Flying to Vienna for a trip to Austria and looking for the best way to get connected? This is a complete guide with everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport or an e-sim card for Austria. Find out where to buy a sim card, the best e-sim cards for Austria, up to date prices as per August 2023, my recommendation, information about EU roaming, international sim cards and more.
As part of my journey to visit every country in the world I get to a lot of countries and airports. The first thing I do on arrival is finding the best ways to stay connected and depending on the length of my trip I either buy a local prepaid sim card or an e-sim cards to get a working data connection on my phone.
It became a passion to compare the best prepaid sim card and e-sim cards for every destination that I go and that is how on Traveltomtom there are already more than 200 sim card guides from all over the world: Europe, Dublin, Iceland, Budapest, Venice, Oslo, Zagreb, Milan, Copenhagen, but also Hong Kong, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cameroon, Croatia, New York, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Bali and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and e-sim card advice for your holiday destination. Bookmark me!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom does NOT recommend buying a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport as prices for data are very expensive compared to Austria sim card in the city of Vienna or even better e-sim cards for Austria! E-sim cards for Austria are the fastest and cheapest way to stay connected. E-sim card plans already start from just $4.5 USD.
If you really want to buy a sim card at Vienna Airport then go to the BIPA convenience store and buy a 3 (Drei/Three) prepaid sim card. You will have to do the activation yourself, but it is doable. For €10 EUR you get 4 GB data.
Check my article about the best sim cards for Austria in 2023 and let me help you find the right sim card to stay connected for your trip to Vienna.
Another great option to stay connected would be by ordering an international sim card for traveling the world in 2023. Some of them are actually very good deals for visiting Austria. Are you extending your trip in Europe to other countries then you want to see my list of the best Europe sim cards in 2023.
When changing your phone number is not an option or your phone is locked then you can opt for a pocket WiFi. How do these portable WiFi's work? Check out my article about the best way to get WiFi abroad and I give you my HONEST review about these travel items.
Best e-sim cards for Austria
No more swapping physical sim cards and visiting a sim card shop, you can now arrange everything online, right here, right now! An e-sim card is the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Vienna. You order an e-sim card on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple instructions and you are all set and connected in just a couple clicks.
Check out the following Austria e-sim card plans:
- 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 an e-sim card for Austria.
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 calling and texting. On top of that these e-sim cards are valid in all of Europe and up to 70 countries around the world. Check out the following e-sim cards:
- 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.
Makes sure your smartphone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Austria. But also be aware that your phone needs to be unlocked for an e-sim to work. This also counts for international prepaid sim cards and local prepaid sim cards.
You can also still order a physical sim card for Austria. Especially for those who have a smartphone that is not e-sim compatible. For example $24.90 USD will give you 10 GB data. Click here to directly order an international sim card for traveling in Austria or check out all the offers and more info in the link.
Austria sim cards and FREE EU roaming
Because of the roaming laws in Europe there shouldn’t be any extra costs for using your Austria sim card in other European countries. This applies to all prepaid sim cards you can buy in Austria however, there are limitations. Therefore always ask your provider about the EU roaming restrictions when buying a sim card in Austria.
Learn more about EU roaming limitations in my article with all my tips and tricks for when buying a prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe in 2023 or simply buy a sim card for Europe directly online.
RELATED: Ultimate Vienna Travel Guide for 2023, with places to visit, things to do cool , cool restaurants, rooftop bars and more. Traveling to Vienna in Winter? Read all about the Christmas markets in this article.
Why buying a sim card for Austria
Don't rely on other people! Having a working data connection makes traveling so much easier. Getting an Uber on the streets, finding your way around the city with the directions from Google Maps, etc. So many reasons to buy a local sim card and staying connected.
Yes, your hotel has free WiFi and so do the restaurants and bars in Vienna, but there is no guarantee it is actually works or is fast enough. Also keep in mind that public WiFi's are UNSECURED networks, so be careful!
Vienna Airport - VIE
As of August 2023 there is still some ongoing construction at Vienna Airport. It is not the most convenient airport at the moment but arrival is simple. All passengers arrive in Terminal 3 and there is only one arrival hall and one exit after luggage collection. It tends to be pretty busy at Vienna Airport every time I end up there.
Where to buy a sim card at Vienna Airport
There are three different places that sell sim cards. Two shops are identical and are called Wowww and then there is another option called the BIPA convenience store.
As soon as you step into the arrival hall you are forced to go either left or right. Both directions will lead you right into the Wowww stores at Vienna Airport. So you can not miss them! Although I wish you actually could… ;)
The BIPA convenience store can be found if you go left and you keep on walking towards Terminal 1. It is just 100 meters away on your right hand side.
I already wrote blogs about buying an international sim card in almost every countries across Europe and more than 25 airports like: Budapest, Zagreb, Geneva, London, Copenhagen, etc. All the information from those articles I used to find the best sim card for Europe. Click on the link to find my complete guide.
Prices Vienna Airport sim cards in 2023
Lately I was at Venice and Milan Airport and I thought I found the biggest tourist sim card scam in Europe but unfortunately Vienna Airport is even worse. Asking Vienna Airport information about where to buy an Austria sim card they said Wowww is the only place to buy a sim card at Vienna Airport. WRONG!
Anyway sit back and read the next thing carefully…
Prices and info below are updated as per August 2023: $1 USD = €0.91 EUR and €1 EUR = $1.10 USD.
Wowww store Vienna Airport
The arrogant employees at both Wowww stores at Vienna Airport are selling Austria sim cards for an absolutely ridiculous price! The cheapest option for an Austria prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport is:
- 100 minutes and 100 MB = €65 EUR
Are you kidding me!? The registration fee only is already €40 EUR. Then they dare to charge you another €9.99 EUR for the sim card and then €15 EUR for 100 MB. This is not the only sim card they offer, they have more of course, but I refuse to write it all down! See the picture below…
Please do NOT buy any sim card from the Wowww sim card shop at Vienna Airport!
The reason I write these blogs is to make you save money so you can travel more! As a professional travel blogger I am in a position to show people that traveling does NOT have to be expensive. Therefore please people stay away from this shop! This is the most ridiculous price I have ever seen for a local prepaid sim card and I wrote more than 200 blogs about buying sim cards all over the world.
Update August 2023! The Wowww store now also sells an Eety sim card and they offer 3 different packages:
- 15 GB data in Austria + 1000 minutes + 500 sms in Europe - valid for 30 days = €29.99 EUR
- 20 GB data in Europe + 1000 minutes + 500 sms in Europe - valid for 30 days = €39.99 EUR
- Unlimited data in Austria + unlimited minutes/sms in Europe - valid for 30 days = €59.99 EUR
Ok Wowww store, you clearly read my article about Vienna Airport sim cards and I am happy you now have normal prices for tourists sim cards in 2023. Still pretty expensive compared to other European countries though and it makes it easy for me to recommend travelers to buy an e-sim card for Austria.
BIPA convenience store Vienna Airport
According to the Airport information the Wowww store is the only one that sells sim cards, but that is NOT true! I found out that the BIPA convenience store also sells prepaid sim cards for Austria. Mind you this is not a phone shop but a cosmetics shop. They have a bunch of Austria sim cards for sale, but…
This is self service! The ladies working at Bipa have zero clue sim cards it and can’t give you any information or answer your questions.
I speak fluent German so I tried to figure out whatever these Austria sim cards offer, but still I was left with many questions. Anyway I found 3 different sim cards for Austria at the BIPA convenience store.
EETY Austria prepaid sim card
Just forget about this one straight away: only 100 MB data for €15! Stupid.
Also this sim card is only valid for 15 days. Although in 15 minutes I would probably already been through my 100 MB data bundle anyway. These sim card offers make me laugh. RIP OFF!
Three (3) Austria prepaid sim card
IA Three (3) prepaid sim card costs only €9,90 so this is something I would recommend trying. How much you get for this price is a valid question. This prepaid sim card package says on the front: including 10 GB. On the back it says: 1000 minutes, 1000 sms and 4 GB. I tried to figure it out for you but with no luck. You can probably choose either one of the below package when activating.
This Three Austria sim card is valid for 30 days, free data roaming in the EU is NOT included.
Lycamobile Austria prepaid sim card
A Lycamobile sim card at Vienna Airport can also be bought from the Bipa store. It costs €12 and gives you €10 credit and if you register online you get €2 extra credit.
According to the Lycamobile website you can get 30 GB data for €11,90 and it says EU data roaming! BUT… if you read the small letters it tells you that the data roaming outside Austria is capped to 1 GB only. Exactly this is the reason why I never recommend Lycamobile: false advertising!!!!
Best sim card at Vienna Airport
It is a pretty simple conclusion to determine the best Austria sim card at Vienna Airport. You gotta be at the Bipa convenience store and take a leap of faith. A Three (Drei) prepaid sim card for €10 EUR will give you by far the best value. The 3 Austria sim card is pre-activated, but it needs a sign up. Read more about this below.
However, with all that hassle it is pretty clear that Traveltomtom of course DOES NOT RECOMMEND buying a sim card at Vienna Airport for your trip to Europe and that getting an e-sim card for Austria is simply faster, easier, more convenient and even cheaper than buying a sim card at Vienna Airport.
If you want the best Austria prepaid sim crd deals then wait till you get to Vienna city center and get a sim card for Austria in an official A1 store. Check out my article about the best prepaid sim card for Austria in 2023.
Buy a sim card for Austria online
If buying a sim card at Vienna sounds like too much effort and you can't get an e-sim card for Austria because your phone is not e-sim compatible then don't worry you can still buy a sim card for Austria on the internet. You can order an international sim card for traveling in Austria online and get it delivered to your home address before your trip. Easy, quick and convenient... just put it in your phone on your arrival and it gets activated automatically.
Check out the following international sim cards for Austria and all of Europe:
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 an international sim card for Austria or find more info in the link.
Personally I can recommend the Orange Holiday Europe sim card. I have used it multiple times and never had an issue, but nowadays I use e-sim cards for traveling to Europe.
This is also a last reminder that if your phone is e-sim compatible you can also order an e-sim card for Austria to stay connected on your trip to Vienna. 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 in all of Europe.
My experience activating a Three (Drei) Austria sim card
To activate the Three Austria sim card that you can buy at the BIPA convenience store you will need sign up online. That means you will need an internet connection to go to their website as described on the back of the package. When singing up and activating your €10 EUR package you can choose to either go for a data only package or data + talk package. The data only package will give you 10 GB data to be used across Europe for 30 days. A great deal actually.
You can also choose the data + talk option which will give you only 4 GB data but you get 1,000 minutes + 1,000 texts to be used in Europe. Unfortunately the website of Three Austria is only in German and I could literally not find a way to translate it on my phone. Luckily I speak fluent German, but for tourist it would be a nightmare. But if you pop into a Three store Im sure they will gladly help you.
The Three Austria sim card at Vienna Airport is the cheapest, but unfortunately a little complicated to activate.
How to get from Vienna airport to city center
After you bought your prepaid sim card for Austria at Vienna Airport or NOT, you can easily get from the airport to the city center. There is a direct fast train called City Airport Train (CAT). This bad boy costs you €12 EUR one-way per person and takes like 30 minutes. It leaves every 30 minutes and brings you directly to Vienna Mitte. This is also a shopping mall where you will find a 3 Austria, T-Mobile Austria and an A1 store.
But all in all it is just 8-10 minutes faster than a normal bus/tram, which leaves much more frequent and costs only €4.20 EUR per person one-way. Up to you! ;)
I hope all the above tips for buying a sim card for Austria on arrival at Vienna Airport were helpful for your upcoming trip. Still questions? Please leave me a message below or reach out to me on social media and I am happy to help you with all your Vienna travel related questions.
For Vienna travel tips in winter click on the link to read my article. When traveling to Vienna in summer than have a look at my complete Vienna travel guide including a 3-day itinerary.
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!