Destinations
eSIM for Greece: islands, ferries and how much data you need
Three networks, EU rules, and one thing that surprises people every summer — coverage on a ferry is not coverage on land.
Photo: George M. Groutas, CC BY 2.0
Greece is inside the EU and on the euro, so an eSIM there is as simple as it gets: install before you fly, switch it on when you land, done.
Which networks you get
Our plans use Cosmote, Vodafone and Wind. On the mainland any of the three is fine. On the islands the difference shows — Cosmote generally reaches furthest, and having all three means your phone falls back rather than dropping.
The ferry problem
Between islands you will lose signal, sometimes for an hour. This is not your plan failing; it is open water. Download your boarding passes, maps and anything you need to read before you board.
Offline maps for the island you are heading to are worth the two minutes they take to download.
If you already have an EU plan
Roam-like-at-home covers Greece, so your home plan may be enough. Two things to check first: your fair-use data cap abroad, which is often a fraction of your home allowance, and whether your operator counts Greece as a standard zone — most do, a few do not.
How much data
A week of island hopping runs about 3 to 5 GB for most people: maps, messaging, a few video calls, and uploading photos over hotel WiFi rather than mobile data. Double it if you are working.
Before you fly
Install at home, leave roaming off on the travel line until you land, then turn it on for that line only. Your own number stays reachable for calls with its own roaming still off, so nobody can bill you by surprise.
