Best eSim For Greece (Local & International Providers)
Need to get an eSIM for Greece but you’re unsure what your options are? Then you’re absolutely in the right place because this detailed guide includes the best local and international eSim providers for Greece!
At A Glance: Our Top Esims For Greece
- Cheapest esims Maya Mobile
- BEST WITH PHONE NUMBER Orange Holiday Zen eSim
- BEST UNLIMITED DATA esim Holafly
- BEST FOR AFFORDABLE DATA PLANS Nomad
- BEST RECURRING MONTHLY PLAN Ubigi
Whether you need just a few gigabytes for a short trip, or you’re staying in the country for a while and you need a much larger data allowance, you’ll find at least one suitable option below.
If by chance you are after an eSim for multiple European countries, then read this eSim guide instead.
Keep reading to see our top picks for an eSim provider in Greece!
ESIM Product Comparison
Maya10 Days
$1.66/GB
Maya10 Days
$1.3/GB
Maya10 Days
$0.92/GB
Maya10 Days
$0.9/GB
MayaAny
Airalo7 Days
$5/GB
Airalo15 Days
$4.5/GB
Airalo30 Days
$3/GB
Airalo30 Days
$2.6/GB
Airalo30 Days
$2.5/GB
Airalo30 Days
$2.45/GB
Holafly1 Day
Holafly7 Days
Holafly14 Days
Holafly30 Days
Holafly60 Days
Holafly90 Days
Nomad3 Days
$4.5/GB
Nomad30 Days
$2.66/GB
Nomad30 Days
$2.5/GB
Nomad30 Days
$2/GB
Nomad30 Days
$1.65/GB
Ubigi30 Days (recurring)
$2.4/GB
Maya Mobile
Maya Mobile is one of the cheapest and best eSIM providers in Germany. They have great prepaid eSIMs from 5-40 GB and also have a decent unlimited plan as well. Here are some of their offers:
- 5 GB from $7.99 (20% off, originally $9.99)
- 10 GB from $12.79 (20% off, originally $15.99)
- 20 GB from $18.39 (20% off, originally $22.99)
- 40 GB from $33.59 (20% off, originally $41.99)
- Daily Unlimited / Up to 180 Days: $2.32 per day
They work with Vodaphone 5G so you will have ideal connections across the Greek Islands or mainland, and you can share your data too, which is one of the advantages over the unlimited packages from Holafly.
Pros
- Both unlimited and prepaid
- Great connection speeds
- Data sharing available
Cons
- No small packages
Orange Holiday Europe eSim
Orange Holiday Europe eSim is an all-inclusive eSim plan that can fully replace a physical sim card. You get 20 GB of mobile data and a (French) phone number, so you can make calls and send/receive text messages without any roaming charges. It’s worth noting that I’ve not seen anything similar with any other eSim provider, so this is by far the best option if you need a monthly eSim plan for Greece that includes everything.
And don’t worry that it’s a French number; it’s still the European Union, so you can make calls, send texts, and use mobile data without any additional charges. The only catch is that you need to register your eSim within the first month if you don’t want it to get deactivated when the plan stops being valid.
This eSim will cost you around 39 Euros. It’s expensive, but worth it if you want an all-inclusive plan.
Pros
- Includes a phone number
- Generous data allowance
- Regional coverage
Cons
- Pricey
Orange Holiday Zen eSim
Orange Holiday Zen eSim is an all-inclusive eSim plan, similar to the previous Orange Holiday Europe eSim plan. The Zen plan is valid for two weeks, as opposed to thirty days of the previous plan, and it includes a smaller data allowance. You get 8 GB of mobile data, and you only need to pay some 20 Euros for this plan.
You will also get a French phone number so you can make and receive calls, as well as send and receive text messages. The data plan even includes free phone minutes and 200 free texts to Europe and worldwide, and it’s genuinely one of the best two-week plans you can buy for Greece, especially if having a phone number is important to you.
Pros
- Phone number included
- Good value for money
- Coverage in the entire EU
Cons
- No top-ups
Holafly
Holafly is the most popular eSim provider for travelers who need an unlimited data plan. All of their eSim options for Greece include unlimited data, and they differ in the duration of the plan. The most affordable plan is active for 1 day, while the most expensive plan gets you almost three months of unlimited data in Greece.
You don’t get a local phone number with the Holafly eSim, but that’s the case with most eSim providers. Also, one major downside of Holafly is that they don’t allow data sharing, meaning you’ll be able to access the Internet only on the device on which the eSim is active. This is an issue if you want to create a hotspot that your friends and family could use as well.
It’s worth noting that Holafly also offers regional eSim plans that are priced identically to individual-country plans. If you’re planning to visit more than one country in Europe, a regional Europe eSim plan is the best value for money.
Pros
- Unlimited data
- Easy top-ups
- Lots of options
Cons
- No data sharing
- Expensive
Nomad
Nomad is another popular international eSim provider with some really good data plans for Greece. Their data plans are actually cheaper than Airalo, which doesn’t happen very often. Nomad’s eSim plans for Greece start at $4.5 for 1GB that’s valid for a week, and go up to $35 for 20 GB that you can use over a month.
The cheapest monthly data plan for Greece is $8.50 for 3 GB, which is the best deal for month-long Internet access. Also, it’s worth noting that you can always purchase additional data once you spend everything in the initial plan, so there’s no reason to overpay for data that you might not even use.
Nomad also has regional data plans that offer coverage in 25 or 35 European countries (both plans include Greece), but they’re more expensive than individual data plans for Greece. These plans are worth considering only if your travel plans include going outside of Greece.
Pros
- Very affordable plans
- Options for regional plans
- Easy activation and top-ups
Cons
- No phone number
Airalo
Airalo offers eSim data plans in Greece starting from just $5. The cheapest plan from this eSim provider includes 1 GB of data that’s valid for an entire week, and it’s the perfect data plan for travelers who just want to have the safety net of internet access in case they need it.
The priciest plan from the same eSim provider is $49, and it includes 20 GB of data that is valid for an entire month. This is a pretty good deal for a longer stay in Greece, especially if you usually use a lot of data while you’re traveling. It’s important to note that Airalo has a bunch of other and cheaper plans that are valid for an entire month, so you can ensure you stay connected in Greece for 30 days for as low as $9.
Airalo also offers regional plans for Europe, but they are a bit more expensive than the individual country plans. They’re worth it, in case you are planning to visit other countries in Europe or the European Union, in addition to Greece.
Pros
- Affordable data plans
- Regional plans are available
Cons
- More expensive than Nomad
Ubigi
Ubigi is a good option if you want a regional eSim plan that’s active in Europe or even worldwide. They don’t offer individual country plans, so their eSim packages are a little pricier compared to the likes of Airalo and Nomad.
On the other hand, Ubigi also has one of the cheapest eSim plans that’s active in Greece, and it’s perfect for travelers who are in the country for only a little while. The plan is active for just one day and it costs $2, for 500 MB of data. Most of their other data plans are valid for at least 30 days and include anywhere from 1 GB to 50 GB of mobile data.
Another thing to note about Ubigi is that they also sell monthly plans that are active for as long as you keep paying the subscription. The cheapest one is $12 per month and it includes 5 GB of data. You can use it in all 27 countries of the European Union, plus the UK and Switzerland.
Pros
- Regional coverage
- Monthly plans
Cons
- No Greece-only option
AIS SIM2Fly
AIS SIM2Fly is a Thailand-based company, so it’s not the best option for traveling to Europe. This is a good option for Thailand nationals, mostly because of the wide availability of these eSIMs in their region.
This provider doesn’t offer individual country plans for Europe. Instead, they have one global plan that you can buy for $33. It includes
- 6 GB of data
- is valid for two weeks
- unlimited 2G Internet access
- a Thai number for calls & SMS
You can easily top up the plan once you use up the initial data.
Pros
- Unlimited (low-speed) data
- Coverage in 120 countries
- Phone number included
Cons
- No Greece-only option
- Expensive
Benefits of Getting an eSim in Greece
The main benefit of getting an eSim for your Greece trip is that you’ll always have WiFi access. While Athens and some other bigger cities have decent free WiFi coverage, that’s not the case with the more remote areas in the country. If you’re planning on exploring outside the bigger cities (which you absolutely should because Greece has stunning nature), you’ll need to bring your own Internet.
If you get an eSim with a phone number, you can also make calls and send/receive texts without paying for roaming charges, which can be quite expensive. No data roaming charges is also an advantage of a Greece eSim.
Local Mobile Operators Offering eSims in Greece
Vodafone is the largest local mobile operator in Greece and they have the best network coverage in the country. If you plan on traveling to multiple cities and exploring remote areas in Greece, your best bet is an eSim that can connect to the Vodafone network.
They have several data plan packages for tourists, and you will get the option of choosing between physical sim cards and eSims. It’s worth noting that you must pay an additional fee of 9.9 Euros for a prepaid eSim, on top of whatever you’re paying for the data plan you choose.
There’s no extra fee for a physical sim card, so purchasing an eSim data plan from a local provider isn’t really the best option, at least in terms of value for money.
Cosmote is also a big network operator in Greece, and they offer internet-only sim cards for tourists. Their mobile data sim cards include 4G LTE access only, and they cost 20 Euros for 12 GB of data. When you use up all the original data, you can easily top up the sim card with more data for a discounted fee. It’s worth noting that this provider does not currently offer eSim data plans for tourists.
Nova (former WIND) also offers physical data-only sim cards for tourists, and they’re more affordable than Cosmote’s packages. But you can only purchase a physical sim card for a prepaid plan and not an eSim.
Devices Compatible with eSim in Greece
All devices that support embedded sim technology will be compatible with eSims in Greece. This includes all iOS and some Android devices that were released from 2018 onwards. All iPhones released since the iPhone XR are compatible with eSims and you should have no issues trying to activate an eSim in Greece.
It’s not quite as simple with Android phones, simply because there are a lot more of them. The eSim technology is still being reserved for the best and most expensive Android phones, and many budget and mid-range phones do not support this technology yet.
If you’re using a flagship phone that was released in the past 4-5 years, or a Google Pixel phone, you can most likely add an eSim data plan.
In any case, it’s super easy to check whether your phone supports an eSim, so be sure to do that before you purchase any Greece eSim plans. Just call *#06# and if you see an EID number, that means that your smartphone supports an eSim. If there is no such number, your phone most likely doesn’t support an eSim and you’ll need to purchase a physical sim card.
If your phone is compatible with an eSim but you’re still having issues setting it up, it’s best to contact the support team of the eSim provider for a quick resolution of the problem.
Data Needed When Traveling to Greece
The amount of data you need when traveling to Greece depends on how you’re used to using your phone, and what you plan to use the Internet for. If you need an Internet connection just to access maps for directions, use social media, and check your email, you will be fine with 3-5 GB for up to two weeks.
On the other hand, if you need to stay connected because you need to work while you’re in Greece, or you want the option of streaming movies and Youtube videos, your best bet is an unlimited data plan.
Just make sure that whatever data plan allows you to share the connection (create a hotspot) so you can connect other devices to the WiFi. Since most eSim providers who offer unlimited data plans don’t allow data sharing, a physical sim card will be your best bet in this case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is eSim available in Greece?
Yes, eSim is available in Greece and you can use an eSim with a data plan that you purchased from any international provider. However, tourists will have a harder time purchasing prepaid eSims in Greece, because they’re usually tied to postpaid packages.
How can I buy an eSim in Greece?
The best way to buy an eSim in Greece is to purchase one online, from one of the many international providers. Vodafone is the only local provider that offers eSim data plans for tourists, and those come with an additional fee of 10 Euros, on top of the existing cost of the data plan.
How do I activate my eSim in Greece?
To activate your eSim in Greece, just follow the instructions you received with it. Either scan the QR code, or open the settings on your smartphone, find the SIM manager, select add eSim/add a data plan, and input the necessary information to add the sim card.
The eSim card is normally activated as soon as you turn on mobile data, so if you add it before your trip, don’t use 4G before you arrive in Greece.
