FairSIM eSIM for Greece
Greece is a country of ferries, and ferries are where phones go quiet. The Blue Star to Santorini leaves Piraeus with a booking in Ferryhopper, loses signal in the open Aegean, and reconnects as Paros slides past. Cancelled sailings on windy days are announced by text and app. The taxi on the quay is an app too, since Uber, FreeNow and Bolt all dispatch the same yellow taxis.
Summer adds heat and fire. In heatwaves the Acropolis closes for the hottest hours, announced the same morning. Wildfire evacuation orders arrive as 112 alerts on every phone in the area, with a link that needs data. Greece welcomed a record 37.98 million visitors in 2025, and the island cells are packed in August.
A FairSIM eSIM for Greece connects to Cosmote, renamed Telekom on 8 September 2026, or Vodafone, at the wholesale rate. Greek shops have photographed passports for every prepaid SIM since anonymous cards were blocked in 2010. The eSIM installs at home in one tap and works when you land in Athens.
- CarriersWind Greece
- CompatibilityCheck if eSIM is available on your phone
- No days lostPurchase now, data will start when you arrive
Greece eSIM plans
Plan starts: On first data use
Coverage in Greece
- 4G LTE5G
Cosmote (Telekom)
Opensignal's Best Network in March 2026, with the fastest average download at 71.9 Mbps and the best coverage score at 8.4 out of 10. 5G reaches more than 95% of the population. Rebranded Telekom on 8 September 2026, so phones now show TELEKOM.GR. The most common travel eSIM host.
- 4G LTE5G
Vodafone Greece
5G on 94% of the population across 247 towns and 70 islands as of September 2025. A frequent travel eSIM host.
- 4G LTE5G
Nova
The fastest 5G in Opensignal's July 2025 report at about 183 Mbps, but the weakest coverage of the three on small islands.
4G nationwide including the inhabited islands, 5G on 90 to 95% of the population depending on the operator
Typical speed: About 136 Mbps median download (Ookla Speedtest Global Index, December 2025); Cosmote averaged 71.9 Mbps in Opensignal's March 2026 report.
Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete's north coast and the main Cyclades towns are excellent. Signal fades on long ferry crossings, on remote beaches and in mountain villages on Crete and the Peloponnese. Thick stone and whitewashed walls weaken indoor signal in old towns.
How much data do you need in Greece?
It depends on how you travel. Find your trip below, then pick the plan that matches. You can always top up in the app.
Athens plus one island
Three days in the capital, then a ferry or short flight to Hydra, Santorini or Naxos.
Why data matters: Acropolis timed tickets, the metro to Piraeus, Ferryhopper bookings and live ferry tracking, FreeNow or Uber for a yellow taxi, Google Translate for menus.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Cyclades island hopping
Santorini, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos on Blue Star and SeaJets.
Why data matters: Ferryhopper for rebookings when the meltemi cancels sailings, beach club and restaurant reservations, scooter rentals, photo and video uploads. Coverage is strong in the towns, gone mid-sea.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Crete road trip
A rental car from Heraklion or Chania to Elafonisi, Balos and the gorges.
Why data matters: Google Maps for mountain roads, gorge and beach conditions, Knossos tickets, taverna bookings, offline maps for the south coast.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Beach resort week
Rhodes, Corfu, Kos, Zakynthos or Halkidiki on a package holiday.
Why data matters: Hotel apps, excursion bookings, weather, FaceTime home, streaming by the pool when the resort Wi-Fi collapses at 9 pm.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 20 GB
Sailing and yacht charter
A week out of Athens, Lefkada or Kos with a skipper or bareboat.
Why data matters: Marine weather and wind apps, harbour bookings, navigation backups, WhatsApp with the crew. Coastal 4G is decent; expect gaps between islands.
- 7 days
- 5 GB
- 14 days
- 10 GB
- 30 days
- 15 GB
Remote work from the islands
A month in Athens, Crete or Paros with calls in the morning and the beach after.
Why data matters: Video calls, tethering the laptop, cloud sync, banking. Unlimited or a big bundle beats hunting for café Wi-Fi.
- 7 days
- 10 GB
- 14 days
- 20 GB
- 30 days
- Unlimited
What your home carrier charges in Greece
Daily roaming passes look small until you multiply them by the length of the trip. FairSIM plans for Greece start at $4.99 and never bill per day.
| Carrier | Roaming charge | FairSIM |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon TravelPass (US) | $12 per line per day, 5 GB of high-speed data per day then slower speeds | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| T-Mobile (US) | 5 GB of high-speed data included on Experience More, 15 GB on Experience Beyond, then 256 kbps; $10 per day for a full-speed pass | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| EE (UK) | £2.72 per day, or £16.50 for a 7-day EU pass and £30 for 15 days | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Three (UK) | £2 to £2.75 per day unless your plan includes roaming | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Telstra International Day Pass (Australia) | A$10 per day with 2 GB of data | from $4.99, no daily fee |
| Rogers (Canada) | C$18 per day with Roam Like Home | from $4.99, no daily fee |
Carrier prices as published on their roaming pages at the time of writing. They change often; check your own plan before you fly.
How FairSIM works
Three steps between you and the internet abroad. Nothing to pick up at the airport.
Pick a destination and a plan
Choose the country or region and the data you need. The price you see is the price you pay.
Tap install
On iPhone (iOS 17.4+) the eSIM installs in one tap, no QR code. Do it at home while you still have Wi-Fi.
Land and connect
Turn on data roaming for the FairSIM line when you arrive. Your plan starts when it first connects.
Connectivity tips for Greece
Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi and switch data on when you land in Athens, Heraklion or Thessaloniki. It connects to Telekom (Cosmote) or Vodafone automatically.
The Europe regional plan bought for Greece keeps working in Italy, Cyprus, Bulgaria and the rest of the EU. Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia sit outside EU roaming, so check the plan's country list before a day trip to Kuşadası.
Cosmote became Telekom on 8 September 2026. If your phone shows TELEKOM.GR instead of COSMOTE, that is the same network.
The Athens metro has 4G in the tunnels and 5G on Line 2, so maps work on the ride from the airport to Syntagma.
Ferries lose signal mid-crossing on the long Piraeus to Santorini and Mykonos routes. Download tickets, maps and the hotel address before you sail.
The Acropolis sells timed entry slots online and closes for the hottest hours in heatwaves. Book the 8 am slot in July and August.
Old-town lanes on Santorini, Rhodes and Chania have thick stone walls that block indoor signal. Step outside or up to a roof terrace for calls.
Keep your home SIM active for banking SMS codes and turn off its data roaming to avoid $12 daily passes.
Can you rely on free Wi-Fi?
Good on land, poor at sea. Athens airport, Piraeus port and hundreds of WiFi4EU municipal hotspots are free, and cafés, tavernas and hotels almost always share a password. Blue Star ferries advertise Wi-Fi that rarely works well, SeaJets has none, and resort Wi-Fi slows to a crawl in the evening.
Local SIM card or eSIM in Greece?
Prepaid SIMs are sold in Telekom (formerly Cosmote), Vodafone and Nova shops, at kiosks and supermarkets, and at Sim Local counters in the Athens airport arrivals hall. Cosmote's basic tourist pack is about €13.50 for 2.5 GB, and Vodafone sells 25 GB for about €20 or unlimited for €30 in store. Street vendors near the Athens metro undercut everyone. Greece banned anonymous SIMs in 2010, so the shop photographs your passport before activation.
For most visits a travel eSIM is the simpler choice: no passport copy at a counter, no queue at the airport, no physical SIM swap, and the Europe regional plan works across the EU. A local SIM only wins if you need a Greek number for a season job or a long stay.
Greece eSIM questions
Does eSIM work in Greece?
Yes. Telekom (formerly Cosmote), Vodafone and Nova all support eSIM roaming, with 4G on every inhabited island and 5G on more than 90% of the population. Any eSIM-compatible iPhone (XS and newer) connects automatically.
Which network will my FairSIM eSIM use in Greece?
Plans typically connect to Telekom (Cosmote) or Vodafone Greece, the two networks with the widest island coverage. The app shows the network for each plan, and phones may display TELEKOM.GR since the September 2026 rebrand.
Do I get 5G in Greece with an eSIM?
Usually, on a 5G phone in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion and the main towns on Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes and Corfu. 4G remains the fallback and is fine for maps and video.
Can I use hotspot or tethering?
Yes. Every FairSIM plan supports Personal Hotspot, with no separate cap. Handy for a laptop when the villa Wi-Fi gives up.
Should I install the eSIM before or after landing?
Install before you leave, over Wi-Fi, and activate data on arrival. Installation needs an internet connection; Athens airport has free Wi-Fi if you forgot.
Can I make calls with a Greece eSIM?
FairSIM is data-only. Calls and texts run over WhatsApp, FaceTime, Viber, which is popular in Greece, or Google Voice. Keep your home SIM for incoming SMS codes.
How much data do I need for 10 days in Greece?
About 5 to 8 GB for maps, ferries, messaging and photos; 15 GB if you stream at the beach or upload video every day. Top up in the app if you run low.
Is an eSIM better than a Cosmote tourist SIM?
For most trips, yes: no passport copy at a shop, no airport queue, no swapping your physical SIM, and the same plan works across the EU. A local SIM only wins if you need a Greek number for months.
Will my Greece eSIM work on the islands, in Italy or in Turkey?
Every inhabited Greek island uses the same national networks, so no extra plan is needed. The Europe regional plan also works across the EU, including Italy and Cyprus. Turkey and Albania are outside EU roaming rules, so check that they appear on the plan's country list.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM card built into your phone. Instead of a plastic chip, you download a profile. Every iPhone since the XS has one next to the physical SIM slot, so your home number stays put while FairSIM supplies the data.
Is my phone compatible?
FairSIM works with eSIM-compatible, carrier-unlocked iPhones: the XS, XR and everything newer, on iOS 17.4 or later for the one-tap install with no QR code. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM at all, even when unlocked. Not sure yours is unlocked? Check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock, or ask your carrier. The full list is on the How it works page.
When should I install my eSIM?
Before you travel, while you still have Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan; the validity typically starts when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Do FairSIM eSIMs come with a phone number?
No. FairSIM eSIMs are data-only by design, which keeps costs low. For calls and texts, your physical SIM stays active so you keep your existing number, and WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage work over data.
