I spent two weeks on my Amorgos, my favorite Greek island, with excellent cell service across the majority of the island.
When I first switched to an eSIM-only iPhone, I was extremely hesitant because I travel full-time and need to be connected to be able to work. Now, eSIMs have made my life tremendously easier—I’ve even written about the pros and cons of eSIM cards.
While I’ve tried other brands, I tend to default to Canadian-based Airalo because they are the world’s oldest eSIM store, founded in 2019. (When Apple announced an eSIM-only phone in 2018, Airalo CEO Ahmet Bahadir Ozdemir jumped on the emerging market after working as a supplier in the maritime industry, where he got continuous requests for SIM cards.)
I recently spent two months (Aug. 8 to Oct. 7, 2025) in Europe, hopping between E.U. and non-E.U. nations using Airalo eSIM cards. (I always use promo code AIRALOESIM10 to save 10% on every purchase. This, paired with Airalo’s cashback loyalty program, often makes it cheaper than other brands.)
One of my freelance gigs is working for a travel company for a couple of months each year. In the past, this meant buying new SIM cards in each place or buying an EU SIM cards and not having service for a few days in non-EU countries. This was my first time working in this region only using eSIM cards, so I thought it was a perfect time to write a Europe Airalo review about my seamless experience country-hopping.
Countries Visited: Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia
Usage: WhatsApp for texts, calls and audio messages, navigation apps, uploading video/photos to social media, and using the hotspot to connect to a computer.
Promo Codes: NEWTOAIRALO15 for 15% off your first purchase. Existing users can save 10% with AIRALOESIM10.
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Airalo in Greece
I had great cell service with Airalo on the uninhabited island of Delos, an expansive archeological site near Mykonos.
Locations Visited: Athens, Olympia, Corfu, Cyclades (Santorini, Naxos, Milos, Amorgos, Tinos, Sifnos, Delos)
Cellular Network: WIND HELLAS (Nova) 5G
Is 5G supported? Yes
eSIM Used: Eurolink 10 GB for 30 Days ($37) & Greece Meraki Mobile 10 GB for 30 days $20
I kicked off my trip in Athens in early August for a few nights before sailing around the Peloponnese peninsula to Olympia, then on to Vathy and Corfu before heading north to Albania. Then, I flew back to Athens in early September and stayed in Greece until early October. I started in Athens again, then sailed around the Cyclades for two weeks before taking a ferry to Amorgos, my favorite island, to relax for two weeks. Afterward returning to Athens, I drove to Corinth to visit the ruins and Acrocornith on the eastern side of the Peloponnese peninsula.
I had 5G service in most places, even in portions of Amorgos, which was a bit shocking considering how remote the island is compared to others. My main uses were social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc.), email, driving navigation maps and communication via WhatsApp. I had a lot of long bus drives where I just browsed the internet and cleaned out my email account. I also used it to hotspot to my computer, so I could work. The connection was almost always faster than the local WIFI in most places I stayed.
The only place I had service issues was the tourist hub of Oia on the island of Santorini. I’ve had similar issues there in past years with physical SIM cards. I’ve always had spotty LTE service, which could be a combination of crowds and narrow streets between the buildings. (To be honest, skip Oia—it’s overrated and crowded.) The archeological site of Akrotiri, a village destroyed by volcanic ash 1,500 years before Pompeii, is the island’s best attraction and less crowded. There’s always been limited service inside the archeological site (even with regular SIM cards) due to the metal roofs and concrete walls.
On my seven-hour ferry back to Athens from Amorgos, we stopped at several different islands, so I started taking speed tests of the cell service using Google’s speed test option. (It tends to show slower speeds than using one of the apps.) Keep in mind, I was sitting on the ferry as I ran these tests and had no issues browsing the web.
Milos: 163 Mbps download, 7.76 Mbps upload
Serifos: 74 Mbps download, 25.5 Mbps upload
Folegandros: 91.7 Mbps download, 8.63 Mbps upload
Athens’ airport lounge: 147.8 Mbps download, 9.34 Mbps upload
The 10 GB Europe package lasted the entire month. For safety, I’d bought a 10 GB top-up package that I didn’t need. After a 20-minute chat with support, they refunded it because it was unused.
Airalo in Albania and Montenegro
My Airalo eSIM Europe regional eSIMs worked seamlessly as I sailed from Greece to Sarandë, Albania (above).
Locations Visited: Albania (Durrës, Sarandë, Butrint, Kruja); Montenegro (Kotor, Persat)
Cellular Network: Albania: Vodafone LTE; Montenegro: MTEL (LTE)
Is 5G supported? No.
eSIMs Used: Eurolink 10 GB for 30 Days ($37)
The best thing about the Airalo Europe regional eSIM is that it works in non-EU nations! (Kosovo was the only location in the Balkans that’s not covered.) In the past, my physical EU SIM cards would not work in Albania or Montenegro. This time, it was a completely seamless process; I had service instantly upon arrival. I was able to scroll social media and the web on bus rides between Sarandë and Butrint, and Durrës and Kruja with no issues. WhatsApp worked with no glitches, except for remote areas.
The only spot where I had coverage issues was in the remote UNESCO archeological site of Butrint, a former Greek and then Roman city. Certain parts of the site don’t have the best service. You should definitely visit—the site itself is fabulous!
Airalo in Croatia
From Pula’s Roman amphitheater (above) to the beaches of Hvar, I had excellent cell service along the entirety of Croatia’s coast.
Locations Visited: Hvar, Korčula, Vis, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Pula, Rovinj
Cellular Network: Telemach/TM 5G & A1 Hrvatska LTE
Is 5G supported? Yes
eSIMs Used: Eurolink 10 GB for 30 Days ($37)
When I arrived in Croatia, I still had plenty of data left on my Europe regional eSIM, the Eurolink 10GB for 30 days. (It covers 42 countries and networks.) Initially, I’d planned to buy a cheaper Croatia-only eSIM when I arrived because I assumed I’d be out of data, but I was fine. Airalo makes it easy to check your data balance in the app. You can also set up notifications about low data. It’s very simple to top up in the app as well.
Sections of the old city of Dubrovnik are the only places I’ve had service issues over the years in Croatia, which is likely due to the thick walls. Service still works but just can be a bit spotty or lagged depending on your location. Often moving to another location or higher ground (climbing those steps!) fixes the issue. Otherwise, I had 5G in most locations.
Airalo United Kingdom (England)
Locations Visited: Heathrow Airport (Five-hour layover)
Cellular Network: EE 4G
Is 5G supported? No
eSIM Used: Uki Mobile with 1 GB for three days
When I have layovers in other countries, I always buy a small 1 GB eSIM to ensure I have coverage for any potential travel delays or emergencies. (Airalo does offer regional Europe eSIMs that also cover the UK, but it was cheaper to buy a local plan instead for this short visit.) When I left Greece in early October, I was using a Greece-only eSIM, so I bought a United Kingdom-only eSIM, Uki Mobile, with 1 GB for three days, the shortest duration available.
I only had LTE in the airport. I ran the generic Google speed test on my phone, and it said UK 3 LTE network was 64.4 Mbps download, 3.42 Mbps upload. Since EE was supported by the eSIM, I manually changed the network to EE (my preferred network) and faster – 70.6 Mbps download, 3.79 Mbps upload. (Speeds were likely faster than this because I was simply testing in the lounge.) I had no issues with connectivity, even when after boarding, I could message friends and scroll the internet until we had to put our phones in airplane mode. When I’ve bought physical SIM cards in the UK in the past, I’ve always bought EE SIMs because the network has great coverage across England and Scotland.
Airalo Europe Q&A
One of Croatia’s many photogenic cats on the island of Vis.
Is a local country-specific eSIM better than a regional eSIM?
Local country-specific eSIMs are almost always cheaper than a regional eSIM. I always do a cost comparison based on how long I’ll be in a country. If you’re country-hopping, then a regional eSIM is much easier. Plus, Airalo’s Europe eSIM covers 42 countries. It’s really important to make sure every single country you are visiting is covered before buying the eSIM. (I’ve made this mistake before by just assuming a place was covered.)
Does Airalo offer Unlimited Data?
Yes, Airalo offers unlimited data in Europe. With the Europe regional eSIM card, there’s a 10-day unlimited package. There is a wider variety of length options ranging from three to 30 days for country-specific eSIMs making it easy to customize your eSIM card choice to your trip. You can use the hotspot with unlimited plans easily. After 3 GB of data usage per day, the speed rate drops to 1 Mbps, which is standard across all eSIM brands. (The 3 GB limit applies to all data usage on the phone, including using the hotspot.)
Does Airalo offer plans that include data, calls and texts?
Yes, Airalo does offer plans that include calls and texts but not in all locations. Of the eSIMs I used, only the United Kingdom eSIM offers the option. It was not an option in the Europe regional eSIM or the local eSIMs I used in Greece.
Airalo Review Summary
At the end of the day, eSIM cards are only as good as the cellular network they partner with. My connection was seamless, country-hopping across Europe and the Balkans this summer. I was able to check email, upload to social media, using Google Maps for navigation and even hotspot to my computer to work with no major issues.
If you’re going to be traveling in a remote area, research the best cellular network and find the eSIM plan that uses that network. After this experience, I’d highly recommend using Airalo across Europe in both EU and non-EU nations. To save money, I always use the promo code AIRALOESIM10 to save 10% on every purchase. (To save 15% off your first purchase, use code NEWTOAIRALO15.)
