Travelling outside the EU with a plan from Greece: how do I avoid a huge roaming bill?
Outside the EU, roaming charges are not regulated: each provider sets them. Check the charges for your plan before you travel. Unlike in the EU, you also pay for calls you receive.
Outside the EU and EEA, roaming can be very expensive, especially mobile data. Protections such as a spending limit and warning messages exist in some places; what applies with a plan from Greece is below.
📜 The rules in Greece
The details
- Data spending abroad is capped at €50, or another limit you agreed with your provider. You get a warning at 80%, and data stops when you reach the limit. (eett.gr)
- When you arrive in a country outside the EU you receive an SMS with the charges that apply. (eett.gr)
- Near the border your phone may connect to a foreign network. Set network selection to manual and choose your own provider's network to avoid roaming charges. (eett.gr)
- Roaming at home prices also covers Moldova and Ukraine. Other countries outside the EU/EEA are not covered, although many providers choose to extend their offers to them. (europa.eu)
Εθνική Επιτροπή Τηλεπικοινωνιών και Ταχυδρομείων (ΕΕΤΤ)
File a complaint with the online form after you have first complained to your provider, which must reply in writing within 20 calendar days. EETT can impose penalties but does not settle individual disputes or award compensation.
🪜 Step by step
- Check the prices before you goLook up your operator’s rates for the country you are visiting, or buy a travel add-on.
- Keep the spending limit onIf your operator offers a data spending limit, leave it on. It stops data use before the bill runs away.
- Switch off data roaming when you do not need itApps update in the background. Use Wi‑Fi and switch off data roaming in your phone’s settings.
- Consider a local SIM or eSIMFor longer trips, a local or travel SIM is often much cheaper.
📇 Who to contact
Sponsor this page → One labelled block, €100 a month. Founding price €75 until 31 January 2027.
❓ Questions
What happens when I reach the spending limit?
Where a limit applies, data stops or you are asked whether you want to continue. You decide whether to go on.
Do ships and planes count as abroad?
Networks on ships and planes often run via satellite, are not covered by the usual roaming rules and can be very expensive.
Can I dispute a huge roaming bill?
Yes. Complain to the operator first, then go to the dispute body if you cannot agree.
📎 Sources
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