Ensuring you have access to a reliable mobile connection whilst travelling used to be such a hassle. It would often involve waiting in queues at airports to buy a local SIM, swapping out your physical SIM card, or worrying about roaming charges.
Thankfully, today we have eSIMs. These involve: instant activation, no physical SIM cards, and with Holafly, unlimited data!
But convenience is only part of the story. Do they actually deliver the speeds you need to browse, stream, or hotspot whilst on the move? To find out, I tested Holafly’s eSIM in a popular travel destination, the UK. Find out more about Holafly here.
I chose three very different locations, including a major city, a medium-sized city, and a rural town, to see how the Holafly eSIM performs in everyday conditions.
About Holafly eSIM
Holafly offers eSIMs designed for travellers who want a quick, hassle-free way to stay connected abroad. Unlike traditional SIM cards, there’s no need to wait until you’ve located a phone shop in your destination.
You can install and activate it on your phone in minutes and start using mobile data the moment you arrive at your destination.
For me, it has been the perfect travel solution. And whether you’re visiting the UK for a holiday or staying longer, I believe it’ll be the best solution for you also!
But, of course, speed matters. So let’s see how my UK Holafly eSIM performs in a series of speed tests across the country.
My methodology
To see how Holafly’s eSIM performs across the UK, I tested it in three very different locations:
- London – As the UK capital and a major tourist hotspot, London is where many travellers will need reliable mobile connectivity. It’s also a dense urban environment with multiple network options, making it ideal for testing peak performance.
- Walberswick (Suffolk) – This small seaside town represents rural areas, where the mobile signal is often weaker. In fact, I regularly struggle with connectivity here on a physical SIM, so it’s a good test of how Holafly handles low-coverage zones.
- Sheffield – A medium-sized city in northern England, Sheffield offers a middle ground: not as busy as London, but still a major urban centre. Testing here shows how the eSIM performs outside the capital.
To measure the eSIM’s internet speed performance in each location, I followed this approach:
- I ran three tests at each location and selected the middle value to avoid outliers skewing the results.
- Within each location, I tested in several spots to capture realistic, everyday connectivity experiences.
- All tests were performed during daytime hours on good weather days to keep conditions consistent for each.
- I used the same smartphone and a standard speed test app (Ookla) for all tests to ensure consistency.
The eSIM speed test results
Over the past month, I’ve been busy testing Holafly’s unlimited data eSIM in three very different UK locations – a major city, a very rural seaside village, and a smaller city.
Read on to see the speed test results. Spoiler alert: you might be surprised at just what an eSIM can deliver!
1. London
- Download: 389.28 Mbps
- Upload: 56.23 Mbps
- Verdict: Excellent
As the UK’s capital and one of the most visited cities in the world, London is a major hotspot for travellers, which also makes it the most important place for an eSIM to perform well. And Holafly definitely delivered.
With download speeds of 389 Mbps and upload speeds of 56 Mbps, the eSIM exceeded typical averages. These speeds are fast enough for pretty much anything: 4K streaming, video calls, hotspotting, uploading content, navigating on the go, or even working remotely.
In practice, it felt as smooth as a strong home fibre connection. The eSIM was connecting to one of the top-tier networks available in the city, resulting in consistently strong performance even in busy, built-up areas.
2. Sheffield
- Download: 86.21 Mbps
- Upload: 13.16 Mbps
- Verdict: Very good
Sheffield is a smaller city compared to London, so naturally, you’d expect slightly slower speeds. And that’s what showed up in the results.
Even so, Holafly’s eSIM delivered excellent performance, with download speeds of 86 Mbps and upload speeds just over 13 Mbps, both comfortably above typical UK averages.
In real use, these speeds are more than enough for everything you’d need while travelling: HD or even 4K streaming, smooth video calls, social media, uploading photos, and hotspotting. It’s a reliable connection that keeps up with everyday tasks without any noticeable slowdown.
Overall, Sheffield is a great example of how the eSIM performs well across major UK cities, not just in the capital.
3. Walberswick (Suffolk)
- Download: 12.05 Mbps
- Upload: 9.05 Mbps
- Verdict: Acceptable for rural
Walberswick is a tiny seaside village, and like many rural parts of the UK, the mobile signal here can be notoriously patchy, even on my own physical local SIM. So it’s a good test of how an eSIM performs in an area where coverage is already limited.
With download speeds of 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 9 Mbps, the results were understandably slower than in London or Sheffield. But for a rural spot like this, these numbers are actually very normal. And more importantly, they’re perfectly usable for what most travellers in the area will need: maps, browsing, WhatsApp, uploading photos, and social media.
It’s not the kind of speed that feels fast, but it keeps you connected, which is often the biggest challenge in rural areas. If you’re visiting Walberswick or similar countryside locations, Holafly’s eSIM will still get you online without major issues.
Holafly eSIM speeds comparison
Here is a table overview of each location’s speed tests using the Holafly eSIM:
| Location | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) | Performance Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 389.28 | 56.23 | Exceptional speeds; fast enough for 4K streaming, hotspotting, and large downloads. |
| Sheffield | 86.21 | 13.16 | Strong performance; easily handles video calls, HD streaming, and everyday travel use. |
| Walberswick (Suffolk) | 12.05 | 9.05 | Usable but slower, which is typical for rural UK areas; good enough for maps, messaging, and browsing. |
Who is Holafly best for?
Holafly’s eSIM is a great option for travellers of all kinds. Whether you’re on a short holiday or staying in the UK for a longer period. It’s ideal for anyone who wants reliable mobile data without the hassle of swapping SIM cards.
It’s also a solid choice for those who work whilst travelling, since the speeds in cities like London and Sheffield are more than enough for hotspotting, video calls, and light remote work.
And of course, it’s perfect for anyone who wants to stream their favourite shows or keep up with social media whilst exploring the UK.
In short: if you want a flexible, ready-to-go travel solution that keeps you connected across urban and rural locations, Holafly eSIM delivers.
My verdict
Holafly’s eSIM delivered excellent performance in major cities, with London reaching fibre-like speeds and Sheffield comfortably exceeding typical UK mobile averages. In urban areas, it’s fast, reliable, and more than capable of handling everything from HD streaming to hotspotting for work.
In rural locations like Walberswick, speeds were slower. But crucially, the connection was still fully usable, reflecting the reality of network coverage in many small UK towns where all local providers tend to drop in performance.
Overall, Holafly proves to be a strong travel companion: it performs exceptionally well in cities and transit hubs, where travellers spend most of their time, while still providing functional, dependable connectivity in rural or coastal areas.
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