Mobile internet in Berlin: a visitor’s guide
Berlin has fast 4G and 5G above ground, and the city is big enough that you will lean on the map and the transport app all day. The two things worth sorting before you fly are whether your own plan charges roaming and how you get online the minute you land.
See eSIMs for GermanyRoaming in Berlin
- Plans from the EU and the EEA: roam like at home applies, up to your operator’s fair use limit.
- UK plans: since Brexit it depends on your operator. Some include Germany, some charge a daily fee.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually international roaming or a daily pass.
The full rules are in the Germany data guide. A Germany data eSIM avoids the question altogether: fixed price, local networks (O2 (5G), Vodafone (5G)), data only, so your own number stays on your usual line for calls and bank codes.
eSIM for Germany
Data on your phone the moment you land in Germany. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
And if it turns out yours cannot use it, write to us and you get every cent back.
Discount code
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
From BER to the city centre
Berlin Brandenburg sits well outside the city, and the normal way in is a train from the station under the terminal. That is the first job for a phone that is already online: work out which train, buy or show the ticket, and tell your accommodation when you will get there. Airport Wi-Fi usually wants a registration form or hands you a short free window, which is a bad moment to be typing with a suitcase in one hand.
An eSIM is installed at home over Wi-Fi and does not start counting then: the plan begins when the phone first connects in Germany, so it is ready as you switch off flight mode on the taxiway.
Where the signal actually drops
Berlin runs half its transport underground and half on viaducts. In U-Bahn and S-Bahn tunnels coverage depends on the line and on the station: some platforms and stretches have it, others do not, so a live route can freeze between two stops and catch up when you come back up. Museum basements, thick-walled buildings and deep courtyards behave the same way.
None of that is fixed by changing SIM. It is simply where the network stops, so anything you truly need underground — the ticket, the address, the route — is better downloaded before you go down the stairs.
What you will actually use data for
- Maps, constantly. Berlin is enormous and spread out, and you will be checking distances all day. Download the offline map of the city before the trip.
- Public transport: live departures, connections and a ticket kept on the phone instead of paper.
- Day trips: Potsdam is a regional train ride away and still inside Germany, so the same plan keeps working there.
- Cash: plenty of places in Berlin still prefer it, so carry some. It has nothing to do with your data plan, but it saves an awkward minute at the counter.
How much data for a few days in Berlin
- 3 GB: a long weekend of maps, messages and a few photos.
- 5 GB: a week at the same pace, with social media.
- 10 GB: two weeks, or a work trip with video calls.
- 20 GB: a month, or sharing the connection with a laptop.
These are estimates for ordinary use; video changes them quickly. How much data do I need breaks it down by activity.
Prices for Germany
Germany data eSIMs: 3 GB for 4,79 €, 5 GB for 6,99 €, 10 GB for 11,49 € and 20 GB for 17,29 €. Hotspot is allowed and we do not cap the speed, so 5G works where the network has it. Topping up does not mean reinstalling. Step by step: how to install an eSIM.
Is there mobile signal on the Berlin U-Bahn?
It depends on the line and the station. Some tunnels and platforms have coverage and others do not, so expect gaps and do not count on loading something new while the train is moving.
Do I need a German eSIM if my plan is from the EU?
Usually not, because roam like at home covers Germany. It is worth one if your fair use limit is small, or if you would rather not touch your own allowance.
Does the Germany eSIM work on a day trip to Potsdam?
Yes. Potsdam is in Germany, so a Germany plan covers it. A single-country plan only stops giving data once you leave the country.
Does the eSIM give me a German phone number?
No, it is data only. There is no number and no SMS on it: your usual line keeps your number and WhatsApp works as always.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Germany