Mobile data in Salzburg: a city on the Bavarian border
Salzburg airport is closer to Germany than to the old town, the best-known day trip leaves Austria, and the fast train west runs through Bavaria. Almost every pack decision in Salzburg comes back to that border.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Austria?
- Yes. It connects to 3, A1.net (5G).
- Price
- From 4,79 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,79 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Austria is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Austria. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Landing two kilometres from Bavaria
Salzburg's W. A. Mozart airport is about 3 km west of the centre and 2 km from the German border. Trolleybus line 2 runs to the Hauptbahnhof and line 10 into the old town, both roughly every ten minutes. Tickets come from the machine at the stop or from the driver, and a ticket bought in advance is validated as you board. Taxis wait outside the terminal.
With Germany that close, the phone can pick up a German network on the apron or in the arrivals hall. On an Austria pack that means no data. If the screen shows a German operator, turn off automatic network selection and choose 3 or A1.net by hand.
eSIM for Austria
Data on your phone the moment you land in Austria. No account, no app, no shop.
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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.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
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.
Old town on foot, S-Bahn over the river
The cathedral, the Getreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace are all on foot, and the funicular to the Hohensalzburg fortress leaves from the Festungsgasse. Trolleybuses cover the rest of the city, and the ÖBB app has the regional trains and their tickets.
Some of those local trains cross the border without much fuss. The S-Bahn lines S2 and S3 run to Freilassing, in Bavaria, just over the Saalach, and the S3 continues to Bad Reichenhall. On those trips the phone moves to a German network, and an Austria pack goes quiet until you are back. Hellbrunn palace, south of the centre, stays in Austria.
Berchtesgaden and the Königssee: a day in Germany
Bus 840 leaves from the Hauptbahnhof for Berchtesgaden, in Germany, a ride of under an hour, and another bus continues from there to Schönau am Königssee, where the boats leave. The Eagle's Nest above Berchtesgaden is in Germany too. The Austria pack has no data for any of it.
There are three ways to go. Take the Europe pack, which covers Austria and Germany on one eSIM. Add a small Germany pack next to the Austria one and switch the data line at the border. Or go offline, with the boat times and the last bus back to Salzburg saved before you leave. On this trip, that last bus is the time that matters.
Hallstatt stays Austrian, the train to Innsbruck does not
- Hallstatt: bus 150 to Bad Ischl, past the Fuschlsee and the Wolfgangsee, then a train to Hallstatt station and a boat across the lake. All in Austria, so the Austria pack works the whole way.
- Innsbruck: the fast trains west run through Germany via Rosenheim and re-enter Austria at Kufstein.
- Munich: trains also go via Rosenheim, and from the border on the trip is entirely in Germany. See the Munich guide.
On the Rosenheim stretch, an Austria pack has no data until the train is back in Tyrol. Load the hotel directions and anything else you need before leaving Salzburg, or travel on the Europe pack, which does not notice the border.
Sizing the pack for Salzburg
Austria packs come in 3 GB for 15 days and 5, 10 or 20 GB for 30 days. A weekend of old town, fortress and concerts fits in 3 GB. A week with Hallstatt and the lakes is a 5 GB trip.
Because Berchtesgaden, Munich and the train to Innsbruck all touch Germany, many Salzburg stays are simpler on the Europe pack: 3 GB for 15 days for a short stay with one German day, 10 GB for 30 days for a longer one. The plan starts at the first connection, the hotspot is included, and a top-up goes onto the same eSIM without reinstalling. The Austria page covers the rest of the country.
Why does my phone show a German network at Salzburg airport?
The airport is about 2 km from the border, so a German signal can be the strongest. Choose 3 or A1.net manually to stay on an Austrian network.
Does the Austria eSIM work in Berchtesgaden?
No. Berchtesgaden and the Königssee are in Germany. The Europe pack covers both countries on one eSIM.
Does it work on a day trip to Hallstatt?
Yes. Hallstatt is in Austria, and the bus and train route from Salzburg stays in Austria too.
Why did my data stop on the train to Innsbruck?
The fast trains run through Germany via Rosenheim before Kufstein. Data comes back once the train is in Austria again.
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 Austria