Mobile internet in Vienna: a visitor’s guide
Vienna is compact, walkable and easy to be online in above ground. The awkward bits are the metro tunnels, the narrow streets where the blue dot wanders, and the fact that two other capitals are close enough to visit on a whim.
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.
Roaming here, in three lines
- EU and EEA plans: roam like at home applies, within the fair-use limit.
- UK plans: it depends on your operator since Brexit.
- Plans from outside Europe: usually roaming charges or a daily pass.
The rules in full, country by country, are in our guide to Internet in Austria.
eSIM for Austria
Data on your phone the moment you land in Austria. No account, no app, no shop.
Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Nothing is charged now · When we are done improving, we will email you 30% off
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.
From the airport into the centre
The airport is outside the city and you get in by train or by bus, which is a decision you make on the phone while walking through arrivals: which platform, how long it takes, and whether the stop you want is nearer the bus or the train. The ticket usually lives on the phone too, and so does the message to your accommodation.
Airport Wi-Fi tends to ask for a registration or to give you a short free slot, so having data already on when you land is worth more than it sounds. An eSIM is installed at home over Wi-Fi and only starts when the phone connects in Austria.
Signal underground and between the buildings
In U-Bahn tunnels coverage depends on the line and on the station: some stretches and platforms have it, others do not, so plan for the live map to stall between stops. Anything you need down there is better loaded before you go down.
Above ground the problem is different. In the narrow streets of the old centre and inside courtyards, the signal is usually fine but the position is not: tall buildings bounce GPS around, and the dot on the map drifts a street or two before settling. Walking a few metres into the open fixes it faster than reopening the app.
What you open on the phone in Vienna
- Timed tickets: palaces and big museums put you in a slot, and the ticket is shown from the phone at the door. Save it offline as well, so a bad signal in a queue is not a problem.
- Maps: download the offline map of the city before you travel. The centre is walked rather than ridden, and you will check the map constantly.
- Public transport for the trips that are too far to walk: live departures and connections.
- The usual background: messages, photos going up, and the odd video call home.
How much data
It depends on the days, on whether you watch video and on whether you share with a laptop. How much data do I need turns that into a number from what you actually do.
Prices for Austria
Austria data eSIMs: 3 GB for 4,79 €, 5 GB for 6,79 €, 10 GB for 11,99 € and 20 GB for 17,29 €. Local networks (3 (5G), A1.net (5G)), hotspot allowed, no speed cap from us, and topping up does not mean reinstalling. It is data only, so your own line keeps your number.
Travelling later?
Going to Austria later? We remind you before you fly
Tell us the day you leave. We email you a week before and the day before with the steps to install the eSIM on Wi-Fi at home. Nothing else.
We only write about this trip, and every email has a one-click unsubscribe. Privacy policy
Is there mobile signal on the Vienna U-Bahn?
It depends on the line and the station. Some tunnel sections and platforms have coverage and others do not, so expect the connection to come and go underground.
Why does the map put me on the wrong street in the old centre?
That is GPS, not your data. Narrow streets and courtyards bounce the signal off the buildings. Step into an open square and the position settles.
Does my Austria eSIM work on a day trip to Bratislava or Budapest?
No. A one-country pack stops giving data once you leave Austria, even though EU roaming rules cover all three countries. For a trip like that, take a Europe plan.
Does the eSIM give me an Austrian number?
No, it is data only: no number and no SMS. Your usual line keeps your number and WhatsApp.
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