Going to see family in Colombia and arriving without being able to let them know you're downstairs

There's a type of trip that's worse prepared than any other, and it's not due to carelessness.

It's the trip to see family.

Someone going to Bogotá, Medellín, or Cartagena to see their loved ones doesn't feel like they're going abroad. They're going home, or to their parents' home, speaking their language, to houses they know. In their mind, it's not an international trip: it's coming home.

Their phone, however, doesn't care.

Colombia weighs more than it seems

Booking data confirms this. In the ranking of the most booked international destinations by Mexicans in 2025, Cartagena de Indias, Bogotá, and Medellín occupy three of the top ten spots.

Source: 2025 international destinations ranking by Despegar.

In other words, three out of ten top national destinations are in Colombia. Only the United States contributes more.

And the overall volume of departures is large and growing: 6,641,155 Mexican residents visited abroad in September 2025, 10.4 percent more than the previous year.

Source: INEGI, International Travelers Survey.

Why family trips are worse prepared

There are three specific reasons, and all three are psychological, not logistical.

The first is the one already mentioned: it's not perceived as an international trip. Same language, known family, sometimes even a hometown.

The second is that the logistics are handled by someone there. They are picked up at the airport, they stay at a relative's house, someone drives them around. That eliminates the feeling of having to prepare.

The third is that on these trips, almost everything is organized on the fly and via messaging. "Let's meet at Auntie's at four." "Cousin is picking someone up." "The lunch location changed."

And that third reason is precisely what turns a lack of data into a bigger problem than it would be on a tourist trip.

The specific moment: leaving the airport

On a tourist trip, landing without data is inconvenient. On a family trip, it's something else entirely.

The scene repeats itself: someone is coming to pick you up, you messaged them the night before, and upon landing, there's no way to text them. An international airport exit is crowded with people waiting, with signs and entire families, and finding one specific person among a hundred can take a long time.

Not being able to text "I've arrived" turns a reunion into a search.

And there's a second layer, that of the person who stayed in Mexico. Parents, children, or a partner waiting for confirmation that you arrived safely. Many times that person has been awake for hours waiting for a message that never arrives because the phone has no signal.

Being without data on a family trip means being absent

During the following days, the problem changes form.

On a tourist trip, a lack of data translates into practical inconvenience: maps, reservations, transportation. On a family trip, it translates into not being present.

Plans are decided in a message group that's active all day. Someone who joins that group six hours late, when they connect to a home's Wi-Fi, arrives when everything has already been decided. Photos of the baptism, lunch, or birthday circulate in real-time, and that person receives them in a batch two days later.

None of that is a data problem. It's a presence problem.

A nuance about language that works against you

There's a factor that exacerbates this and is counterintuitive: speaking the same language reduces preparation.

Someone traveling to a country where they don't understand anything assumes from the beginning that they'll need a translator, maps, and constant help, and prepares accordingly. Someone traveling to a Spanish-speaking country takes for granted that they'll manage by asking, and to a large extent, that's true.

The problem is that asking helps you get to a street, but not to open a reservation that's in an email, or to see the exact address someone sent in a message, or to request transportation from an app, or to find out that the plan changed location.

Those four things need data and cannot be resolved through conversation.

That's why it's advisable to treat a trip to Colombia with the same preparation as a trip to any other country, even if it doesn't feel the same.

What can be arranged from Mexico

The solution doesn't require any paperwork at the destination and can be done from home.

Digital profiles, called eSIMs, are a file downloaded to your phone using your own Wi-Fi, days before flying. Upon landing, the device automatically connects to a local network, without buying or installing anything at the airport.

Four consequences that are especially important for this type of trip:

1. The phone works from the moment you step off the plane, so you can text "I've arrived" before reaching the exit.
2. The Mexican SIM card is not removed. Your number, WhatsApp with all its groups (including the one for your family there), and bank messages remain the same.
3. The price is fixed and prepaid, with no open consumption charges appearing weeks later.
4. There's no need to queue or present your passport at any store upon arrival.

That second point is particularly important here: on a family trip, your own number is precisely how everyone contacts you, from both sides of the border.

Why install it in advance and not the night before

Installing the plan at home, with days to spare, doesn't eliminate the possibility of something going wrong. What changes is where it's discovered.

At home, a problem is a twenty-minute inconvenience with Wi-Fi, time, and the option to request a refund. Upon landing, the same problem ruins the reunion.

This is possible because the plan days run from the first use at the destination, not from the purchase, and there are 180 days to install it. You can buy it today, test it this week, and travel in two months without losing a single day.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my cell phone is compatible?

Open the dial pad and type `*#06#`. If a number called EID appears in addition to the IMEI, your device supports digital profiles. Two Mexican warnings: several Redmi and Xiaomi models sold here are the Latin American version and do not include it even if the international spec sheet for the same model says they do, and being unlocked is not the same as being compatible.

Can I use it to call Colombian numbers?

Data plans do not include a local number or traditional phone calls. Calls are made via messaging apps, which is how most people communicate today. If your trip involves procedures that require a local phone number, it's worth keeping this in mind.

What if I'm visiting several cities within Colombia?

A destination plan covers the country, not just one city. Moving between Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena does not require buying anything additional.

Can I share data with a family member there?

It depends on the plan, so it's advisable to check before buying and not take it for granted. On a family trip, it's usually more practical for everyone to have their own, because the group constantly splits up, and relying on a single phone will quickly drain its battery.

What if I'm traveling with my parents and they don't know how to set anything up?

Everything can be installed and selected for them from Mexico, before leaving, and they won't have to touch anything during the trip. This is also the case where it makes the most sense to do it in advance: these are the devices that consume the most without their owner noticing, because they back up photos and sync email on their own.

Will my family in Colombia see a different number when I text them?

No. WhatsApp is associated with your number, and your number remains on your phone. They'll see exactly the same as always.

Should I buy the plan for the entire stay or just for the first few days?

It depends on how much time you'll be spending in homes with Wi-Fi. If most of your stay is at relatives' homes with internet, a shorter plan might suffice, as long as it covers travel and arrival. This is a calculation best done at home rather than improvised.

What if the trip dates change?

It doesn't affect it. The plan doesn't count by flight date but by first use at the destination, so a change of dates won't consume it.

What to remember

• Colombia accounts for three of the ten most booked international destinations by Mexicans.
• Family trips are worse prepared precisely because they don't feel like international trips.
• Leaving the airport is the critical point: without data, a reunion turns into a search.
• On a family trip, being without data isn't an inconvenience: it means being late to everything organized in the group.
• It's entirely resolved from home, without paperwork at the destination and keeping your own number.

PuraSIM sells data plans by destination that can be purchased and installed from Mexico before traveling, with a fixed price, for over 200 destinations. Customer service is via email and WhatsApp, with people who respond in Spanish. There is no phone support.