Traveling to Austria and looking for the best way to stay connected? Don't let slow overseas data roaming plans or high roaming charges ruin your trip. This is the ultimate guide for buying a sim card for Austria. Find below where to buy a prepaid sim card, the best e-sim cards for Austria, up to date prices and info as per August 2023, the best 4G/5G network in Austria, my recommendation and even information about international sim cards for Austria.
Getting connected is the first thing I do when I get to a new country. In most cases that means buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival or getting an e-sim card. As a full time nomadic travel blogger for more than 10 years I constantly get to new countries and that is how I started documenting my sim card guides. As I am also trying to travel to every country in the world you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: Europe, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Switzerland, UK, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Africa, Hong Kong, Bangkok, New York and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come to Traveltomtom and I show you the best prepaid sim card or e-sim card for your destination. Bookmark me!
Why buying a sim card for Austria
First of all it is the best and cheapest way to stay connected and avoid high roaming charges. Local prepaid sim cards or e-sim cards give you great value for money and you get the fastest data speed compared to overseas data roaming plans. Although all hotels, bars, restaurants and even trains in Austria offer free public WiFi these days there is no guarantee it actually works or is fast enough.
Also very important: public WiFi's are UNSECURED networks. The use of a VPN in these cases is recommended.
When ordering a taxi through an app, getting directions from Google Maps, finding restaurants, nearby friends, emergencies, etc. it is very much recommended to have a working data connection on your phone when traveling.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends an A1 prepaid sim card for Austria. For €9.90 EUR you get 5 GB data and they have the best 4G/5G network in Austria.
an A1 sim card is Traveltomtom's advice if you intend to buy a sim card in Austria on arrival. If you want to arrive prepared and be online as soon as the plane lands then look into e-sim cards for Austria. They already start from $4.5 USD.
A great alternative is a global travel sim card. Check out my comparison of the best international sim cards for traveling in 2023 and find the one that suits your trip the best. Traveling onwards in Europe then have a look at my list with the best European sim cards in 2023.
When swapping sim cards and changing numbers is not preferred then you can check out using a portable WiFi device. It once was the best way to get WiFi abroad, but is it still? Click on the link to read my HONEST review about these pocket WiFi's. Im not convinced anymore.
But hey this is so old school, in 2023 the easiest way to get connected when traveling to Austria is an e-sim card.
Whatever you are intended to do to stay connected when traveling to Austria make sure your phone is unlocked. Prepaid sim cards, international sim cards and e-sim cards only work in unlocked phones. If you are unsure ask your provider in your home country.
Best e-sim cards for Austria
No more buying and swapping physical sim cards and visiting a shop, there is now an electronic sim card. Everything can be arranged online within just a couple minutes. You order an e-sim card, receive a QR code, follow the instructions, apply the settings and you are all set and connected within no time.
Check out the following e-sim card deals for Austria:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $9.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $13 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $31 USD
Click here to order one of the above Austria e-sim card deals or find more info.
The above data-only e-sim cards are from Viennetz Mobile and do NOT allow calling and texting. They operate on the Three (3) 4G/LTE network in Austria.
There are also e-sim cards for Austria that include calls and texting. These international e-sim cards are valid in up to 70 countries around the world:
- 10 GB data + $2 calling credit for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 8 GB + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 20 GB + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Austria directly online.
Before ordering an e-sim card for Austria make sure that your phone is unlocked and that your phone is e-sim card compatible.
Rather looking to order a physical sim card for Austria or does your phone not support e-sim cards? Don't worry! For $30 USD you can get 12 GB data if you order and international travel prepaid sim card. Click here to directly order an international sim card for traveling in Austria or find all the offers.
Austria sim cards and free EU roaming
Prepaid Austria sim cards come with free EU roaming. That means that the sim card you buy in Austria is also valid in Italy, Croatia, Germany and all other countries in the European Union. So when you cross the border into another EU country you can still use your data, voice and text allowance from your Austria sim card at no extra costs. However, always ask your provider about the EU roaming limitations when buying a sim card in Austria.
For more information about EU roaming, Brexit, etc. read my complete guide with tips and tricks for buying a local prepaid sim card in Europe.
Traveling to Vienna? Check out my 3 days in Vienna travel blog, including the best places to visit and things to do. Vienna in winter is completely different. Check which Christmas markets are the best in the link.
Where to buy a sim card for Austria
Vienna Airport
If you fly into Vienna Airport and you are looking to buy a sim card for Austria directly at Vienna Airport then read my guide for buying a sim card at Vienna Airport in 2023.
Official retail stores mobile internet providers
All around the country you can easily find mobile shops that sell Austria prepaid sim cards. All big cities and tourist destinations in Austria have multiple official retail stores of the mobile internet providers. The easiest way to find an official mobile phone store near you is by using Google Maps.
Convenience store and gas stations
Not my preferred choice but yes you can also buy sim cards for traveling in Austria in bigger convenience stores as well as gas stations and supermarkets. These sim cards are pretty basic and don't expect any service. You will need to activate the sim card yourself. Therefore this is not the preferred way for tourists to get connected when traveling to Austria.
Online
I already mentioned that buying a sim card for Austria can also be done online. You are instantly online as the plane lands and you don't need to visit a phone shop on your holiday. Austria prepaid sim cards can only be bought in Austria, but international prepaid sim cards for Austria and e-sim cards for Austria can only be ordered online.
Mobile internet providers Austria
There are three mobile internet operators in Austria: A1, T-Mobile and Three (3). All of them sell prepaid sim cards for Austria. A1 claims to have the best 4G/5G network, T-Mobile claims to be the cheapest! Let’s see if some of that is true…
Best 4G/5G network in Austria in 2023
To determine what is the best sim card for Austria we will also have a look at the 4G/5G network coverage in Austria. Mobile internet providers always compete over the prices, but a stronger network and faster data speed is even more important these days.
Is there 5G in Austria?
Yes, there is an ok 5G network in Austria in 2023. All the internet providers offer 5G in the bigger cities. See the 4G/5G coverage maps below or click here for a more detailed 5G coverage map of Austria.
3 Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
T-Mobile Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
A1 Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
It is not that easy to determine but when you compare the 4G/5G network maps of the mobile internet providers it comes out that A1 has the best 4G/5G network coverage in Austria in 2023. 3 Austria has the weakest 4G/5G network in Austria. In general all the tourist destinations in Austria have a great 4G signal coverage, no matter which provider.
Prices prepaid Austria sim card in 2023
All the below information and prices are updated in August 2023. Prices are in Euros: $1 USD = €0.91 EUR and €1 EUR = $1.10 USD.
A1
An A1 prepaid sim card for Austria is called a B.free plan and costs €9.90 EUR and comes with 5,000 minutes or SMS and 5 GB data. Great deal I would say.
On top of that you can choose one of the prepaid plans to top up if you need more data:
- 6 GB data in Austria + 1,000 minutes & sms in Austria for 28 days = €10
- 15 GB data in Austria + 1,000 minutes & sms in Austria for 28 days = €15
- 18 GB data valid in all of Europe + 1,000 minutes & sms in Europe for 28 days = €20
- 30 GB data (28 GB valid in all of Europe) + 3,000 minutes & sms in Europe for 28 days = €30
For more info check the A1 Austria website.
Three - 3
A 3 Austria sim card costs €9,90 for the activation. 3 Austria offers the following prepaid sim cards for tourists:
- 20 GB data + 2,000 minutes + 2,000 sms = €20
- 30 GB data + 3,000 minutes + 3,000 sms = €30
All of the above packages are for use in Austria AND in all the in Europe, both package include free EU roaming and are valid for 30 days. For more info check out the plans above.
For more info check the 3 Austria website.
T-Mobile
A T-Mobile prepaid sim card costs €10 for the activation fee. And then you can chose from the following prepaid plans and data packages:
- 8 GB data + 1,000 min/sms = €10
- 15 GB data + 1,500 min/sms = €15
- 20 GB data + 2,000 min/sms = €20
- 30 GB data + 3,000 min/sms = €30
All plans are valid for 4 weeks and apart from the Klax S plan all prepaid sim cards include free EU data roaming. See all details above.
For more info check out the T-Mobile Austria website.
Best Austria prepaid sim card in 2023
When comparing the Austria prepaid sim cards with the international sim cards and the e-sim cards for Austria it is clear that you get more Gigabytes for the same money on local prepaid sim cards for Austria that you buy on arrival.
However, e-sim cards for Austria already start from just $4.5 USD and give you 1 GB data. That is enough for staying in touch through WhatsApp and using Google Maps for direction.
But for heavy data users that use a lot of social media apps buying a local prepaid sim card in Austria will be cheaper.
In general I recommend the prepaid sim card with the strongest 4G/5G network. In Austria that is A1 and since they also have a great prepaid sim card deal for just €9.90 EUR including 5 GB data it is an easy conclusion that A1 is the best prepaid sim card in Austria in 2023.
If you are you traveling onwards to other countries in Europe and want to buy a sim card for Europe online then click on the link for my comparison of the (e)-sim cards for traveling in Europe in 2023.
Order a sim card for Austria online
If buying a prepaid sim card on arrival in Austria sounds like too much effort and you want to arrive prepared for your holiday then why not just make it easy for yourself? Order an international prepaid sim card for Austria online and get one of these pre-activated sim cards shipped to your home address before your trip.
See the following international prepaid sim cards for traveling to Austria:
Three data pack 10 GB - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms within Europe and UK
- Valid 30 days
Three data pack 12 GB - $29.90
- 12 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- Unlimited calls/sms within Europe and UK
- Valid 30 days
O2 Go Card - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe and UK
- $2 calling credit
- Valid 30 days
Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 20 GB data in Europe and in the UK
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe and the UK
- 120 minutes worldwide
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Click here to order one of the above international sim cards for traveling to Austria directly online.
Also a last reminder that you can order an e-sim card for Austria directly online and arrange everything within just 2 minutes. Through Airalo you can order a data-only e-sim card for Austria and through SimOptions you can order an international e-sim card with calling and texting for Austria.
There are many Christmas markets in Vienna, but which ones are the best when traveling to Vienna in winter? Check them out in my latest Vienna blog. A complete travel guide for this city? Have a look at all my Vienna travel tips and 3-day itinerary.
I hope all these tips for buying a sim card for Austria in 2023 were helpful. In case you have any additional questions please leave me a comment below and I am happy to help you out. Also with Austria travel tips.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of August 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Austria!
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for traveling to Austria are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.