone while driving at night. I compared Holafly side by side with a Costa Rican SIM and found the coverage to be nearly identical, except for a small area near the Nicaraguan border.
There are a couple of caveats. Your phone has to be unlocked, and some U.S. carriers make this process slow, so don’t wait until the last minute. And you don’t get a local Costa Rican phone number, which means no calling landlines directly. But in Costa Rica, everyone uses WhatsApp, so it’s rarely an issue. My iMessages and FaceTime worked as usual, and I could still receive SMS texts when I was on WiFi.
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How Holafly Fits Different Types of Trips
I’ve used Holafly across all kinds of trips, and it’s worked in every situation.
When I travel with my kids, unlimited data is a lifesaver. We use Google to find restaurants on the road, double-check reviews, and navigate directly there. It saves us from bad meals and hungry meltdowns.
During family emergencies, Holafly has given us one less thing to worry about. I can set it up at home, activate it the second I land, and know I’ll have coverage from the moment we leave the airport.
For solo travel, the peace of mind is invaluable. I don’t worry about running out of data, so I can keep in touch, confirm schedules with tour operators, or call my husband when I’m on the road.
Even on longer stays, Holafly makes sense. It’s more expensive than a basic Costa Rican SIM, but it’s still cheaper than U.S. carrier daily fees. Plus, the unlimited plan lets me hotspot my laptop so I can work from the beach or help my kids stream a movie without stressing about finding WiFi.
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Is Holafly Worth It in 2025?
For me, the answer is yes. Holafly is best for families, longer trips, and anyone who wants a stress-free setup. If saving time and avoiding hassle is more important than chasing the absolute cheapest option, Holafly is worth it.
It’s not for everyone. If you’re traveling with an older phone or want someone to walk you through the process, buying a SIM card in Costa Rica might feel easier. And if you’re backpacking on a shoestring, a local SIM will be cheaper. But Holafly sits in the sweet spot—it saves money over U.S. carrier plans, offers unlimited data, and gets you connected the instant you land.
For me, that trade-off is more than worth it. I’d rather spend my first day in Costa Rica exploring than standing in line for a SIM card.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Holafly eSIMs. All opinions are my own.
