Communication in Greece is well developed: operators cover all corners of the country, it is easy to find a Wi-Fi access point, 3G and 4G coverage catches everywhere except in the mountains.
For lovers of “everything at once and no matter how much” there is roaming from the native operator, for practical tourists – local communication companies, for travelers who do not have Greece as their final destination, there is a travel sim. We will tell you which option to choose.
Greek numbers ten digits
International country code – 30
To call within the country, dial
8-10-30 – area code – called party number
For calls abroad
00 (beep) – country and area code – called party number
Option number 1. SIM card of a local operator
There are 3 main companies operating in the country, which are considered leaders in the market. The only negative is the price for the package of services.
We figure out which tariff is better to choose.
Cosmote
With his sim card you get everything. But, unfortunately, not immediately. The Internet, even in the mountains, does not guarantee fast speed, so it will take a long time to load posts on Facebook and Instagram. In Cosmote, you can purchase a package for a certain period, without a monthly fee. The main advantage of the operator is that the signal catches everywhere. Plus 4G coverage.
The cost of a SIM card is 5 €, the prices for tariffs with the Internet are as follows: 1 GB per day will cost 5 €, for 2 GB for 5 days you will pay 10 €, and for 3 GB for 15 days – 18 €.
Most travelers choose the third option, because the amount of GB is enough for the entire vacation period.
Read more about when it is better to relax in Greece , what to bring from Greece and what are the restrictions on the import and export of gifts from Greece .
Wind
It is considered the most accessible operator. A kind of student option. But it works well only in large cities, it will not catch in remote parts of Greece. If you are going to spend your holidays, for example, in Athens or Thessaloniki, feel free to buy Wind. Connecting the card costs 10 €, the same amount is transferred to the account.
There is a minimum daily package: for 1 € you get 20 MB. Yes, not much, so Wind is suitable for those who do not really need the Internet. Other tariffs are as follows: 200 minutes (Greece and abroad) will cost you 8 €, 120 minutes within the country – 4 €, 450 MB – 4 €, and this package can be activated 4 times a month.
Vodafone
If there is no goal to sit on all the chairs (Internet, calls and SMS), then you can choose a package at a completely normal price and stay in touch all the time. You need to understand what is more important on a trip – a fast mobile connection or access to social networks and instant messengers – and choose a tariff according to your needs.
The most popular fare among tourists is International. The rates there are as follows: a call to Greece or the CIS is charged as 0.22 € per minute, a call to EU countries is 0.87 € / minute, SMS is 0.04 € / pc, mobile Internet is 2 GB / 20 €.
There is a variant of the ordered Internet. The validity period is one month. The prices are as follows: 1.5 GB costs 12 €, 5 GB – 19 €, 9 GB – 20 €.
Where to buy a SIM card
In addition to certified points of the operator, their addresses can be viewed on the company’s website, cards are sold at communication kiosks, chain stores and the airport. A small life hack: if you decide to buy a connection upon arrival at the terminal, do it at a specialized point of the operator, otherwise you risk overpaying for the tariff.
Germanos stores are considered to be among the best: they have excellent service and polite salespeople. Several points of sale in the centers of major cities in Greece:
- Athens – Kanari 26, Athina 106 74
- Scots — Moscow 5, Olimpou 1, Larisa
- Heraklion — Leof. Kalokerinou 52, Iraklio 712 02
- Ахарнес — Parnithos 5, Acharnes 136 71
- Road — Central, Houses 70, Patra
How to buy, activate and top up a SIM card
SIM cards in Greece are sold only with a passport. You need a “prepaid” tariff, this is a prepaid card.
Only an adult can activate the SIM. To replenish your account, get a card with a code in the same place as a SIM card, as it was in the 2000s in the CIS. In Greece, there is no concept of domestic roaming, so with a card purchased in Athens, you can safely go to Crete.
How to save traffic
Four simple rules to follow. Turn off automatic app updates in the Play Market or App Store. Manually set up applications to access the Internet. Be sure to download offline maps (Google or Maps.me). And also, turn off the mobile Internet in places where there is WI-FI.
Option number 2. Roaming from home country operators
This alignment of events is suitable in several cases: if you are a business person and you need to receive calls to your own number. If you are not worried about high roaming charges and you will be in Greece for a short time, then there is no point in buying a local SIM.
Find out how you connect to a Greek operator – automatically or manually.
Tariffs and terms of roaming from Ukrainian operators
Kyivstar – one of the most popular Ukrainian operators, offers calls for 2 hryvnia per minute, Internet – 0.35 UAH per 1 MB, and 1 SMS costs 1 hryvnia.
Vodafone, Vodafone – calls from this operator cost UAH 2.33 per minute, Internet – UAH 0.4 per 1 Mb, one SMS – UAH 1.
Lifecell, Lifecell is a popular operator among young people, calls cost UAH 25 per 10 minutes, Internet – UAH 50 / 200 Mb, SMS – UAH 20 / 15 pcs.
Tariffs and terms of roaming from Russian operators
MTC – activate the service “Zero without borders”. Then the cost of incoming calls is 25 rubles (the first 10 minutes are free). Outgoing calls cost 25 rubles from the 2nd to the 5th minute, 65 rubles for the first and the rest. Internet is limited. Price — 300 rubles / 30 Mb.
Tele2 – offers incoming calls at a cost of 14 rubles per minute, outgoing – 15 rubles / minute, one SMS for 6 rubles, Internet – 25 rubles per 1 MB.
Megaphone – activate the service “Around the World”, then incoming and outgoing – 13 rubles per minute, 1 SMS – 11 rubles, Internet – 19 rubles per 1 MB.
Option number 3. Travelsim/toursim/tourist SIM card
If you travel often, but do not plan to stay in Greece for a long time, this option is for you. Travel SIM card from DrimSIM. This is a card that is not tied to any operator and automatically connects to the local network when crossing the border.
The card works in 197 countries and needs to be used at least once every 360 days for it to be valid. In fact, you buy a SIM card once and travel with it all the time. The cost of the card is 10 €, you can buy it on the official website of DrimSIM and it works exclusively at a predetermined rate. We tell you more about the card in our article “Drimsim Travel Sim card” .
Option #4: Free Wi-Fi and Other Connections
Wi-Fi coverage in Greece is skyrocketing, but that doesn’t mean it works well. In hotels and hotels catches in the lobby, but often congested due to the number of people. For internet access in rooms, ask your hotel staff.
There are access points not only in metropolitan areas, but also in the provinces. Therefore, if you have patience, you can google something even in the relative wilderness.
Free Wi-Fi is available at any Flocafe, Starbucks, McDonalds, Forthnet store, and Minoan Lines ferry.
If there is a need for the Internet “right here and now, and very urgently”, send an SMS with the text “Wi-Fi” to number 54350. 1.19 € will be debited from your mobile account and you will get access for 20 minutes.
For lovers of vintage and old school in Greece there are pay phones. Most of them work with cards that can be bought at nearby newsstands. A certain number of calls are provided (both within Greece and abroad), the cost is from 4 to 20 €. Some cafes, bars or hotels have landlines, so you can feel like the hero of an Ivan Reitman movie. From them you can not only make calls, but also receive an incoming call.