Traveling to Frankfurt soon? Avoid high roaming charges while traveling in Germany, get yourself a local prepaid sim card! This is your guide for buying a sim card in Frankfurt Airport. Where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per March 2023, shop opening times, a vlog about my arrival and experiences and even info about international and e-sim cards for Germany/Europe.
As I fly a lot with Qatar Airways from Frankfurt Airport (check out my video of the amazing Q-Suite from Qatar Airways), you can find me regularly at Germany's biggest international airport.
Traveltomtom is aiming to visit every country in the world and everywhere I go I write local prepaid sim card guides to help fellow world travelers save money on high roaming charges. Not only did I find the best European sim card for tourists in 2023 but also detailed guide for buying a sim card at: Venice Airport, Budapest Airport, Geneva Airport, Madrid Airport, Milan Airport, Nairobi Airport, Douala Airport, Dubai Airport, Riyadh Airport, Amman Airport, Istanbul Airport, Cape Town Airport and many more places around the world.
RELATED: Ultimate Frankfurt Travel Guide for 2023 with 16 things to do, hotel recommendations, rooftop bars, restaurants and day trips.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom does NOT recommend buying a sim card at Frankfurt Airport! Sim cards are overpriced and there is very limited choice. It is better to wait till you get to Frankfurt city center. Therefore check out my article about the best prepaid sim card for Germany in 2023. However, the best sim card deal at Frankfurt Airport is a Lycamobile sim card with 15 GB data for €40.
Another great alternative is buying an international sim card for traveling abroad! Check out my comparison of these global sim cards in the link and find the one that fits your trip to Europe, also updated in March 2023.
If you are NOT a fan of swapping sim cards then there are 2 alternatives: a pocket WiFi and an e-sim card for Germany. Read my article about getting WiFi on the road and get an honest review about these portable WiFi devices for traveling. It is so old school!
E-sim cards for Germany
The most convenient way to stay connected when traveling abroad in 2023 is an e-sim card! You simply order one online, receive a code, follow the instructions and you are good to go and connected! Here are the best Germany e-sim card deals:
- $5 USD = 1 GB data for 7 days
- $10 USD = 3 GB data for 30 days
- $15 USD = 5 GB data for 30 days
- $22.5 USD = 10 GB data for 30 days
Click here to order one of the above Germany e-sim cards directly online or find more info. Keep in mind that the above e-sim cards for Germany are data-only and only valid in Germany.
If you also want to make phone calls there is another website that offers e-sim cards for Germany with calls included and free EU roaming and calls all over Europe:
- 8 GB data + unlimited calls for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited calls for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order a Germany e-sim card including calls directly online.
You can also a physical sim card for Germany online. For example an international sim card with 12 GB data and unlimited calls and texts in Europe for $30 USD. Cheaper than the best sim card deal at Frankfurt airport. Click here to directly order this international sim card for Germany and see many more options.
Germany sim cards and free EU roaming
Always double check if you Germany sim card includes FREE EU roaming. That means you can use the sim card you bought in Frankfurt also in Amsterdam, Rome or even Helsinki at no extra costs.
Be aware: Germany sim cards are some of the worst for traveling in Europe as they have a lot of restrictions. I wrote a guide with the best sim cards for traveling in Europe in 2023 and another guide with all my tips for buying a local sim card in Europe, including a list of the best prepaid sim card deal per country.
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Where to buy a German sim card at Frankfurt Airport?
When arriving at Frankfurt Airport there are three arrival halls A, B and C. I checked all of them and there are only two places to buy a German prepaid sim card at Frankfurt Airport and both of the shops are in Arrival Hall B. When you arrive in arrival Hall B, you can not miss the Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2 signs, they are right in front of the door that you come out.
There are two different shops next to each other: Currency Exchange and the Ortel store.
The Currency Exchange is open from 06.00 am to 9.30 pm and the Ortel Store only from 09.00 am to 07.00 pm on week days and 10.00 am to 05.00 pm in weekends.
Don’t get fooled by all the signs saying buy your German sim cards here and Vodafone or Ortel Mobile. There are only two mobile operators available: Lebara and Lycamobile.
Prices prepaid sim cards at Frankfurt Airport
There is very limited choice when it comes to buying a sim card for your trip to Germany at Frankfurt International Airport. Two shops, two sim card deals, that is it!
Ortel - Lycamobile
- 15 GB data + unlimited calls for 28 days in all of Europe = €40
Lycamobile operates on the network of Vodafone Germany.
Currency Exchange - Lebara
At the Currency Exchange shop they only sell a Lebara prepaid sim card. For €39 you get 10 GB data + unlimited calls in Germany and 250 international minutes, valid for 28 days.
Lebara operates on the network of O2 Germany.
Best sim card at Frankfurt Airport in 2023
If you are looking for the best prepaid sim card for Germany then Frankfurt Airport is not the best place to be! There is not much choice and the packages are expensive. However, the best sim card deal at Frankfurt Airport is the one from Lycamobile. For €40 you get 15 GB data.
But the overall conclusion is simple: do NOT buy a Germany sim card at Frankfurt Airport!
So what is next? Wait till you get to Frankfurt city center and buy your sim card for Germany there. Which one? Click here to read my complete guide for buying a Germany sim card in 2023. Or if that all sounds like too much hassle I recommend you to order one online.
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Buy a Germany sim card online
Want to save time and money and arrive prepared in Germany? Then buy an international sim card for Germany online. These international sim cards will be shipped to your home address and are automatically activated from its first use. All the below international prepaid sim card offers are valid in all over Europe:
1. Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 8 GB data in all of Europe
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- 30 minutes worldwide
- 200 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
2. O2 Go Card - $24.90
- 10 GB data in all of Europe
- $2 calling credit in Europe
- Valid for 30 days
3. Three Data Pack 12 GB - $29.90
- 12 GB data in all of Eurooe
- Unlimited calls/sms within Europe
- Valid 30 days
4. Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 20 GB data
- Unlimited calls in Europe
- 120 minutes worldwide
- Unlimited sms in Europe
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
Click here to directly order one of the above international sim cards for Germany online.
Also another reminder that you can order an e-sim card for Germany through either Airalo or Simoptions and arrange everything directly online within just a couple minutes. Traveltomtom has great experiences with both e-sim card providers and you can already find an e-sim card for Europe with 10 GB data for just $22.5 USD.
Interested in watching a video about my experiences on arrival at Frankfurt Airport then click below.
I hope all the above tips for buying a sim card at Frankfurt Airport were helpful. If you still have questions please leave me a comment below and I am more than happy to help you out.
If you are interested what it looks like traveling to every country in the world then check out my Instagram profile @traveltomtom for some serious wanderlust. As of March 2023 I have visited more than 150 countries around the world.
Enjoy your trip to Frankfurt!
