Why not admire the Austrian mountain landscape once again? If you are considering a longer stay, it may make sense to buy an Austrian prepaid SIM card. This means you can surf the Internet, work and make phone calls while you’re on vacation.
In this article, I have compiled all the information you need aboutprepaid SIM cards in Austriaso that you don’t have to search for a long time when you enter this beautiful country.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Austrian prepaid cards at a glance
Just like in Germany, there are a whole host of providers to choose from in Austria. Keeping an overview and finding the right prepaid card is not always easy. I’ve done some research for you and picked out four of the best providers of prepaid SIM cards in Austria in terms of value for money. Let’s go!
yesss! The mobile phone discounter
“yesss! The mobile discount store” – No, I have not made a spelling mistake here. A little strange, but what the heck. The tariffs that this provider has up its sleeve are definitely not to be sneezed at. Especially if you are used to paying for data volume and the like in Germany, you will be surprised by the costs that await you with this provider.
For example, the “Complete XL” tariff gives you a full 50 GB of data volume and 1500 free minutes/free text messages for just €14.99. If your data volume is used up, you can rebook 1 GB as often as you like for €3.90. If any of your data volume remains at the end of the tariff term, it will automatically be carried over to the following month upon renewal. You can accumulate and use up to 10 GB.
As is often the case, the rate is valid for 30 days from the date of booking. The SIM card for this tariff is available both as a contract and in the form of a so-called “prepaid card”. The prepaid card is the Austrian equivalent of the prepaid SIM and therefore probably the option that is of interest to you. Of course, there are also cheaper, less comprehensive tariffs. For the sake of clarity – here is an overview of the available basic tariffs:
- Starter package price: 14,99 €
- Included data volume: 50 GB
- Download speed: 150 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1500
- Data transfer: up to 100 GB
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: 16.2 GB data volume + 1500 free minutes / free text messages
- Data volume refill: €3.90/GB
- Starter package price: € 9.99
- Included data volume: 40 GB
- Download speed: 100 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,500
- Data transfer: up to 80 GB
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: 10.8 GB data volume + 1500 free minutes / free text messages
- Data volume refill: €3.90/GB
- Starter package price: € 19.99
- Included data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: 50 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: none
- EU roaming: not available
The SIM cards are available online and from retail partners available. These include various petrol stations, the post office and also LIDL and Penny. If you leave Austria, the SIM card is not completely unusable, but your included, usable data volume is reduced within the EU. However, your free minutes/free text messages remain valid as long as you are in the EU.
Lidl Connect
We continue with “Lidl Connect“. At the supermarket chain, which is well-known throughout Europe, you not only get cheap food for your money, but also low-cost mobile phone tariffs. The “Lidl Connect XL” tariff is offered in Austria.
The starter package, which includes the SIM card itself and the first month of surfing and calling, costs €14.50. You can buy them at the Lidl checkout. After activation, you will have 50 GB of LTE data volume as well as 1,700 call minutes or free text messages at your disposal.
Do you need sheer vast amounts of data volume? No problem either. This is a huge plus point for Lidl Connect. Once 80% of the data volume has been used up, you can activate the data reserve once per tariff term in the Connect CL tariff.
Isn’t that incredible? When I think about what I have to pay for my mobile data in Germany, I almost feel sick. It’s nice that we can surf at low cost, at least in Austria.
- Starter package price: 14,50 €
- Included data volume: 50 GB
- Download speed: up to 150 mbit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,700
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: 0 €/15 GB
- EU roaming: 15.6 GB data volume + 1,700 free minutes/free text messages
- Data volume refill: not available
- Starter package price: 19,50 €
- Included data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: up to 50 mbit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: not available
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: not available
- Data volume refill: not available
As with the prepaid card from the provider “yesss!”, your included data volume is reduced when you leave Austria. After that, billing is per Mbit.
Hofer Telekom
Another provider on our list is “Hofer Telekom“. The grocery discounter Aldi is behind the name and comes up with really cheap offers.
The largest combined tariff gives you 1000 free minutes or text messages and 26 GB of data for just 17.90 euros. This tariff also includes the so-called data reserve, which you can activate at no extra cost when your 26 GB are used up. This increases your data volume to a total of 40 GB.
For the price? A really good offer! And as if that wasn’t enough, the starter pack is also available free of charge. So you only pay the monthly price for your desired tariff. Hofer Telekom’s other tariffs also have a lot to offer. Here is a brief overview of the tariffs on offer.
- Starter package price: 14,90 €
- Included data volume: 50 GB
- Download speed: up to 150 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,000
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not specified
- EU roaming: 16.1 GB data volume + 1,000 free minutes/free text messages
- Data volume refill: not available
- Starter package price: 9,90 €
- Included data volume: 40 GB
- Download speed: up to 150 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,000
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not specified
- EU roaming: 10.7 GB data volume + 1,000 free minutes/free text messages
- Data volume refill: not available
- Starter package price: 19,90 €
- Included data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: up to 50 mbit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1000
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: not available
- Data volume refill: not available
Not bad, is it? You can find all other tariff options online on the Hofer Telekom website.
S-Budget from Spar
Last but not least, another supermarket that has an absolute top offer in stock. It’s about “saving“. At the checkout of every store of the supermarket chain, which was previously also represented in Germany, you receive a SIM card including a mobile phone plan, which is sold under the name “ S-Budget “.
If you have particularly high data volume requirements, the “X-Large+” tariff could be of interest to you. For €14.90 you get 20 GB data volume and 1,500 free minutes/free text messages. If you are staying in Austria for longer than a month, this tariff has a big advantage. Unused data volume is automatically carried over to the following month as long as you activate the tariff a second time. The maximum accumulated data volume is 40 GB.
tip
If you want to make sure in advance that you can make cheap calls and surf the Internet during your vacation, it is also possible to order the SIM card in the online store.
- Starter package price: 14,90 €
- Included data volume: 50 GB
- Download speed: up to 150 MBit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,500
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: 17 GB data volume + 1,500 free minutes/free text messages
- Data volume refill: not available
- Starter package price: 9,90 €
- Included data volume: 40 GB
- Download speed: up to 150 mbit/s
- Free minutes / free SMS: 1,000
- Data transfer: not available
- Data reserve: not available
- EU roaming: 11 GB data volume + 1,000 free minutes/free text messages
- Data volume refill: not available
Here too – you only have a fraction of your data volume left for EU roaming. Obviously it’s the same everywhere.
Buy an Austrian prepaid SIM card
Just like in Germany, you need a valid ID or passport to buy an Austrian SIM card. To prevent crime, you must prove your identity to activate the SIM card. This sometimes happens when the SIM is purchased at the checkout or later online via video chat. This depends on the respective market or provider. On the whole, it’s quite simple. Enter your details in a form, show your ID or passport and you’re done! There is nothing more to say here.
The network coverage
Of course, it is important to know what the network coverage is like before buying a SIM card. You can check these on the websites of the respective providers.
Unfortunately, unlike yesss!, Lidl Connect and Hofer Telekom, Spar does not offer the option of checking the network coverage on a map for the exact location. However, the FAQ mentions a coverage of 98%. Doesn’t sound bad, but what exactly is behind this statement is unclear. You surf with S-Budget on the T-Mobile Austria GmbH network.
Conclusion – the most favorable provider
Once again I am surprised at how cheap mobile phone tariffs are abroad and how expensive German tariffs (unfortunately still) are. In terms of value for money, the four providers presented are very similar and all offer data volumes and included minutes/text messages at reasonable prices.
Which tariff is best for you? I can’t make that decision for you. It depends on the length of your stay and your requirements. But I’m sure you’ll find the right provider for you.
You may have asked yourself the question several times during the course of this article: Why actually buy a foreign SIM card when roaming charges have been abolished since 2017?
Quite simply. Not every German tariff offers EU roaming and some may not have a flat rate at all. In these cases, it makes more than sense to buy a foreign SIM card, even if you are within the EU. Otherwise, even today, a vacation can quickly become extremely expensive.
Whatever you decide, stay healthy and enjoy the fresh mountain air! Have a relaxing vacation.
More information
The Netgear Nighthawk M1 is particularly recommended as a WLAN router, and there is also a more detailed article on it: Internet in the camper: Netgear Nighthawk M1 in long-term test
- SCHNELLE 4G LTE BREITBANDGESCHWINDIGKEIT: Mobiler Hotspot 4G Router liefert zuverlässig bis zu 1…
- ÜBERALL VERBUNDEN: Privates sicheres WLAN einrichten und mit anderen teilen – geschäftlich oder im…
Those who do not necessarily care about the speed can also reach for these much cheaper devices:
Everything you need to know about mobile communications and the Internet while traveling can be found in the following articles:
- Internet in the motorhome and caravan – the guidebook
- Strengthen WLAN on the campsite
- Internet reception while camping – these routers ensure a stable connection while traveling
- Podcast: Internet on the move
Status (February 2024), as prices and conditions are constantly changing, we cannot guarantee that the offers are still available.
Cover picture (montage)
Background: © daboost – depositphotos .com
SIM cards: © serezniy – depositphotos.com
Letzte Aktualisierung der Preise am 2025-09-12 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API
