Internet for Nomad Families: SIMs, eSIMs, Starlink and Backup Plans That Work (2026)

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we use ourselves or have researched carefully.

How Our Family Stays Connected

Last updated 09-10-2026

Marty’s job depends on good internet, so it’s one of the first things we check before we book anywhere. A dropped connection isn’t just annoying for us. It can mean a missed meeting.

Our setup is simple. We use the Wi-Fi at our accommodation, plus a local SIM for mobile data. In Vietnam that’s Viettel. Before booking, we ask the host for a recent speed test, and if the Wi-Fi lets us down, Marty switches to his phone’s hotspot. In Da Nang, he also worked from a coworking space when he needed a quieter, more reliable desk.

We don’t use Starlink, a travel router or a VPN ourselves. So the sections on those are researched, and we’ve said so. Everything else here is what we’d tell a friend planning their first trip with kids. 💻

The short answer:

• Most families need two things: decent Wi-Fi where you stay, and a local SIM as backup.
• Ask for a speed test before you book. Photos and reviews won’t tell you what the upload speed is.
• eSIMs are handy for short stays and border hopping. A local SIM is usually cheaper for longer stays.
• Starlink is for off-grid travel, not city living.
• Choosing a base? We’ve ranked 50 nomad cities by internet, power and coworking.

If you’re still working out whether this life could suit your family, start with how we became a digital nomad family.

What a Family Actually Needs

A solo nomad needs one good connection. A family needs one that holds up when everyone’s online at once.

Picture a normal morning: one parent on a video call, a child in an online lesson, and a toddler watching something so the call can happen. Each of those needs its own share of bandwidth, all at the same time.

Rough minimums to check against a host’s speed test:

• Video call: 10 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up
• Online lesson with video: 15 Mbps down and 5 Mbps up
• Streaming for the kids: 5 to 25 Mbps down, depending on quality

Add up what your family uses at the same time, then leave some room. Upload speed is the number people forget, and it’s the one that ruins video calls.

If your kids learn online, choose programmes that let them download lessons for offline use. Our homeschooling resources guide and our international schooling options guide cover the options families use.

What to Check Before You Choose

Not every internet option suits life on the move. These are the four things worth checking first.

Coverage where you’ll actually live

Internet quality can change a lot between countries, and even between suburbs. City centres often have fast fibre, while rural areas may rely on patchy 4G. Check coverage maps for the exact area you’re booking, not just the city.

How much speed your work needs

Emails and shared documents need very little. Video calls, large uploads and streaming need a lot more, especially upload speed. Match the connection to your heaviest day, not your average one.

Cost over a whole stay

Internet costs add up when you change countries often. Local SIMs are usually the cheapest option for longer stays. If you’re crossing borders every few weeks, an eSIM can work out simpler overall.

Security on shared networks

You’ll often rely on Wi-Fi you don’t control, in apartments, cafés and airports. Stick to password-protected networks, and avoid logging into banking on open Wi-Fi. Many nomads also use a VPN, which we cover below.

Your Main Internet Options

There are four main ways families stay online on the road: accommodation Wi-Fi, a local SIM, an eSIM and coworking spaces. Most families end up using two or three of them together.

Local SIMs (what we use)

A local SIM gives you a local number and usually the best price for data. We buy one in each country and use it as our backup whenever the accommodation Wi-Fi drops. You’ll normally need your passport to register it.

Well-known SIM providers by region

• Asia: AIS (Thailand), Viettel (Vietnam), Telkomsel (Indonesia), Globe (Philippines)
• Europe: Vodafone, Orange, Three and A1, with EU roaming on many plans
• Latin America: Telcel (Mexico), Claro (Colombia), Vivo (Brazil), Movistar (Argentina)
• Middle East and Africa: du (UAE), Safaricom (Kenya), MTN (South Africa)

Tip: buy your SIM at the airport if you can. It may cost a little more, but you’ll have maps and messages working before you head into an unfamiliar city with tired kids.

Pocket Wi-Fi and travel routers

We don’t use these ourselves, but they’re popular with families who have several devices online at once. There are two types, and it helps to know the difference.

Hotspots with a SIM slot (they connect to mobile networks)

• Netgear Nighthawk M7: 5G with Wi-Fi 7, a premium option for heavy users. It replaces the Nighthawk M6.
• TP-Link M7650: 4G with long battery life, a budget option. It’s an older model, so check it’s still sold where you’re buying.

Travel routers (no SIM slot)

GL.iNet Slate AX (GL-AXT1800): a compact Wi-Fi 6 travel router that creates your own private network from hotel Wi-Fi, ethernet or a phone hotspot. Pair it with your phone or a SIM-based hotspot.

Check current prices and models before you buy, as this gear changes often.

eSIMs

An eSIM is a digital SIM you download to your phone, with no physical card to swap. They’re handy for short stays, border hopping and having data the moment you land. For longer stays, a local SIM is usually cheaper.

Airalo

Airalo is a popular choice if you prefer an eSIM. It’s one of the biggest names in travel eSIMs, with local, regional and global plans for more than 200 destinations. The app is simple and top-ups are easy. Check current prices, as some plans have gone up.

Compare Airalo eSIM plans

Other eSIM providers

Holafly: unlimited data for set periods in around 190 countries. It costs more than fixed-data plans, so check the fair-use and hotspot rules for your destination.

Nomad: competitive pricing for bigger data packs, including long-validity global plans.

Saily: from the company behind NordVPN, with fixed plans and soft-unlimited options that slow down after a daily limit.

BNESIM: broad global coverage, with both eSIM and physical SIM options for travel across several continents.

Ubigi: strong across Europe and North America, with good 5G coverage in Japan and South Korea.

We haven’t used these ourselves, and eSIM prices change often, so compare current plans at checkout.

eSIM pros and cons

✅ No physical SIM needed, and you can activate it before you land.

✅ Switch plans without changing cards.

✅ Multi-country plans are available.

❌ Some older phones don’t support eSIMs.

❌ Usually pricier than a local SIM for longer stays.

❌ Most travel eSIMs don’t come with a local phone number.

What 30 Days of Data Costs (Prices in €, October 2026)

So what does staying online actually cost? We checked the providers’ own websites on 09-10-2026 for four places families often base themselves. Apart from Viettel in Vietnam, we haven’t bought these exact plans, so treat this as researched and check the price at checkout.

What the table tells us: in Vietnam and Indonesia, a local SIM is cheaper by a long way. Mexico flips it. A 20 GB eSIM costs about the same as Telcel’s 8 GB package.

Planning to hotspot a laptop? Check the rules first. Holafly’s unlimited plans limit hotspot sharing to 1 GB a day. Nomad and Saily allow hotspotting, but their unlimited plans slow down after a daily allowance.

Converted at ECB rates for 08-10-2026 (Viettel at the Wise mid-market rate). Sources: Viettel, Telkomsel, Telcel, Nomad, Airalo, Saily, Holafly hotspot rules.

Coworking spaces and cafés

Sometimes a parent just needs a quiet desk and a reliable connection. Coworking spaces give you stable internet, a proper chair and a break from home. Spaces open and close often, so check recent reviews before you commit.

How to vet public Wi-Fi for work

• Run a speed test before you settle in, checking upload as well as download.
• Avoid networks without passwords.
• Have your phone hotspot ready in case the Wi-Fi drops mid-call.

Read more: remote work strategies for nomad families

Starlink: Satellite Internet for Off-Grid Travel

We haven’t used Starlink ourselves, so this section is researched. It’s aimed at families travelling by van, boat or in rural areas where mobile coverage is weak.

Starlink, from SpaceX, delivers internet by satellite to places traditional providers can’t reach. Other satellite services such as Viasat and HughesNet exist, but they’re less practical for moving around. Starlink’s Roam plans are designed for travel.

What you need

• A clear, open view of the sky
• The hardware: a standard dish or the smaller Starlink Mini
• A way to mount it in a van, boat or rental
• A reliable power source, often solar with a battery

Roam plans

Roam plans come with either a set data allowance or unlimited data, and both can now be used internationally. Once you use up a capped allowance, speeds drop to a level that’s no good for video calls or online lessons. If you’d rely on Starlink every day, the unlimited plan is the safer choice.

Hardware and plan prices vary by country and change often, so check current details on the Starlink website.

Tips if you’re considering it

• Find a spot with the widest possible view of the sky.
• Plan your power supply before you plan anything else.
• Check that packet loss stays low, ideally under 1 to 2%, for stable calls and lessons.

📡 Starlink Mini

Starlink Mini launched in 2024. It’s about the size of a laptop, so it’s far more portable than the standard dish and practical for travellers who don’t live in a van or boat.

• Size: about 30 x 26 centimetres, small enough for a backpack
• Weight: about 1.1 kilograms
• Power: can run from a suitable USB-C power bank
• Plans: uses the same Roam plans as the standard dish

Best for: remote areas, islands with patchy mobile coverage and road trips where you can’t predict the local network.

The trade-off: speeds are usually lower than the standard dish. In cities where mobile data is fast and cheap, it makes more sense as a backup than a main connection.

Which Cities Have the Best Internet?

Internet quality varies a lot between cities, and even between buildings on the same street. Rather than list speeds here, we keep them all in one place.

Our internet speed guide ranks 50 cities on broadband, mobile data, power reliability and coworking, so you can compare bases side by side.

Wherever you land, test the connection yourself in your first few days, and at different times of day.

📡 How to Test Internet Speed

Before booking, ask your host for a screenshot of a recent speed test. When you arrive, run your own before you unpack the laptop.

Useful tools:

1. Speedtest.net: shows download, upload and ping
2. Fast.com: Netflix’s speed test, good for checking streaming
3. Wifiman: shows nearby networks and signal strength

Other minimums worth knowing:

• Large file uploads or cloud backup: 20 Mbps up or more
• 4K streaming or video editing: 50 Mbps down or more

Tip: test at different times of day. Networks often slow down in the evening, when everyone in the building is streaming.

The Connectivity Kit We Actually Carry

Ready for a confession? Our kit is tiny. 🎒 No router, no extender, no satellite dish. Just two things that have got us through every move so far.

• A dual-SIM, eSIM-ready phone. This is Marty’s backup office. The local SIM goes in, and when the apartment Wi-Fi drops mid-meeting, he switches on the hotspot and carries on.
• A power bank. Power cuts happen, and hotspotting drains a phone fast. A charged power bank keeps the call going until the power comes back.

Worth knowing about, but we don’t carry them: a travel router (see above) and, for rural stays, a Wi-Fi range extender.

Staying Safe on Shared Networks

Public and shared Wi-Fi is convenient, but it isn’t always secure. A few habits go a long way.

VPNs

A VPN encrypts your connection, which adds protection on networks you don’t control. We don’t use one ourselves, but these are well-known options:

• NordVPN: widely used, with a no-logs policy
• ExpressVPN: known for consistent speeds, at a higher price
• Surfshark: covers unlimited devices on one plan, which suits families
• Mullvad: popular with people who put privacy first

VPN rules differ between countries, and some restrict them, so check local rules before you rely on one.

Simple habits

Avoid networks without passwords. Don’t log into banking on open Wi-Fi, and switch to your phone’s mobile data for anything sensitive.

💼 Your Backup Plan

No connection is perfect, so plan for the day yours fails.

• Keep a local SIM with enough data to hotspot a full work day.
• Know where the nearest café or coworking space with good Wi-Fi is.
• Download work files and kids’ lessons for offline use the night before anything important.
• Charge a power bank before big calls, in case the power goes too.

A little preparation can save a whole day of work, and a lot of stress for everyone at home.

🎯 Tools and Apps for Planning

• OpenSignal: 4G and 5G coverage maps by provider, useful before buying a local SIM
• Nomad List: crowdsourced internet and cost ratings by city
• Workfrom: cafés and coworking spaces with user-reported Wi-Fi speeds
• WiFi Map: crowdsourced hotspots and passwords
• Speedtest by Ookla: the standard for testing your own connection
• Wifiman: scans and compares nearby networks

Nomad Communities for Internet Tips

Other families are often the best source of current, local advice about internet. They’ll know which buildings have fibre and which providers work in the hills.

• Nomad List: city ratings and community chat
• Reddit r/digitalnomad: honest stories and tips from the road
• Facebook groups: search for expat or nomad groups in the city you’re heading to

Our worldschooling hubs directory lists places where families gather, which is a good way to find people to ask.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much internet does a family need?

Add up everything your family does online at the same time. A video call plus an online lesson plus streaming for a younger child needs roughly 30 to 50 Mbps down and at least 10 Mbps up.

Should we use a local SIM or an eSIM?

For stays of a month or more, a local SIM is usually cheaper and gives you a local number. An eSIM is simpler for short stays or when you’re crossing borders often.

Is mobile data faster than Wi-Fi?

Sometimes, especially in parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America where mobile networks are strong. Test both before you rely on either.

Are eSIMs safe to use?

Generally, yes. Stick to established providers with clear pricing and support, and download your eSIM before you travel if you can.

How much should we budget for internet?

It depends on the country and how many SIMs you run. In our price table, 30 days of data cost about €5 to €25 on a local SIM and €18 to €62 on an eSIM. Local data is cheap in much of Asia and Latin America, and dearer in places like Australia. Our cost of living comparison covers wider family budgets.

Can we work using only public Wi-Fi?

It’s possible, but unreliable and less secure. Always keep mobile data as a backup, even if it’s just a local SIM you can hotspot from.

Do we need Starlink if we’re mostly in cities?

No. Starlink makes sense in remote areas with weak mobile coverage. In cities, good accommodation Wi-Fi plus a local SIM is usually faster, cheaper and simpler.

Which cities have the best internet for families?

We rank 50 cities in our internet speed guide. Even in a top-ranked city, check the connection in your specific building before you book.

Our Takeaways

Good internet is one of the least glamorous parts of nomad life, and one of the most important. It decides where we can stay, how smoothly Marty’s work week runs, and whether Louie’s lessons happen on time.

You don’t need expensive gear to get it right. Ask the questions before you book, keep a backup in your pocket, and test everything in your first few days. That’s what has worked for us so far. 🌍