Flying to Vienna for a trip to Austria and wondering if you can buy a sim card at Vienna Airport on arrival? Don't waste money on high roaming charges. This is a complete guide with everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport.
Find out where and where not to buy a sim card, the best e-sim cards for Austria, up to date prices as per February 2024, my recommendation, information about EU data roaming, international sim cards and everything else you need to know before buying a sim card at Vienna Airport.
As Traveltomtom is on a journey to visit every country in the world I get to a lot of countries and airports. One of the first things I do when planning my next trip is looking for the best sim card for tourists.
In the past I always used to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival but nowadays I mostly order an e-sim card on the internet. Definitely when traveling to Vienna or Europe in general.
It became a passion to compare the best prepaid sim card and e-sim cards for every destination that I visited 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, Croatia, Zagreb, Milan, Copenhagen, etc.
But also outside of Europe: Hong Kong, Pakistan, Rwanda, Cameroon, New York, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Bali, Colombia, Egypt and many more.
Traveltomtom also wrote a complete guide for the best prepaid sim card for tourists in Austria in 2024.
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 and let me help you save money!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom does NOT recommend buying a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport for staying connected in Austria. Prices for prepaid sim cards at Vienna Airport are very expensive compared to sim card you can buy a phone store in Vienna city center or even better on the internet.
E-sim cards are not only the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Vienna, but also the cheapest. An e-sim card with 20 GB data only is $13 USD.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Austria via either Nomad, SimOptions or Airalo.
If you really want to buy a sim card at Vienna Airport then go to the BIPA convenience store and buy a Three (3/Drei) prepaid sim card. You will have to do the activation yourself, but it is doable. For €10 EUR ($11 USD) you get 4 GB data.
Check my article about the best sim cards for Austria in 2024 and let me help you find the right sim card to stay connected for your trip to Vienna.
Another great way to stay connected is to order an international sim card for traveling the world in 2024. 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 2024.
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
An e-sim card is the easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Vienna in 2024. No more buying and swapping physical sim cards and visiting a phone shop. You arrange everything online within just a couple minutes.
You order an e-sim card for Vienna on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have an Austria e-sim card installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Vienna it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Austria.
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable e-sim provider and Traveltomtom has used Airalo in more than 50 countries around the world and never faced an issue. Here are the Airalo e-sim card plans for Austria for 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $4.5 USD
- 1 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 one of the above Austria e-sim card deals or find more info.
The above data-only Galli e-sim cards do not support calling and texting and they operate on the Three (3) 4G/LTE/5G network in Austria. That means they are 5G ready.
Airalo also sells Galli+ e-sim card plans for Austria that include calling and texting.
SimOptions
SimOptions is another reliable e-sim provider that sells e-sim cards from pretty much every country in the world. SimOptions has also e-sim cards for Austria that include calls and texting, but these are international e-sim cards and valid all over Europe.
- 15 GB data + unlimited calls in Europe for 15 days = $21.90 USD
- 10 GB data-only (5G ready) for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 12 GB data + 30 minutes international calls + unlimited calls in Europe for 14 days = $29.90 USD
- 30 GB data + unlimited calls in Europe for 30 days = $44.90 USD
- 30 GB data + 120 minutes international calls + unlimited calls in Europe for 14 days = $49.90 USD
- 50 GB data (5G ready) + 120 minutes international calls + unlimited calls in Europe for 28 days = $59.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for Austria directly online.
If your phone is not e-sim compatible then look into ordering a physical prepaid sim card for Austria. For $44.90 USD you get 30 GB data. Click here for more info or to order an international physical prepaid sim card for Austria via SimOptions.
Austria prepaid sim cards and EU data 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 data roaming restrictions when buying a sim card in Austria.
Since there is not much service when buying a prepaid sim card at Vienna Airport it is one of the reasons why Traveltomtom does not directly recommend buying a sim card at Vienna Airport.
Learn more about EU data roaming limitations in my article with all my tips and tricks for when buying a prepaid sim card on arrival in Europe in 2024 or simply buy a sim card for Europe directly online.
RELATED: Ultimate Vienna Travel Guide for 2024, 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
All passengers arrive in Terminal 3 and there is only one arrival hall. From the baggage claim area there is only one exit. 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 (300 ft.) away on your right hand side.
Traveltomtom already wrote many blogs about buying an international sim card in almost every countries across Europe as well as 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.
Prices Vienna Airport sim cards in 2024
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! Traveltomtom also found sim cards at the BIPA Convenience store.
Prices and info below are updated as per February 2024: $1 USD = €0.93 EUR and €1 EUR = $1.08 USD.
Anyway sit back and read the next thing carefully…
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 ($70 USD)
Are you kidding me!? The registration fee only is already €40 EUR ($43 USD) Then they dare to charge you another €9.99 EUR ($11 USD) for the sim card and then €15 EUR ($16 USD) 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 sim card 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 sim card store at Vienna Airport.
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 Febraury 2024! 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 ($32 USD)
- 20 GB data in Europe + 1000 minutes + 500 sms in Europe - valid for 30 days = €39.99 EUR ($43 USD)
- Unlimited data in Austria + unlimited minutes/sms in Europe - valid for 30 days = €59.99 EUR ($65 USD)
Ok Wowww store, you clearly read my article about Vienna Airport sim cards and I am happy you now have more normal prices for tourists sim cards in 2024.
However, still pretty expensive compared to other European countries and it makes it easy for me to recommend travelers to buy an e-sim card for Austria.
Remember that an e-sim card for Austria from Airalo is only $13 USD for 20 GB data.
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 about 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 prepaid 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 EUR ($16 USD). Stupid!
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
Three (3) prepaid sim card costs only €9.90 EUR ($11 USD) 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 EUR ($13 USD) and gives you €10 EUR ($11 USD) credit and if you register online you get €2 EUR extra credit.
According to the Lycamobile Austria website you can get 30 GB data for €11.90 EUR and it says including 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 hardly recommend Lycamobile sim cards: false advertising!
Best sim card at Vienna Airport
It is a pretty simple conclusion to determine the best sim card at Vienna Airport for traveling in Austria. You gotta be at the Bipa convenience store and take a leap of faith. A Three (Drei) prepaid sim card for €10 EUR ($11 USD) 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.
If you want the best Austria prepaid sim card deals then wait till you get to Vienna city center and get a sim card from an official A1 store. Check out my article about the best prepaid sim card for Austria in 2024.
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 Vienna. Let me help you find the best sim card for your trip.
If your phone is e-sim compatible then it is an easy conclusion that you should just simply order an e-sim card on the internet.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Austria via either Nomad, SimOptions or Airalo.
Airalo has that amazing offer of 20 GB data for just $13 USD and SimOptions has great e-sim cards for traveling all over Europe including unlimited calling and texting.
Getting an e-sim card for Austria is simply faster, easier, more convenient and even cheaper than buying a sim card at Vienna Airport.
Order a prepaid sim card for Austria online
If buying a prepaid sim card on arrival in Vienna sounds like too much effort and you want to arrive prepared for your holiday then why not just make it easy for yourself?
Is your phone not e-sim 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 Vienna, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Austria:
1. O2 Go Card - $24.90
- 10 GB data
- $2 calling credit (no top-up)
- valid for 30 days
- valid in 34 countries
- 4G/LTE
2. Three Data Pack - $24.90
- 10 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms
- Valid 30 days
- Valid in 56 countries
- 4G/LTE
3. Orange Holiday ZEN - $29.90
- 12 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- 30 minutes worldwide
- 200 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
- Valid in 34 countries
- 4G/LTE
4. Bouygues Telecom - $44.90
- 30 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- Valid 30 days
- Valid in 47 countries
- 4G/LTE
5. Orange Holiday Europe - $49.90
- 30 GB data
- Unlimited calls/sms in Europe
- 120 minutes worldwide
- 1,000 sms worldwide
- Valid 14 days
- Valid in 34 countries
- 4G/LTE
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 card with 30 GB data. I have used these physical prepaid sim cards a lot in the past and never had an issue.
But as mentioned many times before when traveling to Europe or Austria I always use an e-sim card nowadays. It is just so easy and done fast and as soon as the plane lands you are online.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Austria via either Nomad, SimOptions or Airalo.
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 €14 EUR ($15 USD) 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 ($5 USD) per person one-way. Probably a couple cents more now in 2024, but up to you! ;)
I some of 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 comment below 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 February 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Austria!