Internet
Yes
Calls
No
SMS
No
4G
Yes
Works only on unlocked eSIM-supported devices — check your phone compatibility before purchase
Most packages do not include calls or SMS
Choose one of three methods:
Scan QR code
Install via 'Quick Install' button
Manual setup through phone settings
Use the package within 3 months from purchase
Local (one country), Regional (multiple countries), Global (many countries)
📞 Unlimited calls and SMS across Europe 🌍 International calls: 30 minutes worldwide + 200 SMS
Crete is the largest island in Greece: it stretches more than 250 kilometres from west to east, and a holiday here is usually made of several bases, beaches and long drives. Planes land in Heraklion and Chania, and from there you travel by rental car, bus or boat. Navigation, bookings, ferries and messages with hosts need internet from day one, and an eSIM is installed at home and switched on after landing.
This page is the quickest way to buy a travel eSIM for Crete from 9 500 ₸. Pick a plan, pay online and install the digital SIM card at home before the flight — no passport and no queue at an airport kiosk.
The eSIM connects to local mobile networks, so you have data wherever they have coverage — Heraklion and Chania and the rest of the country.
Compared with roaming in Crete, an eSIM is usually much cheaper for mobile data: the price of the package is fixed and known in advance. Your home number stays active on the main SIM for calls and SMS.
If your phone does not support eSIM, you can buy a regular physical SIM card with data for Crete at a Funsim point of sale: at Almaty and Shymkent airports, or at our offices in Almaty — 130/1 Abay St and 1 Pozharsky St. Handy if you remember about the internet right before departure.
Distances on Crete are big: from Chania to Agios Nikolaos or Sitia is several hours' drive, and moving between bases often takes half a day. You do not need a separate local SIM for each stretch, one profile covers the whole island. Mobile data is needed on the road, at stops and when you look for a place to stay the next night.
Your main SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank SMS, while data goes through the eSIM. Most plans have no voice calls or SMS, so messengers are the easiest way to reach landlords, guides, boat captains and transfer drivers. See the Greece plan terms and regional options above on this page.
| Criterion | eSIM Funsim | Roaming | Local SIM |
|---|---|---|---|
| When to set up | At home, before the flight | Usually on arrival | After landing, in a shop or kiosk |
| What you do on Crete | Just switch data on | Check your operator's terms | Find a point of sale in the right town |
| Cost of data | Fixed package, see plans above | Usually much more expensive | Depends on the operator's tariff |
| Your home number | Stays for calls and banking | Stays active | Usually a second SIM or a swap |
| Island road trip | One profile for the whole drive | Depends on operator terms | One operator, but buying takes time |
Coasts and towns are covered more densely, while mountain stretches, gorges and remote coves are less predictable. These are the places and routes where you will use the internet most.
Heraklion and the port of Souda near Chania handle ferries to Piraeus and to other islands. Timetables sometimes change, especially in strong wind, so keep tickets and the carrier's contact in your phone. Internet at the port helps you check the departure time and find the right quay while you wait to board.
A town between Chania and Heraklion with the Venetian Fortezza and an old harbour. Many people choose it as a base: from here it is easy to drive west, east and into the mountains. Mobile internet helps with finding parking in narrow streets, booking tavern tables and contacting your host.
The resort east, with Lake Voulismeni, the waterfront and boats to the island of Spinalonga. Excursion boats run to a timetable and depend on weather, so it helps to confirm times in a messenger. In Elounda and the nearby coves, internet is handy for maps and taxis.
The eastern corner of the island, where distances between villages are large and the roads are in places empty. The Vai palm grove and the Minoan ruins of Zakros are far from big towns. Save an offline map and keep some spare data, and fill the tank in advance rather than hoping to find a station on every stretch.
The south-central part, where Matala beach with its caves sits near the ancient ruins of Phaistos and Gortyn. These places are usually covered in one day by car, and internet helps with the route, opening hours and the return to Heraklion or the south coast.
Preveli's palm beach and the quiet village of Spili south of Rethymno. The way down to the beach is by steps or a path, and in the valley itself signal can be uneven. Download the map before you set off, save your parking point and remember that you need spare energy and battery for the climb back up.
The south-west coast, where Loutro is reached mainly by sea or on foot and boats leave from Chora Sfakion and other villages. In such places connectivity and timetables can depend on weather and wind. Save the boat departure time and the carrier's contact in advance.
A mountain area above Agios Nikolaos with windmills, a fertile plain and a cave linked to the myth of Zeus's birth. The roads wind and the weather can change quickly. Internet helps with the route and forecast, and an offline map protects you if signal drops on a bend.
Familiar services work on the island, and a few apps are especially useful on the road and on the water.
The main navigator for roads, beaches and tavernas, with reviews and opening hours. Download an offline map of the island: on mountain stretches it helps if signal is lost.
Useful for Greek signs, menus and road signs. Download Greek for offline use and translate notices with the camera on the spot.
Keeps your address, check-in terms and chat with hosts. Take a screenshot of the address and save the owner's contact, especially if your lodging is in a village.
A service for finding timetables and buying ferry tickets in Greece. Useful if you go from Crete to Santorini, Piraeus or other islands.
Shows wind and waves, which matters for boats and ferries, especially in the season of strong northern winds. Check the forecast in the morning before heading out to sea.
This is how you reach hosts, car rentals, captains and transfer drivers. Since most plans have no voice calls, calling through a messenger is the easiest option.
Check that your phone supports eSIM and is not locked to a carrier. You can find this in the settings or on the manufacturer's website.
Choose a Greece plan above and pay by card on the site, no passport is needed. If you are also visiting other islands, check the plan terms.
Install the eSIM at home by QR code, the Quick install button or manually while you still have Wi-Fi. That way you will not need to look for internet at the airport.
After landing in Heraklion or Chania, choose the eSIM as your mobile data line and switch data roaming on for that line.
Keep your main SIM on for calls and bank SMS, but turn off mobile data on it so traffic does not go through roaming.
If the package runs out, buy extra data on the site. The hotspot works on plans that allow it, check the plan page for details.
Before a long drive across the island, save an offline map and your hosts' contacts: on mountain roads and in remote coves signal can be uneven.
