Visiting Germany soon? Make sure to know what to expect when it comes to purchasing a Germany SIM card.
Fortunately, Europe is one of the best places where you can buy a SIM card easily. You should be able to find a cheap SIM card pretty much anywhere in Europe. In fact, most data packages are affordable, which makes the whole thing easier!
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In this guide, we’ll explain where to buy a SIM card in Germany in person and online. We’ll also discuss prepaid SIM cards and eSIMs if your mobile supports them. That said, if you’re traveling to other countries in Europe, you should be able to use the same SIM card because most SIM card providers also offer coverage in other European countries.
Before you read this guide, you may wonder if you actually need a SIM card in Germany. If you don’t mind not having Internet, you’ll likely find free Wifi in restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels.
That said, if you need data to get around, call a Uber, or translate Germany – you may want to get a SIM card for your travels in Germany.
Note that your mobile phone provider may already offer German coverage if you’re European. If that’s the case, you won’t need a SIM card for your adventures in Germany.
Best SIM Cards In Germany
If you’re traveling in Germany, we recommend using a SIM card from Lidl Connect, Lebara, Aldi Talk, or Airalo. (I’ll get back to Airalo later on, so keep reading to learn more!)
That said, if you’re planning on visiting other countries during your trip to Europe, you might want to make sure to pick an option that offers coverage in other European countries.
How To Buy A SIM Card In Germany
You can either buy a Europe prepaid SIM card in person in some international airports, mobile provider stores, convenience stores, or online.
Usually, you can expect higher costs and low data offers at the airport, so we don’t recommend buying a SIM card at the airport. That said, you won’t necessarily find SIM card shops in every airport, so it’s essential to keep this in mind. And, when you see a shop, you might also have limited options.
For this reason, I’d recommend buying a SIM card directly from the mobile provider store. Note that you may need your passport to buy one.
Although, this means you won’t get data right upon your arrival. So, if you prefer to be connected at all times, you could use an eSIM or purchase a European prepaid SIM card online.
Now, let’s take a look at the data plans offered by Lidl Connect, Lebara, and Aldi Talk.
Lidl Connect SIM Cards
Lidl Connect is offered by Lidl, one of the biggest Supermarket in Germany, and offers three different types of plans using the Vodafone network:
- Smart S: 30 days, 3 GB for EUR 7.99
- Smart L: 30 days, 6 GB for EUR 12.99
- Smart XL: 30 days, 12 GB for EUR 17.99
You can buy your sim card in one of their thousands of stores across the country. Please note that the website and support are in German.
Lebara SIM Cards
Lebara has three main prepaid plans available:
- Hello L: 28 days, 13 GB data for EUR 19.99
- Hello XL: 28 days, 17 GB data for EUR 24.99
- Hello XXL: 28 days, 20 GB for EUR 29.99
As you can see, it’s more expensive than Lidl Connect, but you also get more data, which can be helpful.
It is worth noting that the Lebara website and customer support are offered in English, which is a plus.
Aldi Talk SIM Cards
Aldi is also a major supermarket chain in Germany that offers SIM card plans:
- Combi S: 4 weeks, 3 GB data for EUR 7.99
- Combi M: 4 weeks, 6 GB data for EUR 12.99
- Combi L: 4 weeks, 12 GB data for EUR 17.99
Please note that the Aldi Talk website and customer support are only offered in German at this time.
Overall, we think Lebara is the best option if you plan to buy your SIM card in person. That said, any would do if you can’t find their store!
How To Buy A German Prepaid SIM Card Online
If you wish to have your SIM card ready for your arrival, you could purchase it online or on websites like Amazon.
You’ll find different plans on Amazon. For example, the Orange Holiday Europe Prepaid SIM Card works in more than 30 countries and gives you 20BG of data for 14 days. Germany is included.
But there are many other options worth considering, so have a look and ensure the countries you plan to visit are listed.
Another option is to purchase a prepaid European SIM card on Simify. This works if you live in the United States or Australia. They currently offer 4 different packages.
- 12 GB, valid for 30 days for $26 – works in 71 countries
- 100 GB, valid for 30 days for $49 – works in 44 countries
- 80 GB, valid for 28 days for $69 – works in 45 countries
- 40 GB, valid for 28 days for $55 – works in 45 countries
Finally, the last option is to buy an eSIM card for Europe.
How To Buy An eSIM Card For Germany
eSIM is a new concept allowing you to have a virtual SIM card inside your phone. If your mobile phone supports eSIM cards – it’s definitely one of the best options to get data in Germany.
Curious? Learn more about eSIM for travelers.
I started using eSIM as soon as my mobile phone supported it. And I first tried it when visiting my family in Canada. To buy eSIMs, I usually use Airalo. Keep reading to learn more about the best eSIMs in Germany.
Airalo Germany
If you want to buy an eSIM for Germany, you could purchase one on Airalo. This website offers many eSIM cards worldwide and special plans for Europe and Germany. I’ve been using Airalo in Europe for several months, and it works fine.
Here are the options available for Germany:
- Hallo! Mobil: 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- Hallo! Mobil: 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $10
- Hallo! Mobil: 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $15
- Hallo! Mobil: 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $22.50
Here’s an overview of the options available in Europe:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $5
- 3 GB, valid for 30 days for $13
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $20
- 10 GB, valid for 30 days for $37
- 50 GB, valid for 90 days for $100
- 100 GB, valid for 180 days for $185
The options mentioned above are part of Eurolink and offer coverage in 39 countries, including Germany.
Alternatively, if you’re traveling in other countries that are not mentioned on the list, you can try Discover Global, which offers coverage in 87 countries, including Germany.
Here’s an overview of the options available on Discover Global:
- 1 GB, valid for 7 days for $9
- 3 GB, valid for 15 days for $24
- 5 GB, valid for 30 days for $35
- 10 GB, valid for 60 days for $59
- 20 GB, valid for 180 days for $89
Now, one important thing to note about Airalo is that you’ll need to keep an eye out for the provider in each country. Suppose you ever have trouble connecting to the Internet during your trip. In that case, it might be because you’re connecting automatically to networks and need to select a network manually instead.
When you purchase the eSIM, you’ll get access to the list of networks supported in each country.
Holafly Germany
Alternatively, you could look at your options on Holafly. You can read our Holafly review to learn more about this eSIM store. I’ve also tried this eSIM provider in Europe, and it worked fine. Their Europe eSIM work in 32 countries (including Germany), and they offer the following plans:
- Unlimited data for 5 days for $19
- Unlimited data for 10 days for $34
- Unlimited data for 15 days for $47
- Unlimited data for 20 days for $54
- Unlimited data for 30 days for $64
- Unlimited data for 60 days for $84
- Unlimited data for 90 days for $99
Nomad Germany
Finally, Nomad is also a great eSIM provider. Here’s an overview of the plans available for Germany:
- 1GB, valid for 7 days for $6
- 3GB, valid for 30 days for $12
- 5GB, valid for 30 days for $17
- 10GB, valid for 30 days for $24
- 20GB, valid for 30 days for $34
Final Thoughts On SIM Cards In Germany
As you can see, getting a prepaid SIM card in Germany or even an eSIM for your travels in Germany is pretty straightforward. You’ll even be able to stay connected wherever you go in Europe without changing your SIM card, especially if you purchase a European SIM card.
I believe the eSIM card is the most convenient way to get data in Germany if you wish to have data upon your arrival. This way, you won’t need to go to a store to buy a SIM card. Obviously, you need to make sure your mobile phone supports eSIM first.
Traveling to Germany soon? Read one of the following blog posts:
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