Planning your trip to Greece and wondering what is the best way to stay connected? Avoid high roaming charges and don't get fooled by slow overseas data roaming plans. Get yourself a local prepaid sim card on arrival or order an e-sim card for Greece on the internet. This is a complete guide for finding the best sim card for your trip to Greece in 2024.
Find out everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card in Greece, where to buy a sim card, a comparison of the mobile internet providers, up to date prices as per March 2024, the best e-sim cards for Greece, the best 4G/5G network, my recommendation and experiences, info about buying a sim card at Athens Airport, international sim cards and more.
Being a full time nomadic travel blogger since 2012 I have been looking for the best ways to get connected for more than 10 years now. In the past I always used to buy a local prepaid sim card in every country on arrival, nowadays I pretty much always use e-sim cards to stay connected.
Looking for the best way to stay connected is a vital part of my travel planning. Since I like to document all my travel tips and I am also trying to visit every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: USA, Europe, Asia, Canada, Dubai, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Kenya, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Vietnam, Sydney, Turkey, Europe, Paris, Amsterdam, Italy, Spain, etc.
Traveltomtom also wrote a complete guide for buying a sim card at Athens Airport and a guide only focussed on e-sims with a comparison of the best e-sim cards for Greece in 2024.
When planning your next adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid sim card and e-sim card advice for your destination. Bookmark me in your travel tips folder and let me help you save money!
Why buying a sim card in Greece
Staying connected while traveling makes life so much easier. Ordering an Uber, getting directions from Google Maps, checking out nearby restaurants with good reviews, finding a cool rooftop bar and so on. There are so many reasons I can come up for you to have a working data connection on your phone while traveling to Greece.
Don't rely on WiFi. Yes, most hotels offer free WiFi and so do many bars and restaurants in Greece, but that is no guarantee it is working. The WiFi signal in your hotel room could be too weak or the WiFi is too slow to upload anything. Also keep in mind that public WiFi connections are UNSECURED networks. Therefore it is also recommended to use a VPN for security reasons.
Buying a local prepaid sim card in Greece or an e-sim card for Greece on the internet is easy, fast and cheap!
If you prefer to NOT swap sim cards and your phone is not e-sim card compatible then you should look into a portable WiFi device. Personally I am not a fan, but read my honest review about these pocket WiFi's in my article about how to get WiFi abroad and make up your own opinion.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Cosmote or Vodafone sim card for Greece. Cosmote has the best 4G/5G network in Greece and especially for island hopping in Greece a Cosmote sim card is recommended.
A Vodafone sim card is the second best. They have a great prepaid sim cards for tourists, but you have to buy them from the street vendors in Greece to get the best deal. More info below.
The cheapest way to stay connected when traveling to Greece in 2024 is an e-sim card as there are already e-sim card plans for Greece starting from just $4.5 USD. But the best thing about e-sim cards is that you arrange everything online and as soon as the plane lands you are connected.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Greece via Nomad, Airalo or SimOptions depending on what kind of e-sim card you prefer.
Check out Traveltomtom's complete guide with the best e-sim cards for traveling to Greece in 2024.
If your phone is not e-sim compatible then Traveltomtom recommends an international prepaid sim card for Greece. You can order these physical prepaid sim cards on the internet and they will be delivered at your home address.
Check out Traveltomtom's list of the best prepaid sim card for traveling in Europe in 2024 or my comparison of the best international sim cards for traveling in 2024.
Buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Greece give you more value for money than global sim cards. But the easiest and most convenient way to stay connected when traveling to Greece is without a doubt an e-sim card!
Best e-sim cards for Greece
An e-sim card is the easiest way to get data on your phone when traveling to Greece in 2024. You can arrange everything on the internet within just a couple clicks. No more visiting a sim card store and swapping physical sim card.
You order an e-sim card for Greece on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Greece e-sim card installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Greece it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Greece.
Traveltomtom wrote a complete guide for using e-sim cards when traveling to Greece, including a comparison of the best e-sim cards, all FAQ's answered and everything else you need to know about e-sim cards.
There are a couple trusted e-sim card providers, here are Traveltomtom's recommendations.
Airalo
Airalo offers the following e-sim cards for traveling to Greece:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $9 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $12 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $15 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $25 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $49 USD
Click here to order an e-sim card for Greece directly online through Airalo.
The above data-only e-sim cards for Greece are from Meraki Mobile operate on the Nova 4G/LTE and 5G network. Yes, the Meraki Mobile e-sim cards for Greece are 5G ready. Data is only valid in Greece.
SimOptions
SimOptions sells international e-sim cards for Greece. Big plus about these e-sim cards is that they are valid in more all of Europe and including calling and texting. Some are even 5G ready.
- 15 GB data + unlimited calls for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 10 GB data-only (5G ready) for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 12 GB data + 30 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data + 120 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 50 GB data (5G ready) + unlimited calls/text for 28 days = $59.90 USD
Click here to directly order an international e-sim cards for Greece via SimOptions or find more info.
You can order the above international e-sim cards through SimOptions and they all offer free EU data roaming and allow you to make phone calls and text. All these international e-sim cards come with a phone number, so incoming calls are also supported.
Nomad
A third reviewed and tested e-sim provider is Nomad and they often have amazingly competitive e-sim card plans and promotion deals. Here are the Nomad e-sim card plans for Greece in 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $8 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $14 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $19 USD
- 15 GB data for 30 days = $27 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $33 USD
Click here for more info or to order a Nomad e-sim card for traveling to Greece.
Make sure your mobile phone is e-sim compatible otherwise an e-sim card won't work on your device.
Want more info about using e-sim cards and an answer to all FAQ about e-sims then check out Traveltomtom's complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an e-sim card for traveling to Greece in 2024.
If your phone is not e-sim compatible then you can order a physical prepaid sim card for Greece on the internet. I recommend the Orange Holiday sim card with 30 GB data and unlimited calls and text in Europe for $44.90 USD.
These international prepaid sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip to Greece. You can order physical prepaid sim cards for traveling to Greece via SimOptions.
Greece prepaid sim cards and EU data roaming
Is Greece your first stop on your trip to Europe? If so, then make sure the prepaid sim card you buy in Greece includes free EU roaming. Most prepaid sim card plans from Greece allow EU data roaming, but there are some limitations and restriction of the usage of your data allowance outside Greece.
Therefore always ask the sim card provider about the EU data roaming restrictions when buying a prepaid sim card in Greece.
Free EU data roaming means that the data, voice and text allowance on your Greece sim card can be used in every other country in the EU at no extra costs! Which means when you travel onwards to Paris, Amsterdam, Poland or Estonia you can keep using your Greece prepaid sim card.
For more info on EU data roaming check out my complete guide for buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe in 2024.
If you want to arrive prepared for your trip to Europe then order a sim card for traveling in Europe on the internet. Which one? Check out Traveltomtom's comparison of the best sim cards for a trip to Europe in 2024.
Mobile internet operators in Greece
There are 3 main mobile operators in Greece: Nova, Cosmote and Vodafone. Nova is the new Wind, as per January 2023 Wind rebranded to Nova.
All providers have stores around Athens city center and in every main tourist destination in Greece as well as on the popular tourist islands in Greece.
However, the official mobile phone stores from Nova, Vodafone or Cosmote is not where you find the best prepaid sim card deals for tourists. The best prepaid sim cards for tourists in Greece are sold by street vendors.
In most countries it is pretty regulated and prices are fixed no matter which store you go. In Greece I discovered that sim card prices in stores are fixed, but there are official resellers roaming the streets and popular tourist attractions selling prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Registration process
When buying a sim card in Greece you need to bring your passport. The mobile internet provider needs to take a copy or a photo of your photo ID to register your prepaid sim card. You will receive a sim card with a Greek number starting with +30 which is registered on your name and passport number.
If you don't feel comfortable with this procedure you should look into buying an international prepaid sim card for Greece or an e-sim card for Greece, as these ways of staying connected when traveling to Greece do not require the registration with your passport, just your email.
Where to buy a sim card in Greece
Buying a sim card at Athens Airport
In general buying a sim card on arrival at the airport is always more expensive then buying a sim card elsewhere. At Athens airport there are very limited options for buying a prepaid sim card for traveling in Greece.
There is a Sim Local store in the baggage claim area which sells prepaid sim cards for tourists and another store in the Arrival Hall. Check out my complete guide for buying a sim card at Athens Airport in 2024.
The Sim Local stores at Athens Airport are open from 06.00 AM till 10.00 PM. You can pay by credit card or in Euros. There are ATMs.
Buying a Greece sim card from a street vendor
Street vendors often have great sim card deals for Greece but you can only find them in Athens. Personally I have never seen them in places like Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, Lesbos, Santorini or other tourist destinations in Greece.
It sounds a bit weird to buy a sim card on the streets from someone who takes a photo of your ID or passport? Don't worry you can trust them! They are official employees of either Vodafone, Nova or Cosmote and wearing their branded clothes.
They organize everything on the spot and they won't let you walk away before your data sim card for Greece is activated and working.
Where to find them? Mostly around the bigger metro stations in Athens city center you will find youngsters selling sim cards.
Another big advantage of these youngsters selling prepaid sim cards for Greece is that they speak really good English as they are obviously targeting tourists. The employees in the phone shops often speak very little English.
Buying a sim card on a Greek island
In case your trip to Greece starts on an island and you want to buy a sim card for Greece on arrival then I strongly advice you to go to a Vodafone or Cosmote store as they have the best 4G/5G coverage on the Greek islands. Nova has expensive prepaid plans and the Nova 4G/5G coverage can be really disappointing on the Greek Islands.
Flying to Santorini? There is a shop that sells sim cards after customs. In the city center of Thera the heart of Santorini island there is a Vodafone, Cosmote and Nova store. The same counts for the airport in Crete. After customs you can buy a sim card at Crete Airport, but there are as well multiple phone stores around Crete island.
Online
By ordering a sim card for Greece on the internet you save all the hassle of buying a prepaid sim card on arrival in Greece. There are 2 options for buying a Greece sim card online: prepaid international sim cards for Greece or e-sim cards for Greece.
If your phone is compatible then you simply arrange everything on the internet and you arrive prepared for your trip to Greece. As soon as the plane touches the ground you can already enjoy data on your phone.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Greece via Nomad, Airalo or SimOptions depending on what kind of e-sim card you prefer.
For more detailed info check out Traveltomtom's complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an e-sim card for traveling to Greece in 2024.
Prices prepaid sim cards in Greece in 2024
All the info and prepaid sim card plans below are update in March 2024 with the latest prices. Prices are in Euros: $1 USD = €0.92 EUR and €1 EUR = $1.09 USD.
In Greece they still only offer physical prepaid sim cards for tourists, it is not possible to buy an e-sim card at Athens Airport nor in Nova, Vodafone or Cosmote stores in Greece.
Vodafone Greece prepaid sim card
When buying a Vodafone prepaid sim card in Greece you can expect the following 3 prepaid sim card deals in one of their stores:
- 12 GB data in all of Europe for 15 days = €9.90 ($11 USD)
- 10 GB data in all of Europe + 100 minutes in Europe + 50 minutes international calls for 15 days = €9.90 ($11 USD)
- 15 GB data in all of Europe + 200 minutes in Europe + 120 minutes international calls for 30 days = €17.90 ($20 USD)
For more info check the Vodafone Greece website. But wait...
You can also buy a Vodafone Greece prepaid sim card from a street vendor:
- Unlimited data + 200 minutes + 50 international minutes = €12 EUR - $13 USD
As you can see the street vendors sell completely different Vodafone Greece prepaid sim card plans. Vodafone Greece does not provide e-sim cards, they only sell physical prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Nova Greece prepaid sim card
Nova has its own prepaid sim card brand called Free2Go.
- 1 GB data + 100 minutes and sms = €12 EUR - $13 USD
- 2 GB data + unlimited minutes and 500 sms = €15 EUR - $16.5 USD
For more info check out the Free2Go website, but compared to Vodafone these Nova/Free2Go prepaid sim card plans are totally useless.
Remember Nova used to be Wind, they rebranded in January 2023.
However, there still are the friendly youngster at the metro stations or randomly on the streets selling Nova Mobile prepaid sim cards for tourists.
- Unlimited data (only 5 GB for Europe) + 1000 minutes - valid for 30 days = €12 EUR - $13 USD
Conclusion: Whenever you want to buy a Nova sim card in Greece go to the street vendors as they offer much better prepaid sim card deals than in the Nova stores.
Nova stores and street vendors do NOT provide e-sim cards, they only sell physical prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Cosmote prepaid sim card
Cosmote is the biggest mobile internet provider in Greece with the best 5G network in Greece. Cosmote stores are much more than mobile services, they much rather sell flatscreens, laptops, drones, etc. than prepaid sim cards for tourists, so don't expect the best service.
A Cosmote prepaid sim card costs €13.5 EUR ($15 USD) and you get 2.5 GB data + unlimited minutes + 400 sms. Not really a prepaid sim card deal that makes us happy right?
You can top up with any of the above prepaid sim card data packages:
- 4 GB for 1 month = €8.5 EUR - $9.4 USD
- 6 GB for 7 days = €4 EUR - $4.4 USD
Find more info on the Cosmote website.
Then there are the street vendors for Cosmote Greece:
- 10 GB data + 100 minutes for 1 month = €10 EUR - $11 USD
- 5 GB data for 1 month = €6 EUR - $6.6 USD
The Cosmote street vendors were super friendly, spoke good English and offer better Cosmote prepaid sim card plans than in the Cosmote stores.
Cosmote does NOT provide e-sim cards for tourists, they only sell physical prepaid sim cards.
Frog Mobile
Frog Mobile is part of the Cosmote company and operates on the Cosmote network. A Frog Mobile sim card is free, but requires the addiotion of a data package with a top-up. They have some cheap Greece sim card deals compared to the other mobile internet providers. See the above prices and plans.
- 6 GB data for 25 days = €5.35 EUR - $6 USD
- 10 GB data + 200 minutes for 30 days = €8.90 EUR - $10 USD
- 15 GB data + 500 minutes for 30 days = €13.50 EUR - $15 USD
Frog sim cards limit the free EU data roaming to about 80% of your package. For example in the 15 GB package, only 13.5 GB is valid within the EU, outside of Greece. For more info about Frog Mobile check their website.
Best 4G/5G mobile network in Greece in 2024
Now that we have compared the Greece prepaid sim card plans for 2024, lets have a look at the 4G/5G network coverage maps for Greece.
Let's compared the 4G/5G mobile data network coverage of Nova, Vodafone and Cosmote and find out which mobile internet provider has the best network coverage and which sim card is recommended for island hopping in Greece or traveling in mainland Greece.
Is there 5G in Greece?
Yes, there is 5G in Greece, but it is not as advanced as in most other European countries. When island hopping in Greece don't expect to find 5G everywhere. However, most islands in Greece have a 4G/LTE signal.
Vodafone 4G/5G network coverage map
Nova 4G/5G network coverage map
Cosmote 4G/5G network coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2024 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Greece in 2024.
It leaves no doubt that Cosmote has the best 4G/5G network in Greece followed by Vodafone and then Nova. Cosmote has by far the most extensive 5G network in Greece in 2024. Nova has the weakest 4G/5G mobile network in Greece.
Based on the network coverage Traveltomtom recommends a Cosmote sim card for traveling in Greece.
Best prepaid sim card in Greece in 2024
As I mentioned earlier buying a prepaid sim card in Greece is easy, but it is hard to find the best sim card for tourists. The phone stores have set prices, but the street vendors have much better prepaid sim cards for tourists. But when and where to find them can be challenging.
The best prepaid sim card plans in Greece can be found from the students selling sim cards near the metro stations at for example Omonia Square. Here they sell Vodafone, Cosmote or Nova prepaid sim cards for €12 EUR ($13 USD) with unlimited data.
In fact this is the best best prepaid sim card deal for Greece.
However, it will cost you some effort finding these street vendors and it is uncertain when and where they are... I don't know exactly, but on weekdays they are mostly around the entrances of metro stations from morning till afternoon. On Saturdays and Sundays I have never seen them.
You can take a leap of faith and it will save you a couple dollars if you find a street vendor, but when traveling to Greece Traveltomtom recommends buying a sim card online. You will be online as soon as the plane lands.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Greece via Nomad, Airalo or SimOptions depending on what kind of e-sim card you prefer.
E-sim cards are the easiest way to stay connected and also the fastest. You can find amazing e-sim card deals for traveling to Greece on the internet: 15 GB data for 15 days including unlimited calls in all of Europe.
Find more amazing e-sim cards for Greece in Traveltomtom's list of the best e-sim cards for traveling to Greece in 2024. If your phone is not e-sim compatible then check below how to order a physical prepaid sim cards for Greece on the internet.
Order a prepaid sim card for Greece online
If your want to arrive to Greece prepared and be online when the plane touches the ground and your phone is not e-sim compatible then order a sim card for Greece online. Make it easy for yourself with an international prepaid sim card that will be send to your home address before your trip to Greece. These pre-activated world travel sim cards work like plug and play.
Check out the following international prepaid sim card deals for Greece:
1. O2 Go Card - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- $2 calling credit in Europe and UK
- Valid for 30 days
2. Three Data Pack - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms within Europe and UK
- Valid 30 days
3. Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 12 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and UK
- 30 minutes worldwide
- 200 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
4. Bouygues Telecom My Europe Sim - $44.90
- 30 GB data in Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls in Europe and UK
- Valid 30 days
5. Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 30 GB data in Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and UK
- 120 minutes worldwide
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Click here to order an international prepaid sim card for Greece directly online.
A last reminder that if your phone is e-sim compatible you can arrange everything online within just a couple clicks by ordering an e-sim card for traveling to Greece.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Greece via Nomad, Airalo or SimOptions depending on what kind of e-sim card you prefer.
For much more detailed info about when to order, how to activate and all other answers on FAQ about e-sim cards check out Traveltomtom's complete guide with everything you need to know before ordering an e-sim cards for Greece.
Very important: make sure your phone is unlocked before buying a prepaid sim card in Greece, ordering an e-sim card or an international sim card. If your phone is locked non of these ways to stay connected in Greece will work on a locked phone!
Looking for some sincere travel inspiration? Go check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom and see what it looks like traveling to every country in the world. As of March 2024 I have been to more than 155 countries!
For specific questions about traveling to Greece and staying connected please leave me a comment below and I will try to help you out.
Enjoy your trip to Greece!
Some links in this article about the best ways to stay connected when traveling to Greece are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.