On the road
Travelling with children: how much data you need and how to split it
A tablet playing cartoons uses more than all the adults put together. How to work it out, what to download beforehand and how to avoid the surprise on the flight.
Claudia Ferrán 6 min Photo by Denys Kostyuchenko on Unsplash On a family trip the data arithmetic changes completely, and not because of the adults. A tablet playing video can use in one afternoon of waiting what two adults get through in three days.
The real arithmetic
| Who | Per day |
|---|---|
| Adult with maps and messaging | 200 to 400 MB |
| Adult with social media | 500 MB to 1 GB |
| Child with video on a tablet | 1 to 3 GB |
| Teenager with social media and video | 1.5 to 3 GB |
A family of four with two children can pass 5 GB a day without doing anything out of the ordinary. That is why calculations designed for one person always fall short.
What really saves the trip: downloading
Cartoons, films, offline games and music, all downloaded at home over wi-fi. That is what turns nine hours of flying and three hours of waiting into quiet time without spending a single megabyte.
- Download several hours of material per child, not one.
- Check BEFORE leaving, with the device in aeroplane mode, that it plays without a connection.
- Download the games too: many of them need a connection to start even though they do not use one afterwards.
- Take headphones for each of them and a splitter if the device is shared.
Point two saves the most grief: some apps treat something as downloaded and then ask for a connection to open it.
How to split the connection
Two options, and the choice depends on whether the group splits up.
- One big plan on a phone that shares with the rest: simple, and it leaves everyone hanging on that battery.
- One plan per device: more independence, and usually better if there are teenagers with their own phone.
What to know when sharing a connection is in sharing internet from an eSIM.
Keeping usage in check without arguments
The phone's parental controls let you limit data use per app and set time limits. Setting that up before leaving avoids the conversation at the airport, which never goes well.
Frequently asked questions
How much data does a family need on a trip?
Between 3 and 6 GB a day with two adults and two children, mostly because of video on the tablets. Calculations designed for one person fall short.
What should I download before the flight?
Several hours of cartoons or films per child, music and offline games, and check in aeroplane mode that everything opens without a network.
Better one big plan or one per device?
One big shared plan is simpler; one per device gives independence and is usually better if there are teenagers with their own phone.
How do I stop the data running away?
With the phone's parental controls, limiting use per app and setting video quality to saver mode before leaving.
And if a child's phone goes missing?
The same as with any other: locate, lock remotely and tell the operator. Write their details down before travelling.
