Planning a trip to Germany? Knowing how to stay connected during your trip is essential. Despite there being many options to get online while traveling abroad, getting prepaid Germany SIM cards seems to be fast done.
This guide will help you choose the best way to access mobile internet in Germany and find out where to buy SIM cards for the best value. Moreover, you also learn some valuable insights about SIM cards for Germany travel revealed by experienced travelers that are hardly found anywhere else. See below!
In this article
To buy a prepaid tourist SIM card for Germany, you can choose one of the following ways:
This way comes with 2 options: Buy in stores and buy online.
If buying in stores, you need to look up the address of stores selling travel Germany SIM cards.
Usually, you do not need to present your personal information to register the SIM.
If buying online, you need to choose a travel SIM provider, provide your home address and wait for SIM delivery.
Pros: affordable price, being active with pre-order preparation.
Cons: Need to visit stores (if necessary), require SIM swapping
After arrival at Germany airports, you can look for stands or kiosks of major mobile network operators in Germany to buy the SIM card deal.
However, you cannot find Telekom Germany SIM cards at the top 5 international airports (Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, or Munich).
Pros: get Internet access right upon arrival, English support
Cons: Expensive, less plan options, less data, have to go through SIM registration
You can buy German SIM cards after arriving in German cities.
Here are some guidelines for buying SIMs for Germany in big cities:
| Germany cities | Places to buy SIM cards for tourists |
| Berlin | Convenience stores like Mediakt, gas stations, Official stores of German mobile network operators like O2 stores, Vodafone stores, and Telekom stores. Stores in shopping centers/malls like Alexia at Alexanderplatz Some popular areas to find stores are Friedrichstraße, Alexanderplatz, Kurfürstendamm, |
| Frankfurt | SIM card stores are located throughout the city in areas like Zeil, Konstablerwache, Hauptwache etc. Stores of Telekom, Vodafone, O2 sell SIM cards. Stores are also found in shopping malls like Skyline Plaza. |
| Munich | Larger mobile phone stores as well as branded stores of Telekom, Vodafone, O2 sell SIM cards in prime locations like Marienplatz, Karlsplatz/Stachus and Kaufingerstraße. Drugstores like DM also stock SIM cards from major providers. Stores in malls and shopping centers in Schwabing and Schlachthofviertel areas |
| Hamburg | Stores located in Jungfernstieg, Mönckebergstraße, Spitalerstraße sell SIMs from all providers. Stores at shopping centers on Mönckebergstraße at Hauptbahnhof are also reliable options.Drugstores across the city offer SIM card choice. |
Pros: cheaper than at airport, more plan options than at airports
Cons: risk of language differences, have to look for stores, have to undergo SIM registration
Good to know: 1 EUR = 1.05 USD (as of January 2024)
The best Germany SIM cards are: Telekom (used to be known as T-Mobile), Vodafone, and O2 (Telefonica)
Below are prepaid packages of each operator:
▶ Our recommendation: After comparing prepaid SIM cards for Germany, we can see that Vodafone offers the best prepaid plans up to now.
Yes. You need to buy a SIM card for your Germany travel.
Buying a local prepaid SIM card in Germany provides stable and fast internet access throughout your trip. Germany’s mobile networks cover almost the entire country, including rural areas. By getting a SIM you can easily look up directions, translations, restaurant reviews and more while on the go.
With a SIM card, you will not need to rely on unreliable public WiFi hotspots which Germans prefer to avoid for privacy reasons.
Good to know: It may be surprising that not all cafes or restaurants in Germany have free WiFi. Germans love privacy and they do not use unsecured WiFi much.
Here’s a brief overview of connectivity options for travelers in Germany:
▶ Our recommendation: a Germany SIM provides the best balance of speed, coverage, convenience and value for money during your trip.
However, as a foreigner, you need to go through registration. If you do not like this, go for eSIM which helps you avoid registration hassles.
You have to prepare some essential documents such as: passport, ID card,….
As mentioned earlier, to buy a prepaid SIM card in Germany, you need to register. If you choose to buy SIM cards at gas stations, you need to carry out the registration online.
It is required to set up a video call through the providers’ website and show your passport.
▶ Our recommendation: We recommend NOT TO BUY a prepaid SIM card for Germany at any random store due to this hassle. If you want to avoid this registration scheme, consider using eSIM. Just a simple click and you get your eSIM for Germany in your phone almost instantly.
In terms of form, there are basically 2 types of SIM cards for tourists to Germany: physical and digital one.
Look at the comparing table below to understand about each type:
| Criteria | Prepaid physical Germany travel SIM card | Prepaid Germany travel eSIM |
| Features | – Separate physical nano-SIM card – Include data-only and data + calls and texts plans | – Integrated digital SIM profile – Also include data-only and data + calls and texts plans |
| How it works | Insert nano-SIM card into phone slot | Scan QR code to activate eSIM profile on compatible phone |
| Where to buy | Online before departure, mobile carrier stores, electronics retailers, some gas stations, airports. | Online from mobile carriers or multi-country eSIM providers |
| Cost | Usually €10-20 for starter pack | Typically similar or slightly higher costs than physical SIM |
| Pros | – Wide availability. – No compatibility issues | – No need to insert a SIM card. – Convenient to swap between providers and countries easily. – Faster activation. – No need to present passport |
| Cons | – Need to visit stores and insert a SIM card. – Risk of losing primary SIM. – Occasional connectivity issues if SIM swapped too often. | – Limited provider and phone compatibility. |
From the table above, it can be seen that eSIMs offer greater convenience if your phone is compatible, while physical SIMs provide hassle-free usage but require an extra step of inserting the nano-SIM card.
▶ Our recommendations:
Important Note: Among mobile network operators in Germany, only Telekom Germany (formerly known as T-Mobile) has prepaid eSIM services to customers.
These days, eSIM technology is becoming more and more popular. As a result, mobile carriers all over the world had to quickly adopt eSIM support.
But if you purchase an eSIM from any of these mobile operators, you must comply with Germany’s SIM card registration regulations. So it is better to buy eSIM from an eSIM provider like Gigago.
Gigago offers multiple data plan options for Germany, starting from a 3-day plan with 300MB per day for $5 as their most minimal plan. They also have 5-day, 7-day, 10-day, 14-day, 15-day, 20-day, 25-day, 28-day, and 30-day plans ranging from 1GB to 50GB of data, with prices from $5 up to $136.90.
The data speeds up to 4G/LTE/5G speeds depending on network coverage. You can refer Gigago’s Germany eSIM for more details.
The duration of a tourist SIM card in Indonesia varies depending on the provider and the package you choose. Typically, tourist SIM cards are designed to last for short-term visits and may offer validity periods such as:
For example, Vodafone Germany offers several popular data packages that are widely loved and frequently used, such as the following:
Some providers might offer flexible options or extensions if you need additional time. It’s always a good idea to check the specifics with the provider when purchasing the SIM card to ensure it matches the length of your stay.
Here are quick steps for using a Germany tourist SIM card:
Yes, your phone needs to be unlocked to work with a SIM from a different provider. Check with your carrier before traveling.
Prepaid SIM cards in Germany usually don’t include international calls. You can use apps like WhatsApp to call internationally for free over WiFi.
Most travelers use between 2-5GB of data per week. It depends on how much you stream, use maps/translation and social media. Get a plan with at least 5GB to be safe.
SIM cards from Germany include free roaming across Europe. You can use any remaining data allowance in other European countries.
Travel SIM cards play an important role in helping tourists stay connected conveniently while visiting Germany. By purchasing an affordable prepaid local SIM for Germany, tourists can enjoy reliable cellular data and call/text services via Germany’s robust mobile networks. For those with eSIM-supported device, using eSIM is the best alternative.
Buying a SIM card at Munich Airport is a convenient method to maintain connectivity while visiting. It will be necessary for you to have a dependable Internet connection when visiting Germany.
This guide is intended for visitors looking for ways to stay connected while visiting Germany who are arriving at Frankfurt Airport, a low-cost regional airport in Germany.
For many visitors to Germany, getting online as soon as they arrive is essential, and buying a SIM card at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) makes staying connected simple.
With Germany’s Pocket Wifi, travelers can browse the web from any location without having to worry about expensive data plans or shaky public WiFi. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best options for visitors looking to rent pocket wifi in Germany.
Many tourists visiting Germany always have difficulty about how to get and activate a Vodafone SIM card & eSIM. In this article, you will find detailed instructions on how to use SIM cards by this network carrier.
Staying connected while visiting Berlin, Germany made it simple by buying a local SIM card. This guide by locals answers your frequently asked questions, covers the essential information you need to buy SIM card in Berlin, including the best providers, plans, prices, and places to buy them.
