eSIM and SIM cards in Austria

Three networks, all good

• A1, Magenta and Drei are the operators. A1 has the widest rural and alpine coverage, which is the only reason to prefer one over another.
• A tourist prepaid SIM costs around EUR 10, typically with 30 GB of data and 30 days of validity.
• A1 tourist packages run roughly EUR 15 to EUR 35 for 30 GB to 50 GB.
• EU roaming is included. A package usually bundles 10 GB or so for use in the rest of the EU, which matters if Austria is one stop on a longer trip.

You must register it

• Prepaid SIMs require identification. Bring your passport to the counter, or an EU national ID card.
• This takes two minutes and is not optional. An unregistered SIM cannot be sold to you.
• eSIM avoids the whole errand. All three networks support it, and so does Saily, so you can land already connected.

Where to buy

• Operator shops in city centres and at Vienna Airport.
• Any Trafik, the small tobacconist and newsagent kiosks that are on most Austrian streets, sells prepaid SIMs and top-ups.
• Supermarket checkouts, MediaMarkt and Hartlauer also sell them.
• Avoid the airport if you are only passing through arrivals, since a Trafik in town costs the same and has better opening hours than you expect.

Coverage

• 5G in the cities and most valleys. Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz are fully covered.
• Mountains are the exception. Coverage in the high Alps drops off sharply and there are gaps on hiking routes, which matters when the emergency number you may need is a mountain rescue one.
• Download offline maps before you go up. This is genuine advice in Austria, not boilerplate.
• Free wifi is widespread in cafes, on ÖBB long-distance trains and across much of the Vienna underground.