aster

Data is the tricky part, if not for this I would say just get one card to use in both countries.

Roaming rates for calls and SMS have fallen immensely due to EU legislation. Data roaming rates have fallen too but nowhere nearly enough.

jackal

I'm in a similar boat. Here are my needs:

1. Devices available: US GSM (AT&T) iPhone 5, random 3G Vodafone-branded data stick given to me for free by Vodafone in India (not sure if it's locked or anything), and possibly a US GSM (AT&T) iPad 3 I can borrow if plans/prices are significantly better for iPad
2. Need 2-3GB, possibly more, over a 3-week period
3. Need the best ratio of coverage to speed (will be traveling extensively in fairly "rural" areas of Germany--southern Bavaria, etc.--so can't have only 2GB in those areas. LTE coverage not necessary (I don't think my devices have the necessary bands anyway) but good 3G (i.e. HSPA+) is necessary. Slower HSDPA is less preferred but usable if it's not poorly engineered/super-congested (i.e. real-world speeds of 3+mbps OK).
4. Delivery to US not necessary, but if available, a bonus. Delivery to German hotel optional; I can spend a bit of time in the Frankfurt or Kehl (near Strasbourg) areas finding a shop to sell me one in-person
5. Best speed/coverage is primary concern, but cost is a secondary concern--I don't want to throw money out the window, but, for example, I'd pay 5-10 Euro more for LTE or 14/21mbps (7-10mbps real-world) 3G.

http://prepaidwithdata.wikia.com/wiki/Germany has a good list of options, but it's rather overwhelming. I'd appreciate real-world advice from seasoned travelers. Based on that, though, there are the following options that appear to top the list:

• Providers who resell Telekom, which has the best 3G coverage in rural areas (although it's 7.2mbps HSDPA)--of these, Congstar looks the best with EUR19.90 for 3GB and 500MB extra for EUR4.90
• Lycamobile, which resells Vodafone (so poorer rural coverage--2G only?) but offers 5GB for EUR19.90
• ALDI or Blau: HSPA+ speeds at good prices (EUR14.99-19.80 for 5GB) but on the e-plus network, which has poor rural coverage

Based on the above, I'm thinking Congstar will fill my needs the best, but I'd appreciate any advice anyone can give.

t325

I'm headed to Munich next week. After upgrading to an iPhone 6 today, AT&T unlocked my iPhone 5, so I'm thinking about getting a SIM card to put in the 5 and carry both phones with me while I'm there, and I can use mobile hotspot to connect my iP6 to the interwebs.

I don't really care about voice or SMS, I'll use my 6 for that and pay the roaming charges, so I only need a data plan for a 5. Will German carriers sell a data-only plan for a phone (I know carriers here might be reluctant to do so) and what's the best option out there? I'll probably only need a gigabyte, if that, and is there a good place to buy a SIM in the Munich airport? Thanks

compubit

When in Germany in 2013, purchased an O.tel.o sim for the iPad. It's Vodafone's prepaid line. Had a really good rate (€5 for the SIM and €10 for a 2-3GB data package) - I don't remember all of the details, but kept me going while traveling throughout Germany.

Check their website and stores for current offers.

Jim

jackal

So, I will provide an update about the results of my attempt to procure data coverage.

First of all, I think it's definitely true that Telekom has the widest coverage footprint in Germany. If you'll be anywhere outside of the major cities, even on major Autobahn routes, skip the other networks.

That said, it's not saying much that they do have the best coverage...there's a LOT of EDGE (2G) territory, even along major Autobahn routes, although most towns of 10,000+ residents and tourist destinations will have 3G data. I had many stretches of EDGE along the A9 but no issues with 3G in places like Lindau, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bamberg, etc. Smaller towns of under 10,000 may not have 3G at all.

Also, it was mentioned on another site that the signal drops to almost unusable levels inside buildings--this is absolutely true. I don't know if it's the thick older European walls or the higher frequency that Telekom uses, but plan on coverage being too poor to do anything with inside restaurants and tourist attractions, and it might only be usable at your hotel if you place your phone next to the window.

Now, how to get on Telekom's network? I went ahead with Congstar, although it wasn't the smoothest start. First of all, although the prepaid starter kits are available at many different supermarkets (dm, etc.) and gas stations, pay attention to the pack you buy...it'll most likely have a combo standard/micro SIM...and on the iPhone 5, you need a nano SIM. I looked in vain for a nano SIM before finally breaking down and finding a SIM cutter at a German electronics chain (Conrad), which clumsily did the job but increased my investment into the project by 10 Euros.

Beyond that, Congstar works quite well. It was a little tough to initially activate and connect to the network--it really does take 4 or so hours after you work through the online portal's registration process for the phone to work. Once it's active, you can add any additional credit you've purchased and then activate a data package, and that takes another several hours to activate (don't use data before that's active or it might get charged per-KB from your credit balance).

Once it's all active, restart your phone and the Personal Hotspot option should pop up. I had no issues tethering other devices after this point. I also had a little extra credit above the data package and was able to make a couple of German calls at the 9 cent rate. (Note that VoIP is blocked on Telekom's network, so it's hard to use VoIP to beat the normal calling rate. My standard VoIP app [Bria] and Skype were both impossible to call from; Google Hangouts works but charges a fee for non-800 numbers.) I have also added (so far) two additional data packages of 500 MB each without issue.

This hasn't been the easiest or cheapest prepaid SIM experience I've had, but it's pretty straightforward once you understand it, and it's certainly served me well enough to be able to travel in Germany while keeping connected with work. Better than staying home!

osamede

I'll be in Germany for a week or so and would like to get a prepaid sim + a few hundred GB of data to stick in my tablet? Last time around I picked one up at a drugstore and was unable to activate it, instructions were also awful.

Any recommendations for a good one that is easy to activate for a non-german speaker? And where to buy it? Thanks.

Aston Martin

Where can I buy cheap Mobile Internet SIM Card for 3 days in Frankfurt Germany?

Please advise,

Thanks & best regards,

Lukasz

jackal

Scroll up and read.

dstan

I got a blauworld SIM last time I was in Germany in 2011 so, with my Telestial eKit SIM almost used up and headed for the trash can after this trip (going to try switching to Piranha), I picked up another blauworld SIM on my way out of HAM / Hamburg airport at My Cell Store. I was in a rush to catch the train and figured out after the fact that they no longer offer online top-ups - you have to go to a store or gas station and buy an E-plus Cash Card, then punch the code into the phone. (This way they get to strand your unused credit in both the Cash Card and the SIM.)

Anyways, rates have improved vs. 2011:

€25.00 for SIM card including €10.00 credit - cash only, no credit cards

Call to Germany 12¢/min to landline or cell
Call to US 5¢/min to landline or cell
Text to anywhere 15¢ - incoming texts free

There are also a variety of flat-rate data options good for 30 days, i.e.: 1GB for €9.90

Really bummed about the lack of online topup, otherwise I might have bought some data just for convenience. Instead, I will rely on my Verizon iPad, which has international roaming at $25/100MB.

Agent in the store was able to punch out a nano-SIM for me, which works fine in my Verizon iPhone 6.

osamede

Report on Klarmobil.

I was able to purchase pay-as-you-go service from Klarmobil at a phone shop in the Alexa shopping center in Berlin, near Alexanderplatz. 20 Euro for about 800 GB or 1 TB of data, valid for one month. Only ID needed was an EU-based drivers licence, with this no passport was necessary. I didnt ask about foreign licences. SIM was activated by them and was working before I left the shop about 10 mins later. That was the good news.

The bad news was this service was slow as a turtle. No 4G they had told me, but even what they called "3G" was so slow it was unbelieveble. And this was the case everywhere I went around in Berlin: the data speed with Klarmobil was unacceptably slow. Pages took ages to load.

I would not recommend Klarmobil to anyone.

diburning

Can someone recommend a place where I can get a Deutsche Telekom nano sim outside of Germany? I'd like to get one for when I am in Germany, but I will be arriving too late to purchase one at a shop, and won't have time to pick one up the next day. I'd prefer to get one shipped to me here in the US to be activated when I get to Germany, but shipping to a UK address would work too as I'll be in the UK before going to Germany (specifically Hamburg).

medichill

My daughter will be travelling to Germany for 3 weeks. She has a Verizon locked iphone 5c. Is there a SIM that can be purchased for use in Germany? Does doing this require an unlocked phone?

TIA

jackal

Yes and yes, but Verizon does not SIM lock their phones (per agreement with the FCC), so her phone should not be locked to Verizon and can accept a foreign SIM. Of course, you should confirm that.

I assume you posted elsewhere and your post was merged into this thread (otherwise I assume you would have read the posts upthread before posting). If you scroll up, there is lots of information upthread about the best SIM to buy and how to buy it.

For the best data service, I'm partial to Congstar, as it is a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom (the provider with the best coverage) and thus gives you access to their network for a lower cost. Other options may be cheaper but offer [slightly to much] poorer coverage.

See my post upthread for info on my experience buying and activating a SIM.

More details at http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Germany.

cwerdna

I've skimmed http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Germany. I arrive at Munich airport at 3:25 pm on a Saturday from the UK and will be in Germany for a bit over a week.

The first hotel I arrive at will be Holiday Inn Munich - City Centre but I will be going to other parts of Germany. I have an iPhone 6 A1549 that I confirmed is properly carrier unlocked.

I'm a US citizen. Will I have issues w/getting a prepaid SIM activated? I anticipate making few to no phone calls and also doing almost no texting, if any. I care mainly about data. I'm guessing I might need 1-3 GB (for Germany only). Don't care that much about speed.

Will I be able to pick a SIM that I can activate or have activated easily at MUC or at a store near my hotel?

Should I instead get a SIM in the UK that doesn't get hit w/roaming charges in Germany?

rebyte

The EU roaming does change soon and then we can call and message at the same costs in all EU countries. https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-...oaming-tariffs =)

Another nice list of mobile networks I found: http://www.mobilenetworks.io/
Not sure if it is up to date