As long as you are on Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile your phones will work in Greece. You may need to turn on an international plan to get data. Here is my best understanding of how they work for each carrier. This is the easiest method, but also the most expensive, generally costing about $5 to $10 per day. The less expensive option is to buy an eSIM, which is sold by the GB and only covers data. Both are outlined below.
If you do not plan to use your phone plan it is a good idea to leave your phone in Airplane mode. You will still be able to use Wifi and will not be charged for service that day. When my wife and I travel to Europe, we typically only activate one phone for data and leave the other in airplane mode.
Option 1 – Using your carrier
T-Mobile
According to the website they should just work, but to get data you need the “go 5g Plus” plan. It is best to call them before leaving to find out.
Verizon and AT&T
You will need to call them or activate international roaming online before you leave. Then when you are there you will automatically be charged $10 for each day you use the service.
Sprint
You will need to call them or activate international roaming online before you leave. Then when you are there you will automatically be charged $5 for each day you use the service.
Option 2 – Purchasing an eSIM
This is a great inexpensive way to get data in Europe. You will not have the ability to text or make calls, but most people in Europe have “Whats App” capability which runs on data. You can also use other methods like Facebook Messenger over data.
Step 1: Ensure that your carrier does not lock your phone, which is required to use an eSIM.
For iPhones: go to Settings > General > About, if “No SIM restrictions” appears next to Carrier Lock, your iPhone is unlocked.
For Android: Dial *#06# to see your IMEI number or open your settings and scroll to About Phone. You’ll find your IMEI number here.
then go to https://sickw.com and look at “Sim-Lock Status” to see whether your phone is locked or unlocked.
Step 2: Buy an eSIM, I recommend Airalo (https://www.airalo.com) and you will need to download their App to your phone and go from there. It will step you through purchasing and installing the eSIM and will tell you whether your phone is capable of installing an eSIM based on your model and locked status. For this trip, I would recommend the 2GB package for $9 which covers 15 days or the 3GB package which covers 30 days. If you are going to other countries, you will need to buy a separate eSIM for that country. Keep in mind that free wifi is also available in most hotels and restaurants.
Step 3: Once you are on your way to Greece, you should enable your eSim using the App and following the directions.
Option 3 – Use public WiFi
Public WiFi is available at most hotels and restaurants, so you can get by this way if you are going to stay near the restaurants or at your hotel. You can also download an area using Google Maps for use when you do not have a signal.
Dont forget a Power adapters
You will need a power adapter, and your cell phone charger will work with a simple adapter. Check out power adapters here.