Best eSIM for Turkey in 2023 (Cheap Travel Data)
If you are planning on traveling to Turkey and wondering what the best eSIM is for your trip then look no further
Turkey eSIMs are a great way to avoid data roaming charges and the hassle of local SIM cards is a bit of a hassle.
Below I will show you the best eSIMs for Turkey so that you can be online within minutes of landing and stay connected throughout your trip.
Top Product Overview
 | best turkey esim
| SEE ON AIRALO → |
 | Best Prices in Turkey
| SEE ON MAYA → |
 | Best eSIM Unlimited Data
| SEE ON HOLAFLY → |
 | Affordable per GB
| SEE ON NOMAD → |
 | eSim with 5G
| SEE ON ALOSIM → |
 | Good 5GB package
| SEE ON KNOW ROAMING → |
 |
| SEE ON SIMCORNER → |
 |
| SEE ON MTX Connect → |
Best eSIM For Turkey
Airalo
Airalo is known around the world as one of the best global eSim providers and they offer some affordable eSims that work in over 190 countries.
Airalo makes using eSims so easy. Everything from buying a Turkey eSim to activating it is simple and their customer service is great too. Airalo also offers great coverage around Turkey and their connection speeds are good.,.
The Airolo Merhaba prepaid eSims allow you to choose your trip length and data needs, plus they are affordable too.
The data plans range from
- 1GB/7 Days – $4.50
- 2GB/15 Days – $6.50
- 3GB/ 30 Days – $8
- 5GB/30 Days – $15
- 10GB/30 Days – $18
- 20GB/30-days – $26(great deal)
The only thing missing is an unlimited data option, and heavy users might have to add more data.
Pros
- Fast connection
- Broad coverage
- A large range of plans
- Very affordable pricing
- Simple to buy and easy to activate
- Great customer service
Cons
- No unlimited data options
Maya
Maya Mobile is not as well known as Airalo or Holafly but I like what I am seeing from them. First, the prices of Maya Turkey eSims are very competitive, including their unlimited monthly plan. And they allow you to tether/hotspot, which not all eSim providers do. Here are their prices (all are for 30 days which is also great):
They also use the best mobile providers in each country which means the best speeds and connections for you. In the case of Turkey, that is Turkcell. I recently spent 2 months traveling in Turkey and testing various mobile providers (Turkcell, Vodaphone, Turk Telekom, etc.) I can tell you a Turkcell eSim is hands down the best!
Maya also offers a money-back guarantee, no questions asked and doesn’t throttle when you use too much data (if you use their unlimited plans).
Pros
- Competitive prices
- Best mobile provider
- All 30-day plans
- Great unlimited package
Cons
- No large/long packages
Holafly
Holalfy is the perfect eSIM provider for heavy data users their’s is the best Turkey eSIMs with unlimited data. You will never have to add more data with a Holafly Turkey eSim. All you need to do is pick how long you need it for
You can choose from Turkey unlimited data eSIM plans including:
- 5 days for $19
- 7 days for $27
- 10 days for $34
- 20 days for $54
- 30 days for $64
- 60 days for $84
- 90 days for $99
These are very affordable prices and you can pick the plan to match your trip length too.
Note: Use EXPERTWORLDTRAVEL for 5% discount on your first purchase
Holafly’s network coverage and connection speeds are decent as they use Avea-Turk Telekom. You will only have issues if you are deep in the mountains somewhere in my experience.
Buying your eSIM and activating it is simple too as Holafly has its own eSIM app available now too.
The only downside is that data sharing and hotspots are not allowed with a Holafly eSim for Turkey. So don’t think you can connect your Holafly eSIM to your laptop and work on it, it doesn’t do that!
Pros
- All plans are unlimited data
- Very affordable
- Easy to buy and activate
- Fast connection speeds
- Countrywide coverage
Cons
- Data sharing is not allowed
Nomad
Nomad is a good eSIM provider in a lot of places but their Turkey eSim options seem to be missing a trick or two.
Granted, their connection speeds, coverage, activation process and customer support are great, but their internet eSims for Turkey are incredibly reasonable and affordable in most cases.
Nomad’s Turkey eSim plans include
- 1GB/7 days for $4
- 3GB/30 days for $9
- 5GB/30 days for $10
- 12GB/30 days for $20
- 20GB/30 days for $30 ($1.5 per GB)
There are no eSIMs with unlimited data plans. This will probably change in the future, but for now, Nomad, like AloSim eSIMs, are very affordable packages for your next trip to Turkey!
Pros
- Affordable prices
- Reliable coverage
- Good connection speeds
- Nice customer service
- Simple to buy & activate
Cons
- Unlimited data is not available
aloSIM
Seriously affordable prepaid eSIM packages are the name of the aloSim. They have teamed up with TurkTelekom/Avea which is the second-best mobile network in Turkey. So, unless you are heading deep in the mountains, I have also had good luck with them.
AloSIM has also included 5G with their eSims, which is rare in Turkey eSims. So, if you are going to be in the cities and more populated areas, this is a great option. Just keep in mind there is no phone number included.
The aloSIM options are very competitive and include:
- 1GB, 7 days, $4.50
- 2GB, 15 days, $6.50
- 3GB, 30 days, $8.00
- 5GB, 30 days, $12.00
- 10GB, 30 days, $18.00
- 20GB, 30 days, $28.00
Overall, this is a solid option and super affordable even compared to Airalo.
Pros
- Affordable per GB
- 5G connectivity
- Top-ups available
Cons
- No Phone number or SMS
- Uses second-best network
Know Roaming
Know Roaming focuses on just a few packages in each region and often has really good packages and prices.
When you buy a Turkey eSim for roaming, they have only two packages, but they are worth checking out:
Pros
- Cheap prices for Turkey
- 30 Days for small packages
Cons
- Only 2 packages
SimCorner
SimCorner is more of an international sim card and eSim reseller which is great as it gives you a lot of options in most cases, but not for a Turkey eSim.
The only Turkey eSim available from SimCorner is a 6GB/15-day plan for $36. The lack of other options is a little shocking. You can even choose a different time period or for unlimited data either.
But, they do offer good customer service, the buying/activation process is easy, and you can hotspot on them too. So, they might not be for an eSim for Turkey but def check them out for other countries.
Pros
- Good coverage and internet speeds
- Easy to buy/activate
- Great customer service
Cons
- Expensive
- Only one plan to choose from
MTX Connect
MTX Connect is a global eSim provider but they are a bit behind the likes of Holafly and Airalo in terms of what they offer.
The coverage and speeds are good, as is the process of buying an eSim and activating it, but the data plans available are a bit of a joke.
Their eSims for Turkey range from 350MB/1 day for $3.68 to 10GB/30-day for $63.62 which is expensive and limiting.
Pros
- Short and long term plans available
- Good network coverage
- Fast connection speeds
Cons
- Too expensive
- Only 4 data plans to choose from
Benefits of Getting an eSIM in Turkey
There are countless benefits to getting a Turkey eSIM, the main one being convenience. By having the best eSim for Turkey you won’t have to find a local sim card shop, queue, find a new data plan, or swap out your sim cards.
All you do is buy your Turkey eSIM card before you travel, activate it when you land, and you are online.
With a Turkey eSIM card, you can also leave your sim card from home in your phone. This means you won’t lose it and you can still receive texts and calls on your home number as usual which is very handy for banking and apps like Paypal that require a text verification step.
Using a Turkey eSIM card is also much more environmentally friendly than buying a normal SIM card. You save on the plastic packaging and the precious metals mined out of central Africa that are needed to make normal sim cards.
To top it off, using a Turkey eSim is also way more affordable than data roaming agreements, so you will be saving some cash too.
Devices Compatible with an eSIM in Turkey
ESIM technology is a fairly new thing which means not all phones and tablets are compatible with them.
ESIM cards are embedded sim cards which means they have to be built into your phone, hence why only newer models come with them. Only higher-end smartphones and tablets come with them too, so cheaper models will probably not have an eSIM card built-in.
If you have a high-end smartphone that is 3 years old or less, chances are it has an eSim. To check, simply dial *#06# on your device. This will bring up all the unique information about your phone or tablet including an IMEI number and perhaps an EID (Embedded Identity Document) number.
If you see an EID number, your device will support an eSim card. But, you need to make sure the phone or tablet is unlocked from a provider first. If you bought your phone with a long-term contract, chances are it is locked.
To unlock it, call your provider and request them to unlock it. It should only take a few minutes to be unlocked.
Local Mobile Operators Offering eSIMs in Turkey
No matter where in the world you are traveling, it is always best to buy an eSim from a local network provider in the country you are heading to.
This ensures you have the best coverage, and fastest connection speeds, and you can even have SMS messages and phone calls added to your eSim plan.
Local mobile operators in Turkey
There are only three mobile network providers in Turkey and these include Turk Telekom, Turkcell, and Vodafone Türkiye. Turkcell has the best coverage on paper, and in my experience having been in Turkey for a month, this is definitely true. Especially when we have been traveling more off the beaten path.
Unfortunately, none of these network providers are offering a Turkey eSim currently but this will most likely change in the future.
Data Needed When Traveling to Turkey
How much data do you need from your Turkey eSim is a great question that you need to answer well.
If you get it right, you will have the best eSim for Turkey with the right eSim data plan that allows you to browse as much as you want to, for as long as you need, for a single price. Get it wrong, and prices can go up pretty quickly.
On average, people use about 5GB a week of data on their phones but heavy users can hit 20Gb if they are downloading photos, music, and movies on a mobile data plan.
Check your smartphone’s data usage report and it will show you how much data you use on average and which apps use a lot of it. Then pick a data plan to match when you buy your Turkey eSim.
It might be that you can cut down your data usage while in Turkey, or that you need unlimited data while you are traveling. Either way, there is a Turkey eSim data plan to match.
Tips for Using eSIM in Turkey
Check Your Device Before Buying A Turkey eSIM
Before buying a Turkey eSim make sure your device has one built-in and it is unlocked from your home network provider, as I already mentioned above. The last thing we want is for you to spend money for nothing.
Don’t Activate Your eSIM Until You Land In Turkey
eSims come with time limits such as 7 days or 30 days. If you activate your eSim before you get to Turkey, you will end up losing some of the days you have paid for.
Use Whatsapp
Almost everyone in Turkey uses WhatsApp to text and call each other. It is a free app that lets you call and send messages over data only, so you won’t need to SMS or call normally while you are there, and you can make bookings using it!
Download Maps To Save Data
I use Google Maps to find my way around the world, it is so useful. Did you know you can download areas for offline use? It is a game changer.
Find some WiFi and download the areas you intend to explore, and that way you never have to use any of your eSim data for navigation.
Here is how to download Google Maps for offline use.
Use Airplane Mode To Reduce Data Consumption
I love airplane mode as it stops me from using my phone until I actually open it up to check it. It also ensures no apps are using data in the background while they are closed. This reduces your data consumption considerably and you can still use maps and take photos too!
Use WiFi For Heavy Apps
Apps that download photos, videos, or movies for you to see use a lot of data. Instagram and Netflix are the worst culprits and Spotify has got bad too as they have started showing music videos too.
Don’t use these apps with your limited eSim data plans as they will chew it up very quickly.
