Balkans eSIM: one eSIM from Ljubljana to Istanbul
The LimitSim team · 8 min read
The LimitSim Balkans eSIM is one eSIM that works in eleven countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye. You install it once, at home before you leave, and it stays connected as you cross from one of those countries into the next — Split to Mostar, Kotor to Shkodër, Thessaloniki to Istanbul — with no new QR code and nothing to change in your settings at the border. This guide covers the local networks in each country, what to expect at border posts and on ferries, what it costs and how to have it ready before your first crossing. All sizes and current prices are on the Balkans eSIM plans page.
Which countries the Balkans eSIM covers
The Balkans eSIM covers eleven countries on one plan and one data allowance: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye (Turkey). Every plan size covers the same eleven countries, so you choose by data and days, not by route.
One gap matters on a lot of Balkan routes: Kosovo is not on the list. If your trip includes Pristina or Prizren, or a road that cuts through Kosovo (Tirana to Skopje via Pristina, for example), expect no data on this eSIM while you are there. Download offline maps and save your tickets and bookings before you cross. The same applies to neighbours outside the pack, such as Italy, Hungary and Moldova: if your route starts or ends in one of them, you will need separate data for that leg.
If your route also takes in Italy or Hungary, compare the Europe eSIM plans as well. On 7 October 2026 they covered Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia, plus Italy and Hungary, but not Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia or Türkiye. Those five are covered by the Balkans eSIM, so a route through any of them points to the Balkans plan; a route that also reaches Italy or Hungary needs separate data for that part.
Balkans eSIM networks in each country
In each country the Balkans eSIM connects to local mobile networks. The table shows the networks listed for each country in the LimitSim catalogue on 7 October 2026. Which one your phone joins depends on the plan and on the signal where you are, so we can't promise a particular network at any given spot.
| Country | Networks listed |
|---|---|
| Albania | One, Vodafone |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | BH Telecom (BH Mobile), HT Eronet |
| Bulgaria | A1, Vivacom, Yettel (formerly Telenor) |
| Croatia | A1, Hrvatski Telekom, Telemach (formerly Tele2) |
| Greece | Nova (formerly Wind), Vodafone |
| Montenegro | Crnogorski Telekom, m:tel, One (formerly Telenor) |
| North Macedonia | A1 (formerly VIP), Makedonski Telekom |
| Romania | DIGI, Orange, Vodafone |
| Serbia | A1 (formerly VIP), mts, Yettel (formerly Telenor) |
| Slovenia | A1, Telekom Slovenije (formerly Mobitel), Telemach |
| Türkiye | Türk Telekom, Turkcell, Vodafone |
A name in brackets is another name your phone may show for the same network, usually a former brand. What matters is that you have signal and data.
In the mountains (Durmitor, the Albanian Alps, the Rhodopes), coverage can be patchy on any network. Before a mountain drive, download the offline map for the route. For the Bay of Kotor, the coast and Durmitor, see our Montenegro eSIM guide.
Crossing borders by road and ferry
At a land border you don't need to do anything. Once you are across, your phone lets go of the last country's network and picks up one in the new country by itself. If it hasn't reconnected a little while after the crossing, switch airplane mode on and off. Close to a border your phone may keep the other side's network for a while, which is harmless when both countries are on the pack. The one border to watch is Kosovo's: near it, the eSIM only works while your phone is on a network from the covered side. If you head inland from the Croatian coast to Mostar or Sarajevo, our Bosnia and Herzegovina eSIM guide covers that part of the trip.
Ferries are the other kind of crossing. Greek island ferries and the Adriatic coastal routes stay near land for much of the way, so you will usually have signal near ports and along the coast and lose it in open water. The short hops between the Turkish coast and the Greek islands (Bodrum to Kos, Çeşme to Chios, Ayvalık to Lesbos) run between two countries that are both on the pack. Ferries from Italy (Bari, Ancona, Brindisi) start outside it, because Italy is not covered, so the eSIM picks up a network as you come within range of the far coast. Some ships run their own onboard mobile network. This eSIM does not list one, and it is worth keeping data roaming off on your home SIM so that it does not connect to one either. Island hopping has its own guide: staying connected between the Greek islands.
Türkiye is on the same Balkans eSIM
Because Türkiye is one of the eleven countries, a route like Sofia to Istanbul via Edirne, Thessaloniki to Istanbul, or an island hop from Greece to the Turkish coast stays on one eSIM. In Türkiye the networks listed are Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone. Which of them your phone attaches to depends on where you are, so we can't tell you in advance which one you will get.
If you are starting from Türkiye, install the eSIM at home in Istanbul or İzmir and keep the travel line switched off until you set out; the plan details show when its validity begins. Your Turkish number stays on your main SIM for calls, texts and bank codes.
Balkans eSIM prices and plan sizes
On 7 October 2026, Balkans eSIM plans on limitsim.com started at €1.14 for 0.49 GB valid for one day. For most trips the useful sizes are 5 GB for 15 days at €7.70 and 10 GB for 30 days at €13.86. Unlimited plans started at €22.46 for 7 days.
| Data | Validity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 0.49 GB | 1 day | €1.14 |
| 1 GB | 7 days | €1.80 |
| 3 GB | 7 days | €4.86 |
| 5 GB | 15 days | €7.70 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | €13.86 |
| 15 GB | 30 days | €18.70 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | €24.44 |
| 30 GB | 30 days | €36.28 |
| Unlimited (fair usage) | 7 days | €22.46 |
| Unlimited (fair usage) | 15 days | €35.50 |
| Unlimited (fair usage) | 30 days | €49.70 |
Prices on limitsim.com on 7 October 2026; current prices are on the plans page.
For most Balkan trips, one of two sizes fits: 5 GB for 15 days or 10 GB for 30 days.
- 5 GB / 15 days suits a one- or two-week loop spent on maps, messaging, bookings and photos.
- 10 GB / 30 days suits a longer trip, or one with more photo and video uploads and the odd video call.
- Shorter trips: 3 GB or 1 GB for 7 days, and a one-day plan for a transit day.
- Longer or heavier use: 15, 20 or 30 GB for 30 days.
- Unlimited, for heavy users: 7, 15 or 30 days, for daily video calls or working on the road. Fair-use limits apply on unlimited plans — see the plan details.
Every size covers the same eleven countries, and you can compare all Balkans eSIM sizes side by side. If you are torn between two sizes, you can take the smaller one, because you can add data later from the app (see below). Navigation and messaging use little data. Video calls, streaming and uploading video are what use most of a plan.
Set up your Balkans eSIM before you leave home
- Check your phone. It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked, not tied to your home carrier.
- Install on home Wi-Fi, a day or two before you go, using the QR code in your email or directly in the LimitSim app. Step-by-step guides: iPhone, Android.
- Name the line (something like "Balkans") and set it as the line for mobile data while you travel. Keep your home line for calls and texts.
- Turn data roaming on for the Balkans line when you arrive. A travel eSIM joins local networks as a visiting line, so it needs data roaming switched on.
- Turn data roaming off on your home SIM, so it doesn't start roaming on your home plan in the background.
- Don't delete the eSIM during the trip. The installation code may only work once. If something goes wrong, contact support before buying another plan.
The pack is data-only, with no phone number, calls or SMS. Your home SIM stays in the phone, so your usual number keeps working for WhatsApp and for the text-message codes your bank sends.
Running low? Top up in the app
Open the eSIM in the LimitSim app and tap Top Up Data; you can do the same from your account on the website. The data goes onto the eSIM that is already in your phone, so there is no new QR code and nothing to reinstall.
While you still have a good amount of data left, the option offered is the same plan again, added on top of what you have. Once you are nearly out, you can choose a different Balkans size instead, but any small amount left over does not carry across to a different plan. A plan that has already expired can't be topped up, so for your next trip you would buy a new eSIM. If you bought as a guest, create an account with the same email address and the eSIM links to it automatically.
Ready for the trip? Get your Balkans eSIM, install it at home and switch it on as you cross into the first country on your route.
Frequently asked questions
- Which countries does the Balkans eSIM cover?
Eleven: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Türkiye. Kosovo is not covered, so if your route passes through Pristina or Prizren, plan on having no data from this eSIM there. Every size of the pack covers the same eleven countries.
- Does the Balkans eSIM work in Türkiye (Turkey)?
Yes. Türkiye is one of the eleven countries, and the networks listed there are Türk Telekom, Turkcell and Vodafone. Your phone connects to whichever of them is available where you are, so we can't say in advance which one it will be. If your trip starts in Türkiye, keep the travel line switched off until you set out.
- Do I need to change anything when I cross a border?
No. The eSIM stays the same, and your phone connects to a network in the new country by itself. If it hasn't reconnected a little while after the crossing, turn airplane mode on and off. The only places it won't reconnect are outside the pack's eleven countries, such as Kosovo, Italy or Hungary.
- Can I add more data if I run out?
Yes. You can top up from the LimitSim app or from your account on the website. The data is added to the eSIM already on your phone, so there is no new QR code. While you still have data left, the top-up is the same plan again, added on top of what remains; once you are nearly out, you can choose another size. An expired plan can't be topped up.
- How much does a Balkans eSIM cost?
On limitsim.com on 7 October 2026, plans started at €1.14 for 0.49 GB valid for one day. 5 GB for 15 days cost €7.70 and 10 GB for 30 days €13.86; unlimited plans with a fair-usage policy started at €22.46 for 7 days. Current prices are on the plans page.