Planning your trip to Austria and and looking for the best tourist sim card for your trip? Don't let slow overseas data roaming plans or high roaming charges ruin your trip.
This is the ultimate guide with everything you need to know before buying a prepaid sim card in Austria in 2025.
Find out below where to buy a sim card, up to date prices and info as per May 2025, the best 4G/5G network, my recommendation and the the best eSIMs for Austria,
I always used to buy a local prepaid sim card on arrival in every country, but nowadays I mostly use eSIMs. Especially when traveling to Austria or Europe.
Traveltomtom also wrote a guide for the best eSIMs for Austria in 2025.
Table of Contents
- My recommendation
- Why buying a sim card for Austria
- Where to buy a sim card for Austria
- Mobile internet providers Austria
- Austria prepaid sim cards and EU data roaming
- Best 4G/5G network in Austria in 2025
- Prices prepaid Austria sim card in 2025
- Best sim card for Austria in 2025
- Best eSIMs for Austria
You can also buy a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport but be ready to pay the jackpot.
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.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Magenta (T-Mobile) sim card for Austria. For around $21 USD you get 30 GB data and T-Mobile has an amazing 4G/5G network in Austria.
But if your phone is eSIM compatible simply get yourself an eSIM for Austria. They already start from just $1 USD. There is an Airalo eSIM for Austria with 20 GB data for just $12 USD.
For more eSIM plans check my comparison of the best esIMs for Austria in 2025.
A great alternative is a global travel sim card. Check out my comparison of the best international sim cards for traveling in 2025 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 2025.
In any way make sure your phone is unlocked. Prepaid sim cards, international sim cards and eSIMs only work in unlocked phones. If you are unsure ask your provider in your home country.
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 eSIMs 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 is through an UNSECURED network. 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. It makes life easier and traveling more fun.
As a full time nomadic travel blogger for more than 10 years I constantly visited different countries and always needed a new sim card. Since I like to document all my travel tips I started writing sim card guides.
As Traveltomtom is 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 eSIM for your destination. Bookmark me and let me help you save money!
When swapping sim cards and changing phone numbers is not preferred and your phone is not eSIM compatible then you can ultimately 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.
Pocket WiFi's are so old school, in 2025 the easiest way to get connected when traveling to Austria is an eSIM.
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 2025. Be prepared to pay the tourist price for tourist sim cards at Vienna Airport.
Phone 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 these prepaid sim cards yourself.
Therefore this is not the preferred way for tourists to get connected when traveling to Austria.
Online
Especially if your phone is eSIM compatible then get a sim card for traveling in Austria online. eSIMs are a super easy and convenient way to stay connected and they are cheap. eSIMs for Austria already start from just $1 USD.
There is an Airalo eSIM for Austria with 20 GB data for just $12 USD.
For more info check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Austria.
If your phone is not eSIM compatible then you can order a physical prepaid sim card via SimOptions. These sim cards will be delivered to your home address before your trip.
Mobile internet providers Austria
There are three main mobile internet operators in Austria: A1, Magenta (T-Mobile) and 3 Drei AT. T-Mobile is rebranded in Austria to Magenta.
All the mobile internet providers sell prepaid sim cards for tourists. As of 2025 you can now also get eSIMs in phone stores for Austria as well as physical prepaid sim cards. You decide which one you prefer.
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…
Austria prepaid sim cards and EU data roaming
Prepaid Austria sim cards come with free EU data roaming, restricted to a certain amount of Gigabyte. That means that the prepaid 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.
When buying a prepaid sim card in Austria always ask your provider about the EU data roaming restrictions and limitations.
For more information about EU data roaming, Brexit, Switzerland, etc. read my complete guide with tips and tricks for buying a local prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe.
Or if you want to arrive prepared then simply order a prepaid or eSIM from Traveltomtom's list of the best sim cards for traveling to Europe in 2025.
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.
Best 4G/5G network in Austria in 2025
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 a pretty decent 5G network in Austria in 2025. All the internet providers offer 5G in the bigger cities and tourist destinations in Austria. Traveltomtom compared the 4G/5G coverage maps of Austria for every operator: T-Mobile/Magenta, Three and A1.
3 Drei Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
Magenta (T-Mobile) Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
A1 Austria 4G/5G network coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2025 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Austria in 2025.
When comparing the 4G/5G network maps of the mobile internet providers in Austria it shows that although 3 Drei has a really good connection in all tourist destinations in Austria it has the weakest 4G/5G mobile data network coverage in Austria.
The difference between T-Mobile and A1 is much smaller but Traveltomtom comes to the conclusion that A1 has the best 4G/5G network in Austria in 2025.
Prices prepaid Austria sim card in 2025
All the info and prices are updated in May 2025. Prices are in Euros: $1 USD = €0.88 EUR and €1 EUR = $1.13 USD.
A1
An A1 prepaid sim card for Austria is called a B.free plan and costs €9.90 EUR ($10 USD) 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 EUR - $10.5 USD
- 15 GB data in Austria + 1,000 minutes & sms in Austria for 28 days = €15 EUR - $16 USD
- 18 GB data valid in all of Europe + 1,000 minutes & sms in Europe for 28 days = €20 EUR - $21 USD
- 30 GB data (28 GB valid in all of Europe) + 3,000 minutes & sms in Europe for 28 days = €30 EUR - $31 USD
For more info check the A1 Austria website.
If you buy a sim card in an A1 store you can decide whether you want a physical prepaid sim card or an eSIM.
Three - Drie - 3
A prepaid sim card from Three Austria €9.90 EUR ($11 USD) for the activation. Three Austria offers the following prepaid sim cards for tourists:
- 20 GB data + 2,000 minutes + 2,000 sms = €20 EUR - $21 USD
- 30 GB data + 3,000 minutes + 3,000 sms = €30 EUR - $31 USD
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.
If you buy a sim card in an Drei store you can decide whether you want a physical prepaid sim card or an eSIM.
T-Mobile/Magenta
A Magenta prepaid sim card costs €10 EUR ($11 USD) for the activation fee. And then you can chose from the following prepaid plans and data packages:
- 30 GB data + 1,000 min/sms = €9.90 EUR - $10 USD
- 40 GB data + 2,000 min/sms = €14.90 EUR - $16 USD
- Unlimited data + unlimited min/sms = €29.90 EUR - $31 USD
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.
If you buy a sim card in an T-Mobile store you can decide whether you want a physical prepaid sim card or an eSIM.
Best sim card for Austria in 2025
A simple conclusion leads us to say that eSIMs for Austria are cheaper than buying a prepaid sim card in Austria.
Registering a prepaid sim card in Austria already cost €10 EUR ($11 USD) and that is just for the sim card. Then the cheapest data plan will cost you another €10 EUR so you always spend about $22 USD minimum.
But an Airalo eSIM for just $12 USD gives you 20 GB data and they also have eSIM plans for Austria including calling and texting. No wonder that Traveltomtom rates them as the best sim card for Austria.
For more eSIM plans check out my list of the best eSIMs for Austria in 2025.
Magenta has the best prepaid sim card for tourists with 30 GB data for $22 USD and also has a really good 4G/5G network. Therefore Magenta is the best prepaid sim card in Austria in 2025.
If you are you traveling onwards to other countries in Europe and want to buy a prepaid sim card for Europe online then click on the link for my comparison of the prepaid and eSIMs for traveling in Europe in 2025.
Best eSIMs for Austria
An eSIM is the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Austria in 2025. No more buying a sim card in a phone store and swapping physical sim cards. You arrange everything online within just a couple clicks.
You order an eSIM for Austria on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Austria it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For more info check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Austria.
Here are some recommendations.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo in more than 50 countries around the world and never faced an issue.
Airalo has data-only eSIMs as well as eSIMs for Austria with data & voice.
Here are the Airalo eSIM plans for Austria for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $6.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $8 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $11 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $12 USD
Click here to order an Airalo data-only eSIM for Austria.
Get an extra discount of $3 USD on your first Airalo eSIM with the code: TOMTOM3.
Data-only means that incoming or outgoing calls/sms are not supported and these eSIMs from Airalo do not come with a phone number.
But Airalo also has eSIMs for Austria with calling minutes included.
Here are the Airalo data & voice eSIM plans for Austria for 2025:
- 1 GB data + 10 minutes + 10 sms for 7 days = $5.5 USD
- 2 GB data + 20 minutes + 20 sms for 15 days = $6.5 USD
- 3 GB data + 30 minutes + 30 sms for 30 days = $8 USD
- 5 GB data + 50 minutes + 50 sms for 30 days = $11 USD
- 10 GB data + 100 minutes + 100 sms for 30 days = $17 USD
- 20 GB data + 200 minutes + 200 sms for 30 days = $24 USD
Click here to order an Airalo eSIM for Austria.
Get an extra discount of $3 USD on your first Airalo eSIM with the code: TOMTOM3.
The Airalo eSIM plans for Austria are called Galli+ and operate on the 4G/5G network of 3 Drei AT. 5G is supported. These Airalo eSIMs with data & voice come with a phone number.
SimOptions
SimOptions is a very reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used SimOptions uncountable times in more than 50 countries around the world. I can totally recommend using SimOptions for ordering your Austria eSIM. Read here our independent SimOptions Review.
Why using SimOptions? They offer eSIMs including calling and texting in all of Europe.
These eSIMs support incoming and outgoing calls/sms as they come with a phone number.
Bouygues Telecom
- 15 GB data-only for 15 days = $15.90 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited calls for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $32.90 USD
- 60 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $39.90 USD
Orange Holiday Europe
- 12 GB data + unlimited calls/text + 30 minutes international for 14 days = $28.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls/text + 120 minutes international for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 70 GB data + unlimited calls/text + 120 minutes international for 28 days = $55.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international eSIM for Austria via SimOptions.
If you download the SimOptions app and use the coupon code TOM10 you get an extra 10% discount on all SimOptions eSIMs.
These eSIMs are valid all over Europe and they include free EU data roaming. The best thing about these eSIMs for Austria is that they also include unlimited calling and texting.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Austria.
For more info and many more eSIM plans check out my comparison for the best eSIMs for traveling to Austria in 2025.
Order a prepaid sim card for Austria online
Is your phone not eSIM compatible then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in Austria with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Austria, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Austria:
- 15 GB data-only for 15 days = $15.90 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited calls for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 10 GB data + $2 calling credit for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data + unlimited calls/sms for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 12 GB data + 30 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data + 120 minutes international + unlimited calls/text for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 60 GB data + unlimited calls for 30 days = $51.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international prepaid sim cards for Austria via SimOptions.
Personally Traveltomtom recommends the Bouygues Telecom or the Orange sim cards. I have used these physical prepaid sim cards a lot in the past and never had an issue.
But nowadays when traveling to Austria I always use eSIMs for Europe. It is just so easy and done fast and as soon as the plane lands you are online.
Traveling to Vienna in Winter? Don't miss the Christmas markets in Vienna. Would you like a complete Vienna travel guide? Have a look at all my Vienna travel tips and 3-day itinerary.
I am sure some of the tips for buying a prepaid sim card in Austria in 2025 were helpful. In case you have any 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 May 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Austria!