Staying connected in Turkey and Greece with a single eSIM

Gearing up for your summer trip to Turkey and Greece, and looking for the best way to get connected? With so many options out there, it could be difficult to decide on what the best way to get connected is. Let’s take a look at the available options to help you make a decision.

Should you get a local SIM card upon arrival?

Most European telcos offer local SIM card options that include roaming across the EU, which could make it a good choice if you were traveling to Greece and other EU countries. Unfortunately, since Turkey is not in the EU, most of these local SIM card options do not include roaming and coverage in Turkey.

If you will be traveling to both Greece and Turkey on a single trip and are planning on getting a SIM card from a local provider upon arrival, it wouldn’t really be possible for you to find a provider that offers coverage in both countries. Instead, you will need to get 2 separate SIM cards - one when you arrive in Greece, and another when you arrive in Turkey.

It is definitely an option to get individual SIM cards for each destination, but it really isn’t the most convenient. For more convenience and flexibility, consider getting a travel eSIM that provides coverage in both Greece and Turkey.

Which eSIM to get for Turkey and Greece?

With so many eSIM providers and options available in the market, it could be difficult choosing which one to go with. Let’s take a look at some of the major providers available in the eSIM market and see how Nomad compares to these providers.

Nomad vs Airalo

Both Nomad and Airalo offer a Europe plan that includes coverage in both Turkey and Greece. It is important to note that Nomad has two type of plans for Europe — one that includes 35 countries and another that include 36 countries; only the plans with 36 countries include Turkey.

Nomad and Airalo use the same networks in both countries: Vodafone and WIND in Greece, and AVEA and Turkcell in Turkey. 5G service is available in Greece for both providers; but in Turkey, Nomad offers 5G coverage whereas Airalo only offers 4G/LTE service.

Nomad offers plans ranging from 1GB for 7 days to 20GB for 30 days; whereas Airalo has a wider range of plans ranging from 1GB for 7 days to 100GB for 180 days. Cost-wise, Nomad is a lot more affordable, with a 10GB plan at $22USD compared to Airalo’s 10GB plan for $37USD.

Nomad vs AloSIM

Both Nomad and AloSIM’s Europe plan includes coverage to both Turkey and Greece. The networks that both providers work with are also fairly similar.

AloSIM’s packages are designed very similarly to Airalo, with their Europe plans ranging from 1GB for 7 days to 100GB for 180 days. They are also at similar prices where the 10GB plan costs $37 USD, making Nomad a much more affordable option at $22 USD.

An advantage that AloSIM has over Nomad is that it offers an international number (US or Canada number). However, it is important to note that this number is offered by Hushed, and only supports calls and messages over the internet.

Nomad vs Holafly

While Nomad’s 36-country Europe plan provides coverage in both Greece and Turkey, that option isn’t available for Holafly. Holafly’s Europe plan provides coverage only for Greece but not Turkey. What that essentially means is that if you are looking to get a single eSIM that has coverage in both countries, Holafly is not going to be able to fulfil your needs.

Nevertheless, let’s take a look at how Nomad compares with Holafly - though it should be important to note that it wouldn’t exactly be an apple to apple comparison.

Nomad’s Europe plan ranges from 1GB for 7 days to 20GB for 30 days. On the other hand, Holafly only offers unlimited data for both destinations. Holafly’s 1-day plan for Greece costs $6 USD and for a 5-days trip, it costs $21 USD. Same prices apply for Turkey.

So, for a 10-days trip to Turkey and Greece, you can expect to spend something like $42 USD on Holafly. On the other hand, you could get a single 10GB plan at $22 USD with Nomad. Of course, the difference is that Holafly provides you with unlimited data (subject to speed throttling as per their fair-usage policy) and Nomad doesn’t — but if you wouldn’t be using that much data on your trip anyway, you probably wouldn’t really need to get an unlimited plan.

Holafly uses the Orange network in Greece and AVEA / Turkcell in Turkey; while Nomad uses Vodafone / WIND in Greece, and AVEA / Turkcell in Turkey.

Get a Nomad eSIM for Europe for your next trip to Turkey and Greece

Nomad's 36-country regional eSIMs for Europe are at affordable rates from as low as USD2.20/GB. Nomad's eSIMs will automatically hook on to the network that provides the best signal strength, so you don't have to worry about the lack of coverage as you travel through the different countries!

It's easy to get a Nomad eSIM. Simply create an account on the Nomad Web Store or iOS/Android apps, find a plan that is suitable for your needs, and proceed with the check out! Upon successful purchase, you will receive an email that includes the installation and activation instructions for your plan.

Note that since you will need a stable internet connection to purchase and install your eSIM, it is advised to buy your eSIM before you fly, so that you don't have to worry about not getting connectivity at the airport after landing.