My experience last year is that the scratch cards are becoming obsolete, though some kiosks (periptero) still had some. Look for a 'payzone' sign at newsagents and similar shops. They sell you a recharge for whatever value you like and give you a paper receipt with the 16-digit number. You send the number by SMS when you want to use it - the details are printed on the receipt (in Greek, of course). I've done this with Wind and Cosmote.

Sometimes the credit you get is less than the amount you pay. Maybe it depends where you buy them - commission?

Best iPhone data plan for 10 day visit
 

Is this plan good for iPhone?

I'm looking for a data plan for an iPhone 3GS for 10 days. Voice would be a plus but I don't really need it. I would like to not have to worry about how much data I use.

Since SMS requires special application (I assume we're talking PC) then I guess no SMS support for iPhone?

For Cosmote, there is a Germanos store at the Arrivals Level of the airport. Wind doesn't have an airport store but if you plan to be in Athens for 1 week, you can look for shops in the center of Athens.[/QUOTE]



Thanks for your reply.
I will departure to islands on the same day of arrival. I arrive at Athens
airport 13:00 and go to port of Piraeus for embarkation 23:00.

I have two options; buy a COSMOTE sim at Germano store (airport) and request an immediate register or search a Wind store near metro station in Athens center.

In the port of Piraeus is there any WIND store?

In your opinion what is the best alternative; WIND Mobile Broadband karta me or COSMOTE Internet On The Go karta me ?

Thanks,

If I understood correctly you wanted to get the Plan #5 of WIND (WIND Mobile Broadband me karta). I suppose that this plan works with *special* data-only SIM Cards and internet-only vouchers/cards.

Alternatively, you could get the Plan #4 (WIND ADSM Non-Stop) that works with *normal* SIM cards and *common* scratch cards or vouchers. By "common" I mean cards/vouchers that you can buy almost everywhere.


I guess that OldBawley's problem is different. The *special* data-only SIM cards and Plans are annoyingly *special* also when it comes to their recharging procedures. You cannot recharge/extend them with the normal scratch cards or e-vouchers that are available everywhere. You can recharge or extend them (depending on the operator) only with special data-vouchers and/or only on the operators' stores. This applies only to the "Internet on the Computer" Plans, Cosmote #2, Vodafone #4 and Wind #5. All the rest data plans are just addons to the normal voice/data SIM cards.

For example, here is how the Vodafone data-only scratch card looks like:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greece-Vodafon...item3caef658d3

And here how the Vodafone *common* scratch card looks like:
http://www.vodafone.gr/portal/client...uest_locale=en

Also it's true that you get less credit than the amount you pay, but that's not a commission, it's the recently introduced tax for the prepaid mobile. Since 2010 there is a 12% tax deducted, so if for example you purchase a 10 card, you will get 8.93€ credit.

No need to stop in Athens centre if you are heading to Piraeus. There are many stores of all three operators in Piraeus. Check my signature for direct links to the stores finder pages.

I cannot really say, since it always depends on which one has the best coverage on the location you're going to. You can check the first link on my signature for information and tips.

Regarding the plans you mention, keep in mind that both plans (and the Vodafone KartoInternet) need a special data-only SIM and special internet-only vouchers for recharging. You can read more info on my reply to DaveRo above. So if you're planning to go somewhere remote, you need to recharge/extend your data plan in advance.

Alternatively, for internet on you computer, you could consider the WIND ADSM Non-Stop, which can be used as an addon on *normal* SIMs with *common* scratch cards/vouchers (check above my answer to OldBawley).

Hi Evan,

I arrived yesterday in Greece, tried to purchase a Sim caed at the airport nut the store was closed, the other alternative was in the departures hall so it wasn't relevant.

I was able to purchase a 7 day Wind card in Leivada, our 1st stop, a very nice place.

My question is, every time I turn off the iphone and turn it on again, i'm required to unlick the Sim using the PIN cide provided in the envelope.

Hiw can I permanently unlick it?

Thanks.

Been to Greece last week and bought Cosmote (because of the widest 3G coverage).

Paid €5 for the simcard, which includes €1 and then €1/month for the following 4 months (finally making the simcard free).
I needed to show my passport and the salesman was so kind to call the customer service for me from his phone to make them change the 1314-menu (which is free in Greece) to English :)

Activating the 60MB package wasn't a problem. Internet worked very well.
What didn't work though is checking how much MB's were left to be used. To do this, one should send an SMS "INFO" to 1313, according to: COSMOTE: CIOTP for prepaid Customers
When I did so I received the following message back: "Η ΥΠHPEΣIA ΠOY ZHTHΣATE ΔEN YΠAPXEI", using Google Translate I can't really figure out what it means :roll:

Is it true there is no *101# - like code to check the account status in Cosmote? I found the only way to check it is by sending "YP" and "LIXI" to 1314 which is free in Greece, but is charged for when in roaming...

Also, where do I find information about extending the validity of the card? Mine is valid until april 2012. How much does one need to recharge to extend this? (I couldn't find this information on their website).

All phones have the option of disabling the SIM PIN. On iPhone go to Settings > Phone > SIM PIN and slide the slider to "Off".

It means "The service that you've requested does not exist". Which is strange because I didn't have problems with this service last time I've tried it. Did you try to send also "info" instead of "INFO"? Perhaps it has something to to with the language codepage of your phone?

USSD codes are used for many services but not for checking prepaid account balance and validity. This is true for all three operators and their MVNOs. Cosmote may charge those texts when roaming (haven't tried it myself) but Wind certainly doesn't charge those texts for some reason.

The information is here but unfortunately only in Greek. In short, the validity is 12 months. Every time you recharge, the validity is extended for 12 more months. There isn't any limitation regarding the amount. You can recharge with the cheapest 5€ scratch card. At the Wind stores the minimum you can top-up is 1€, I don't know if Cosmote/Germanos stores do the same or have a minimum of 5€.

Will check this out the next time I'm in Greece! :)

Thanks for your reply.

Can one have a micro-sim (for iPad) in the prepaid 3G data plans with operators providing prepaid 3G data connections in Greece?

Just arrived from Greece and I must say that the Cosmote 3G service is perfect, with great coverage in all of the areas visited (Athens, Delphi, Arachova, Lefkada, Metsovo, Meteora).

Bought a Cosmote Internet On The Go On Request SIM for 20 €. You must activate the service via the web page http://ciotgonrequest.cosmote.gr:80/...Label=HomePage where you can choose different topping options.

You can buy the SIM card alone for 20 € or in a bundle with a USB 3G modem for 50 €. I decided to go for the first option because my iPhone 4 can act as a 3G modem and a Wi-Fi Hotspot.

The SIM card is only for data, it doesn't include any voice service and you can't make any kind of voice calls, event to greek numbers. It's intended to be used installed on USB 3G modems, tablets like the iPad, but you can use it perfectly with your iPhone. You can any other old mobile phone to put your SIM card into it and use it for voice service.

The SIM card can be purchased in a MicroSIM edition, fitting perfectly on Apple iDevices. I have used it both on my iPhone 4 and my 1st generation 3G iPad and run flawlessly.

With the purchase you get 20 € of credit that you can spend buying different combinations of data and duration. I found the 10 days / 3GB combo the best solution; it gets 15 € off your credit and you get 5 € so if you run out of data you can top it with the extra 5 € and you'll get 1 GB more.

So it can actually be used for 10 days with up to 4 GB of data transmission, more than enough for most users. I barely used 800 MB in 7 days of use.


:):):)

Well, I returned from a wonderful 12 day trip to Greece.

As I wrote in a previous post, I tried purchasing a Cosmote SIM card at the airport, but the store was closed and apparently the only other available store was inside Departures.

So we began our trip in Leivadia, where I found a Vodafone store w/o available SIM cards. So I hiked up the hill to the Wind center, where the purchasing process took about 15 minutes and the sales girls sold me (what she said was) a 7 day card for 15 Euros and 3GB, which was activated immediately (unlike my previous experiences in Italy and France).

Also, unlike France and Italy, I had nothing to change in the iPhone (3GS) setup - it worked immediately.

In order to prevent further hassle, I immediately purchased a 7-day refill card for 10 Euros, which would have sufficed to cover the remainder of our trip. Can't remember the GB, but it was over 1GB, which again was more than enough.

Bottom line, the original SIM card held throughout the 12 day trip, w/o requiring the top-up (so now I have a top up card for sale).

We stayed in the Delphi area, Pelion, Zagoria, Lefkada, Athens.
In most places there was more than adequate GPRS/EDGE coverage, very poor 3G coverage (except in Athens). But again, for my needs it sufficed.

Every time I rebooted my iPhone (not related to the SIM card) - I was required to reenter the PIN code, Evan covered this issue in a prior post above. In any case this was a technical thing, did not affect the Wind card usage in any way.

Thank you again Evan for all your invaluable help.

Hi,

About Germano store closed, at what time you arrived at the airport?

Is the store open on weekends?

Did you ever use VoIP with this Vodafone data sim ?

[ ] ´s

No, just for browsing.
Always had GPRS, most of the time didn't have 3G.
But contrary to my bad experiences in France and Italy, this time the SIM was active immediately and was connected to the right package from the start.
However, the Wind salesperson told me the card would be good for 7 days only, and so I purchased a 7 day refill card for an additional 10 Eur, turned out she was wrong and the original card was good for the full trip.
Minor inconvenience.

Hi all,

I'm glad I came across this forum.

All help would be appreciated, in answering my question.

I will be travelling to Greece and going to places like Symi, Corfu, Athens. Which carrier would have the best voice and data plans and coverage for border areas like Symi? I have an iPhone 3gs that I use to tether to my tablet, which I would like to do whilst travelling through Greece.

I have been looking through the various providers websites, but I end up confusing myself. That's why I'm glad I found you guys!

Thanks again.

Hi people,

I have been reading through this very informative thread, and would like to ask a question(s) about what sim/plan/bundle would be better off for someone like myself.

I will be travelling in Greece for seven weeks and going to such border islands like Symi, and Kerkyra. I would like a voice & data plan, and I use my iPhone 3gs to tether to my tablets whilst I am travelling using MyWi 4. I will be running an online business while travelling, so, data and coverage is important to me. a largish data plan would be nice.

I have had a look at all the major providers websites, but still find myself a little confused about how they structure such plans. Having said this, I have had a better understanding of how things work with the help of the informative posters here.

Thanks.

Pretty quiet in here.

You can get a microSIM with Cosmote and Vodafone data plans, since both are offering the iPhone/iPad on their networks. I’m not sure if Wind provides microSIMs at the moment but I guess they will in the near future, since they will also start officially offering the iPhone on their network.

You are welcome wisniak. Generally Cosmote and Vodafone have better/faster 3G and better coverage especially on the areas you've visited.

Most Germanos stores are open from 9am to 9pm but I don't know about the one at the airport. You can give them a call at +302103534956. But even if it's closed when you arrive you will find many stores in Athens, just have a look on my previous posts and the store locator links.

Also, Germanos doesn't offer Vodafone SIMs, only Cosmote. Regarding VoIP Vodafone forbids it and actively blocks it. Cosmote and Wind don't have a clear policy about VoIP, and I could use Wind data plans for very good VoIP connections at least until last summer when I was last visited Greece.

Hi Nicholas and welcome to the forum. I wrote a fairly recent overview about the prepaid data plans in Greece. You can start from here:
http://www.prepaidgsm.net/forum/gree...html#post36105

or click on the links on my signature.

Some things have changed since March but they are minor (mainly offers etc). I will update this weekend with all the latest offers/changes.

Have a look on the posts and let me know if you have any additional question.

Hi Evan,

Thanks for your response.

From what I understand on your highly detailed post on the various plans from the various Telco's, the Voice + the small data plans included would be the 'What's up' & 'Cosmokarta' from Cosmote? I can just walk in and purchase one of these at the airport?

I made a little investment on a Huawei E583C pocket wifi since writing my last post. I gather the Cosmote internet on the go me karta would be the one I would go for as it has 1,3, & 5G data plans. Do these come with a sim that I would install in the Huawei (Which I haven't received yet), or a usb dongle? I don't think it would support a normal USB dongle, as I think it only has a mini usb port. I will be using the Huawei as a stand alone wifi connection point for my wifi only tablets.

Lastly, I have had a look at all the coverage tables for all the Telco's in Greece, but in your opinion, as I am travelling to Symi and kerkyra, would you know who would offer the best coverage for these areas?

Sorry for my double posts.

Thanks again, Evan.

Cheers!

Hi Nicholas,

most of your questions are already answered by me and some the members here but I understand that there's too much info to read at once. :)

I'm afraid there's no way I could tell you which operator has the best coverage in Kerkyra or Symi, since the 3G by it's nature varies significantly in signal coverage and quality, not only in different parts of the same town but even in different spots of the same house. The best way to know which one has good data coverage/quality is to test them on the locations you are visiting (I have detailed how to on my first post).

In general though, Cosmote has the most extended coverage in Greece while Vodafone has the best (=speed and latency) network.

If you decide to purchase a Cosmote SIM and since you will need voice too, you can get a Cosmocarta OR a What's Up SIM Card (not both, there's no need for that). Yes, you just walk in and purchase one of these in any Germanos or Cosmote store but you will need your passport for the registration and the activation. You can read the experiences of wisniak and the DeBilbao on this and the previous page regarding the purchase/registration/activation of a sim card.

After the activation, if you want to have data on your phone, you can purchase the 60MB (for the moment it's 120MB) data addon for 3€. You can add as many data addons as you like, and each time 60 (now 120MB) will be added to your remaining data volume. However, if you already have the Huawei WiFi modem, you won't need to purchase this "small data" add-on. You can just buy the "Cosmote internet on the go me karta" and connect your Phone wirelessly with the WiFi Modem.

For data on your notebook/tablet, you need to purchase and register/activate a second SIM card which does only data (not voice or texts), with the plan "Cosmote internet on the go me karta". You can read my post for more info, as well as the recent post of DeBilbao regarding this plan (on the previous page). This plan comes with 1. a SIM or 2. a SIM and a USB Modem. Since you already have the Huawei Wifi you won't need another modem so just go for the Started Pack with a SIM only that is much cheaper.

Re your Huawei WiFi Modem, I don't think that you will have any problem given that it supports the Cosmote/European 3G bands. I have the previous model of the same modem, and it worked without any issues with all three Greek operators. I guess yours is the one on the right, mine is on the left:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/...cd6ec14f_o.jpg

Some tips that applied on my Huawei WiFi and probably apply on yours too:

1. Make sure that the modem is not SIM-locked, i.e., it's unlocked for all the networks. Also make sure that you can add new APNs setting. To do both, my modem needed first unlocking and then a firmware update.
2. The modem can be configured while wired (through USB in a laptop) or wirelessly (through a web configuration menu via a phone/tablet/laptop browser). The second method is much more versatile since you will be able to change or check any settings of the modem without any cables.
3. Check if you can make new settings for a Cosmote/Vodafone/Wind connection (APNs etc) while you are connected to the modem's web configuration wirelessly. It's better to save those connection settings before you come to Greece. Then, the only thing you'll need is to insert the Cosmote SIM, connect to the modem through your phone/tablet and choose the Cosmote pre-configured connection.

Hope this helps. If you need any additional information don't hesitate to ask.

Hi Evan,

Thanks for your reply.

The choosing of which telco/ plan to go with isn't too hard, it's more of a matter of getting as much info as possible. You certainly have helped in informing me as much as someone could hope for. :)

My Huawei is unlocked and ready to go. Luckily, it connects well with my tablet and the web management page in case I need to udjust settings while travelling. Yes, my one is on the right of that photo. I can also make new profiles, the only setting that cannot be changed is the dial up number which is set at *99#. This cannot be changed.

I will also have a look at the previous posts toget a better idea of the process and experience of others.

Kind regards,

Nicholas

I've just done this COSMOTE SIM-only deal, in Kavala, Greece.

It is quite a process, with your passport having to be photocopied and some forms filled in including your father's name, etc. Looking at the pile of these in the shop, somewhere is a little Greek man (or a woman) with the wonderful job of filing these away in some giant EU-funded warehouse :)

You pay 20 euros, of which 5 "disappears" (see below) and the other 15 appears as a credit which you can spend on bandwidth.

I put the SIM card into an E585 3G/wifi modem. Despite assurances from the shop that the card was ready for use, it asked for an unlock code. The E585 has no keypad... so I put it in my phone, and entered 12345 which amazingly worked. Using the phone's Security menu I disabled the asking for the unlock code. Then I put it back in the E585. Somewhat to my suprise, the auto-APN function worked fine and it found a network (Cosmote).

But it didn't work. Email (POP3) didn't do anything. I tried WWW and got redirected to a Greek Cosmote web page. This has an English version but it was non-obvious what one should do.

So I took it back, in the E585, and with a laptop, to the shop where they helped me to set it up.

The Cosmote website shows a 15 euro credit (as I mention above) and this gives you two options: a 1 day pack and a 10 day pack. There is also a 30 day pack but as this costs more than 15 euros it is grayed out.

So I clicked on the 10 day pack, which was what I wanted in the first place...

Then it worked OK. Excellent speed, and a good signal in the E585.

As far as anybody knew, the SIM remains "alive" for 6 months, during which you can top it up with a 15 euro scratch card, which I also bought at the same time as I will be back in Greece in 3 months' time.

The scratch card reveals a number which is entered into the Cosmote website. Unfortunately, the website URL no longer works, from the UK. I don't know if Cosmote block access to it from a non-Greek IP range, or if they block access to it from a non-Cosmote 3G IP range, or if the website has just died :)

I don't know why the companies make this so complicated. Why not just have a website where a credit card can be used for the topups? Perhaps they are trying to support the phone shops by forcing the sale of scratch cards.

Incidentally, FWIW, I tried using the SIM here in the UK but clearly it has roaming disabled because it won't connect to any network here. This is reasonable, although similar data packs bought in Croatia and S. Africa did work over here, for a while. The S. African one actually worked for about 6 months, at £0.02 per MB :) :) Clearly their billing software didn't anticipate that :) And you could top it up via a website.

Here are my needs:
I am going to Greece for a 15-20 days and I need a prepaid SIM card for: Every day internet usage with a smartphone, and international SMS and calls occasionally. I intend to use it mostly on Corfu, but also across the country.
I read all the forum topics and all the operator websites.
I decided to buy: Wind Prepaid SIM card - I guess it is F2G and activate Mobile Internet 100 Data plan that gives me 200 MB (it is enough for me) for 5 €.
Do you think that this is smart option for me, and are there any hidden catches?
Secondly, where do you advise me to buy the mentioned card. Perfect place to buy and activate it would be any gas station on a Highway near Thessaloniki. I wonder if any of Greek friend can call and confirm if I can make this purchase at Olympus Plaza gas station near Polykastro (GPS coordinates: 40°58'9"N 22°37'11"E or in other format: 40.969755,22.619323 ). If not, where should be the best place to buy it in a relation from Polykastro to Kozani via Egnatia Odos.
I wonder does Wind has good signal on Corfu? I do not have needs for 3G signal all the time, but...
Thanks in advance

Hi all,

Just an update on WIND PAYG data.
I have been using Wind "non stop surf" as Even explains in point#2 here.
The 500MB for €5 plan has sadly ended. If you text 500 to 1210 you receive a Greek text back explaining something to the effect of "plan no longer valid... etc..."

However, the only good news is that if you purchase 100MB for €5, WIND kindly give you 200MB instead.

I probably use around 400MB a month on my phone... so the 500MB package was ideal.
So will probably continue to use this plan until the 200MB bonus stops.
Tempting to try the 1G for €15 package.. but shame the only give you the 1G for 30 days... would probably have to start tethering etc to make the most of it.

Anyway, thats all my updates from WIND in Greece for now!

@greektourist
thanks for supplying all the GPS coords, etc
but i don't know those areas.
but yes, WIND 100M (200MB) should be fine for you.
you will need to show them your passport.
just goto any WIND store in a bigger town that you can find.
yes, the coverage for WIND is good in Corfu.

enjoy your time in Greece.
let us know how you get on!

Thanks a lot my friend for a reply. I was using wind few years ago and was satisfied with the internet (proxy was used). I will let you my impressions after this year holiday!

Update on Wind NS surf:
I just texted '100MB' and got 200 for 5€
(I got 500 back on May)

Hey ! I'm about to visit Greece soon. I was looking around for a good prepaid offer and the one you mentioned seem to be an ideal one for me.
Ive got just one question - what should I have with me in order to buy a starter kit - for example with WIND F2G? ID Card and passport will be enough? What informations, as forgein visitor should I provide?
What's more important, when I leave the country can I just throw the card to dumpster or do I have to sign out somehow (despite the fact its a prepaid) ?

This thread was very helpful so I wanted to thank everyone for all of the provided information. Also, I thought I would share my experience. I just returned from Greece yesterday. I went into the Cosmote store that was in walking distance of the Plaka area of Athens to purchase a data only sim. The sales person I spoke with tried to tell me the data only sim (20 €) would not work in phones and that I needed to buy the USB stick so it would work with a laptop. I ignored her and attempted to buy the SIM anyways but even after reading this thread before going to Greece I had left my passport in the hotel so it was a no go. Went back in the store later that day and the next guy I talked to did not hassle me at all. He just wanted to know if I wanted the small sim for iphone or the standard size. I got the standard size and they activated it right there in the store.

As mentioned in previous threads when you purchase the 20 € you get 20 € of credit that you can spend buying different combinations of data and duration. I went with the 10 days / 3GB combo; it gets 15 € off your credit and you still have 5 € so if you run out of data you can top it with the extra 5 € and you'll get 1 GB more.

Don't forget you need an unlocked phone. I was using a Samsung Captivate Android phone from AT&T so prior to going to Greece I had to root and unlock it which is a very simple process that can be found on the internet. It is also easy to undo.

I had no problems getting to the website and purchasing the 15 € plan from my phone. I book marked the page in my phone so I could check my data usage throughout the trip.

Once up and running I didn't have many issues. There were a couple of times where I would lose the data signal because of poor coverage (mostly on our way to smaller towns to visit family) but the data would not come back online once I was in a very good coverage area. I found I could correct this by turning off the data communication on my phone and then restarting it. This was rare and the coverage was very good throughout my trip.

My wife's phone was an iphone with the latest updates so the jailbreak/unlocking was not readily available for her phone so the data only sim for her phone was not an option.

The nice thing about the rooted/unlocked Android phone is I could then use the 3rd party "Wireless Tether" android app that allows my phone to look like a wifi router and tether multiple devices to it and all share the same data connection. During our trip we tethered my wife's iphone, our ipad and my laptop to my android phone over the same Data only Sim.

For voice we used Skype over the data connection. This worked great and we had no problems whatsoever. Of course you can then make Skype to Skype calls for free but we also loaded our Skype account up with $10 and made daily calls back to landline/Cellular lines in the US and to local Greece numbers for only $0.023 per minute. We ended up using $2.50 in Skype dollars and used less than 1 GB of data throughout the trip. We could have purchased an inbound number from skype so people could have called us but we just didn’t feel like it was necessary. We could call our cellphones numbers back at home and check messages pretty easily so it just wasn’t needed but it is an option. Having Data and being able to use Google Maps was huge help throughout our trip as well as keeping up with email and surfing the internet.

The one thing I failed to realize prior to my trip was that I would not be able to stream any of the copyrighted material from the US while in Greece. For example, I thought it would be nice to stream a Netflix movie for the kids during one of our layovers or driving trips but Netflix, Hulu, streaming sports (ESPN3, etc), and other copyrighted material will recognize from the DNS servers that you are not in the US and prohibit the content from streaming. Sometimes this can be worked around by using VPN connections so it appears as though it is coming from a domain in the US but since the data was all flowing through the Cosmote network there was no quick and easy way around this even when using my work VPN or some of the Free VPN solutions via my laptop. It is possible but it requires a level of hacking in the Android phone that I just wasn’t comfortable with. I sure would have liked to have watched the end of the US Open the first couple of nights we were in Greece when I couldn’t sleep. If you really need access to US copyrighted content while overseas you really need to go the route of sling box but we actually found none of us really needed the US content and it was nice having a break from TV.

Thanks again for everyone’s help in this thread.

Vodafone is maybe even better with cheaper international costs?
 

After some revisions of mobile operators offers in Greece, I concluded that Vodafone would be better option for me for the needs I mentioned here.
Apropos Vodafone I do have a few questions:
I see that international calls are so much cheaper when Vodafone international prepay is chosen. I see the prices are even lower when some blank sms is sent: "Charges after sending a blank SMS to 1235". Can anyone explain that to me? How much will I be charged for sending that sms? Do I need to send that sms only once, or maybe before every call I wanna make? Maybe stupid question, but I haven't founded any related info.

According to internet offer I see Surf & Email 200 data plan. I just wonted to ask if this is available to activate on the Vodafone international prepay plan, and would you recommend this plan better than wind data plan mentioned in my previous post?

After all, would your advise be to use Wind or Vodafone prepay plan for my needs explained above.
Thanks in advance.

My experience with Cosmote and WIND
 

Hi all,
Just a quick update to share what our experience with PAYG SIMs in Greece this year.
We had one phone with Cosmote and one phone with WIND.
Just a few key points:
- WIND was a better deal in terms of GB/€
- WIND always had reception, but on some of the more obscure islands I found I would only get Edge reception. On some of the more populated islands or bigger towns/cities, I would get 3G and speeds were good, etc.
- However, while Cosmote was not as good a deal in terms of GB/€, it would often get 3G reception, even in places where WIND was only getting Edge.

I am sorry I don't have more specifics as to exactly which islands. BUt thought it was worth sharing.

Basically, I suppose what I'm saying is that if you don't use alot of data, then Cosmote might be better as it seems it is almost always 3G.
But if you use alot of data, then maybe WIND might be better as it is cheaper... but just don't expect 3G unless you are in a major town, or more touristed island.

Or another perspective might be, if money is no objective and 3G connectivity is a priority, then probably Cosmote would be your best bet, as the 3G connectivity seemed to be pretty consistent, even in some of the more remote islands.

I had no experience using Vodaphone.
I had some experience using Q earlier in the year... but seems now that WIND bought the Q company... seems that WIND are leveraging their stuff and not really worth going with Q anymore.

Wish I had something more detailed to share.. but thought I would log in and share it in case it helps someone make a decision. Hope this helps.

Quick update on Wind PAYG data offers.
Seems they are now doing 300MB for €8.5, and 1500MB for €14.
APN: gint.b-online.gr

On their english website, under prepaid, in "Super Offers"
http://www.wind.com.gr/en/for-indivi...obile/prepaid/
It mentions that activating the 300MB package will give you 600MB.
"Now with Talk & Surf 300, you get 600’, 600 SMS and 600 MB for just €8.5!"
But the address of the link looks like it was an "Xmas package" or something.
So this offer might be out of date, as sometimes their english websites are lagging behind the greek version of the same website.

10 minutes ago I texted "300MB" to 1210, and offer went through.
(But when I text "YP" to 1210, not clear whether I was given 300MB or 600MB... seems like I was given 500MB!?...)

Anyway, hope this helps.
Tim

I'm just back from the Ionian and can report the following:

I researched all the networks and for this part of Greece it seems that Cosmote is by far the best network. It is almost constantly 3G.

I was told in a Wind shop that their network is not 3G.

Vodafone had an offer on a 3G SIM but nothing came close to the Cosmote "Internet on the go" offer. This gives 2 options when you buy it:-

1. SIM only. Costs €20 and comes with €20 of credit.

2. SIM and USB dongle. Costs €40 and comes with €20 of credit plus the first month included.

You'll need a passport to get the offer. It takes a little while to activate and the SIM card you get will have a PIN on it.

You have a number of options for data allowance and period, which you choose via their website. It starts at €5 for 1 day and 1GB. I took the 10 days and 2GB option, which is €15. Bargain if you ask me. The 3rd option is a 30 day offer with 5GB.

There are 2 things of which you should be aware:

First, when you top up, be sure to ask for "Cosmote Internet on the go" and not just a regular Cosmote (or Cosmokarta) top-up. They are different and the code you get for regular Cosmote will not work with Cosmote IOTG.

Second, if you get the SIM only, don't be fooled by the settings of the access point. My laptop installed it as 3G automatically, but this repeatedly would not work. When I set it up manually to be just GPRS, then no problem - it connected and also at 3G speeds.

Full HSPA was supported. Skype did work, but I found it could be variable and disconnected fairly frequently.

I hope this helps someone.

I agree with Kalico above:
Cosmote is probably the best mobile internet for USB dongles.

I was in a place, and couldn't find the Cosmote or Germanos shop, so went Vodaphone.

Here is my experience so far:
Initial setup was more expensive (€50 for dongle + 2G/20day data).
Top ups were also more expensive (€20 for 2G/20day data).
However, the 20 days versus Cosmote 10 days justified it for me. (ie: I find I usually run out of time before I run out of data)
Why they put such aggressive time limits on such a small data cap is crazy...

- - - - -

Anyway, just noticed today a summer offer on their website:
K????Internet | Internet ?? ????? Vodafone ?????Internet - Vodafone.gr

New users Vodafone KartoInternet
-> Promo pack & USB modem - 35 €
A USB wireless access modem K3770 which allows for connection speeds up to 7.2 Mbps, SIM Card, Free access to the Internet for 15 days.

-> Owners of a USB modem
devicekartointernet Connection pack - 15 €
Select this pack if you already have a wireless modem and do not need additional equipment. The pack includes: SIM card, Free access to the Internet for 15 days!

- - - - -

Hahaha... I love this "free access to the internet for 15 days"... WTH? I just paid you €15... so why is it free?

Anyway, so the €35 USB modem + 15day internet is pretty competitive.
Not sure how many Gigabytes they are allowing in 15days... hopefully 2Gigs.
Will let you know when/if I top up again.

The coverage has been good. There has only been one place that wasn't 3G. (Note: Cosmote had 3G in that location).

I've only run Speedtest on it twice: average is ~3M down, 0.75M up, 160ms ping.

Yeah.. stay away from WIND if you want 3G. Wind's data is the cheapest.... I have it on my phone... but very rare to get 3G. And honestly... GPRS (2.5G) is so slow: 57k down, 28k up. The Facebook app barely works on GPRS. Ok for email though, and "always on" data. But would be useless on an ipad or USB dongle, etc.

Hope this helps.

Hi, does anyone know if it is possible to purchase a Cosmote Internet sim card at Rhodes Airport? I'll be going there soon and it would be great if it was easy to get one on arrival.

Thanks

the wider HSPA coverage in Greece is offered by Cosmote.

Stupid question... are all the 'internet on your phone' tariffs clean internet, or do we still have mangling proxies, port blocks etc etc? So will apps like SSH and Skype work?

no proxies, packet filtering, throttling, etc.
SSH will defo work.
Skype will work good, providing you have some solid 3G bandwidth.
Good luck!

I've been reviewing what Cosmote and Wind are offering for prepaid data:

• COSMOTE Internet Monthly Pass 60 – 60MB for €3
  
• COSMOTE Internet Monthly Pass 200 - 200MB for €5
  
• WIND Talk & Surf 300 – 300MB for €8.50

It says you can buy the Cosmote bundles as many times as you like - until it runs out. I don't know about the Wind one - you may be limited to one per month.

Thessaloniki Airport PrepaidSim?
 

Hi guys (and ladies),

Does anybody knows if its possible to buy a prepaid sim at the Thessaloniki Airport? I am staying in sommer two weeks in Sarti which seems to has no cellphone shops...

Thanks Wolf.

I don't know, I've never been there, but you will need to register the SIM against your passport which is a computer-based process. So it needs a phone shop, not a kiosk. As well as shops owned by Cosmote (or OTE), Wind, etc look out for Germanos electronics shops which can sell Cosmote cards.

Good luck.