Huge ski resorts, several hiking regions in the Alps, Rösti and wine. Switzerland is a worthwhile vacation destination in summer as well as in winter. And it is worth visiting the land of the Alps not only for leisure trips, vacations and travel. Wages in Switzerland are above average, for this reason thousands of guest workers go to the small country every year. During this time, the center of life shifts abroad and especially in times like these, it is important to have mobile internet to stay in touch with friends and family.
So that you, whether you are a tourist and vacationer or a seasonal worker, can remain mobile when you are in Switzerland, I have compared some providers and their prepaid offers with each other and compiled interesting rates for you.
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Swiss prepaid SIM cards at a glance
Salaries are high and thus living is also quite expensive. This is also the case with mobile communications. Since Switzerland is not an EU member state, the EU roaming regulation does not apply. Which means that your tariff normally does not cover the costs for calls, SMS and internet.
There are tariffs, for example from Telekom, that are also valid in Switzerland, but you should definitely check with your provider beforehand whether your tariff is one of these, otherwise it can quickly become very expensive. So it’s important that if your plan doesn’t cover Switzerland, you get a Swiss prepaid SIM card and use a domestic plan during your stay.
Lebara
One option for this is the provider “Lebara“. 35 Swiss francs (CHF), the equivalent of about €36.50, sounds a lot at first, but you also get a lot. Included in the“Europe MAX Prepaid” rate are unlimited data volume, including 100 GB of high-speed Internet, unlimited calls within Switzerland and to 30 European countries, international unlimited SMS from Switzerland. Not a bad offer.
Tariff: Europe MAX Prepaid
- Price: 35 CHF / approx. 36,50 €
- Tariff duration: 4 weeks
- Included national data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: 100 GB highspeed, then 256 kbps
- Free minutes / free SMS: unlimited in Switzerland and in 30 countries / international unlimited
- EU roaming: not available
- Data rollover: not available
You can order the SIM card including 10 CHF starting credit for free. All information about the tariff and a list of selected countries can be found here.
The“Surf Max” option is also attractive. This is a data-only plan that also provides you with unlimited data volume in Switzerland for one month for CHF 39 / € 40,70. The data plan is free of charge. Calls and SMS are not included and cost a whole chunk of money. Still, if you don’t rely on calls and SMS and just need a lot of data volume, this could be the tariff for you.
Tariff: Surf Max
- Price: 39 CHF / approx. € 40,70
- Tariff duration: 4 weeks
- Included national data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: LTE (no more detailed information)
- Free minutes / free SMS: not available
- Data rollover: not available
- EU roaming: not available
- eSim: available
Aldi Swiss Mobile
Let’s move on to the next provider –“Aldi Swiss Mobile“. Aldi has some interesting offers in store in the mobile communications sector in Switzerland. Like the“Smart L” rate, for example. This costs CHF 29.90 / approx. € 31,20 per month and offers unlimited calls and SMS within Switzerland, unlimited calls to all neighboring countries and currently 20 GB of included high-speed data volume.
What’s particularly interesting is that if you stay in Switzerland for a longer period of time and your tariff is automatically extended by another month after expiration, your unused data volume will be taken with you. The whole thing is called“data rollover“. The Aldi Swiss SIM card is available in all Aldi Swiss stores and online and costs a one-time fee of CHF 9,99 / approx. € 10,40 and comes with a CHF 20 starting credit. Remember, if you want to book the Smart L rate, the starting credit is not enough. So don’t forget to take a recharge card with you.
Tariff: Smart L
- Price: 29,90 CHF / ca. € 31,20
- Tariff duration: 30 days
- Included national data volume: 50 GB
- Download speed: LTE (no more detailed information)
- Free minutes / free SMS: unlimited within Switzerland and to neighboring countries / unlimited within Switzerland
- EU roaming: 2 GB in region 1
- Data rollover: available
- eSIM: not available
You can find all the tariff details here.
Yallo
Next, let’s take a look at the provider“Yallo“. In my opinion, a particularly good offer for any frequent surfer is the“Surf unlimited” rate. As the name suggests, it’s all about unlimited data volume, and that’s all you get. With the tariff for 40 CHF / approx. € 41,70 per month, you surf unlimited at 4G speed as long as you are in Switzerland. There is no EU roaming option. If you use the rate abroad, you pay a lot extra. You can either order the prepaid SIM card free of charge online or purchase it directly from one of the local sales partners. The distribution partners are Swiss Post, MediaMarkt, Fust and Interdiscount.
Tariff: Surf unlimited
- Price: 40 CHF / approx. 41,70 €
- Tariff duration: 4 weeks
- Included national data volume: unlimited
- Download speed: 4G (no more precise details)
- Free minutes / free SMS: not available
- EU roaming: not available
- Data rollover: not available
- eSIM: available
You can find this rate here. You can find even more interesting rates for prepaid SIM cards via the “Prepaid / Book savings option” tab.
Sunrise
Lastly, Sunrise offers prepaid SIM cards with particularly flexible options. Here, a flat rate with unlimited data, telephony and SMS can be booked for CHF 2.50 per day. Seven days costs CHF 19,90 and 30 days CHF 50. It is also possible to book 90 days for CHF 120 or a whole year for CHF 65 – 365, depending on the desired speed. The data-only rate with high-speed Internet costs CHF 3 per day. The prepaid SIM card can also be ordered as an eSIM. There is a charge of CHF 19,90 for the purchase and activation of the SIM card, but CHF 20 is credited as prepaid credit. Click here for an overview: Prepaid offers | Sunrise
Buy a Swiss prepaid SIM card
The mandatory registration of SIM cards has not passed Switzerland by either. In order to get a prepaid SIM card, you must show proof of identity. Likewise, if necessary, you must provide your data when registering online. You can top up the SIM cards of all four providers either online by credit card or in the store where you bought the SIM card.
The network coverage
From my own experience, I can say that the general network coverage in Switzerland is very good ! Everywhere I’ve been so far, even in the mountains, 4G signal has been available. No matter which SIM card you choose, you can check the network coverage in Switzerland via this link .
Conclusion on prepaid cards in Switzerland
It was clear to all of us that Switzerland is not a cheap country. Nevertheless, I don’t find the prices for the SIM cards and the rates completely excessive. When I consider what a vacation in Switzerland generally costs, the cost of mobile Internet is relatively moderate. Since I work online and you can now make calls and text wonderfully via WhatsApp and co, my choice would be the“Surf unlimited” tariff from Yallo. The price-performance ratio is pretty good with this offer.
Which tariff is the right one for you depends, of course, on your needs and requirements. So I can’t give you the ultimate tip. Nevertheless, I am sure that you will also find a suitable offer. I wish you a great stay in beautiful Switzerland and hope that this article will help you save a franc or two when buying your SIM card for Switzerland.
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 of information: August 2023.
Cover image (montage): © CamperStyle
Flag: © daboost – depositphotos.com
SIM cards: © serezniy – depositphotos.com
Letzte Aktualisierung der Preise am 2025-09-06 / Affiliate Links / Bilder von der Amazon Product Advertising API
