Destinations
Fifteen days across the United States: how much data you need
City trips and road trips work out very differently. What each kind of route uses, and what to download before the desert.
Irene Salazar 7 min Photo by Toomas Tartes on Unsplash Fifteen days in the United States can be two very different trips: one of cities linked by domestic flights, and one of a rental car and miles. The data arithmetic looks nothing alike, so the first thing to settle is which of the two is yours.
The city trip
New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami. Here there is wi-fi at your accommodation, in plenty of cafés and on some transport, so the data plan covers the street: maps, finding somewhere to eat, ordering a ride, buying tickets.
| Use | Per day |
|---|---|
| Maps and transport | 30–60 MB |
| Searches, bookings and tickets | 50–100 MB |
| Messaging | 10–30 MB |
| Social media | 300–800 MB |
A city trip with normal use stays between 400 MB and 1 GB a day, that is between 6 and 15 GB over fifteen days.
The road trip
Here the phone works far harder. You navigate for hours, look for a gas station and somewhere to sleep as you go, and check the weather, which out west changes plans.
Navigation itself uses little per hour, but the hours add up and long routes get recalculated. What really pushes the figure up is everything around it: searching, booking and sharing.
| Use on the road | Per day |
|---|---|
| Several hours of navigation | 50–150 MB |
| Searches and bookings on the move | 100–200 MB |
| Streamed music in the car | 150–400 MB |
| Social media and photos | 300–800 MB |
In total between 700 MB and 1.5 GB a day: 10 to 22 GB over fifteen days. Music is the usual surprise on this list, because in a car it plays for hours.
The detail that changes the trip: the coverage gaps
Out west there are long stretches of interstate with no signal, and in the national parks there is practically nothing. That uses no data, but it forces you to prepare in advance whatever you will need inside.
- Download the map of the whole route, not just the cities.
- Download the music and podcasts for the drive. That is what stops the stubborn retrying of playback on poor coverage, which uses data and still plays nothing.
- Keep motel and park bookings on the phone, in a format that can be read offline.
- Write down the insurance and rental company numbers in your contacts. Without data, calls still work.
How much to buy, in short
| Your trip | Fifteen days |
|---|---|
| Cities, restrained use and hotel wi-fi | 5–8 GB |
| Cities, normal use with social media | 10–15 GB |
| Road trip with navigation and music | 15–20 GB |
| Road trip working along the way | 20 GB or more |
If your route is by car, what to have ready is in internet on a road trip across the United States.
Frequently asked questions
How much data do I need for fifteen days in the United States?
Between 5 and 8 GB on a city trip with hotel wi-fi, between 10 and 15 with normal social media use, and between 15 and 20 if you are driving with navigation and music.
Does car navigation use a lot?
Little per hour, between 3 and 7 MB, but the hours add up. What raises the bill most on the road is streamed music and searching on the move.
Is there coverage along the whole route?
No. Out west there are long stretches of interstate with no signal, and in the national parks there is practically nothing, on any carrier. Download the maps before going in.
Does the same plan work for Canada or Mexico?
Only if it is a regional plan that includes them. A United States plan covers the United States alone.
What should I download before heading out on the road?
The map of the whole route, the music and podcasts for the drive, and your accommodation bookings in a format that can be read offline.
