Prepaid SIM - Austria
 

There is wireless shop at arrival hall at Vienna airport near OBB/CAT train access. The shop didn't have/sell 3 SIM card but sells T-Mobile and Orange (?) SIM cards. I bought a T-Mobile SmartKlax prepaid plan for 15 euro with 2000 minutes / 1000 sms / 2GB data and it was activated at the store.

It may not be least expensive but I didn't have to look for a other options on weekends.

An A1 card purchased in the main shopping district in Vienna cost me 10 euros and gave me 1GB of data and I believe 1000 minutes voice. Great value there, and the staff provided excellent help in English to get it activated.

This might be a crazy question but can you use that sim to call international while in Austria? I suppose it will charge you more minutes per the minute.

Austria has some of the cheapest voice and data plans in the world. You can walk into any electronics or mobile phone operator store and get a prepaid sim card for 10 to 15 Euros which will already include airtime and data. There are also prepaid iPad/etc. data plans that come with a micro/nano sim card. Rates and offered plans change frequently so it's best to check the websites of the providers prior to traveling to Austria.

These are some current (02/2014) links for the provider's prepaid packages:

http://www.drei.at/portal/de/privat/...e/startpakete/

http://www.a1.net/handys-telefonie/bfree-wertkate-plus

http://www.t-mobile.at/handytarife/wertkarte/index.php

Some supermarket chains (Hofer, Spar, ...) have their own prepaid plans as well and piggyback on the big provider's networks.

I've used the A-1 B-Free SIM for several years, as I make twice-yearly trips to Vienna. There is an A-1 location downtown on Kartnerstrasse. I haven't checked at the airport because I've had the card for quite a while. As far as I know, it never expires, because I can leave in June, go back in February, and it still works with whatever Euros I still had on it when I left.

They have the capability to do instructions and voicemail either in English or German, which is great. You can buy recharge vouchers all over the place at any tobacco store. I haven't tried to set up a credit card account because you need an in-country address. Recharge vouchers are so easy to get as well.

If you search on line, you can find instructions in English you can download as a PDF.

The main reason I go this route is because it's the cheapest way to call home. Don't EVER sign up for international roaming unless an employer is paying for it! The cost is enormous.

I haven't looked upstream to see if anyone else has mentioned this, but, make sure you have an unlocked quad-frequency GSM phone. AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM in the U.S. Verizon and Sprint do not, so, their phones won't work.

I'm going to be visiting Austria first than the Czech republic. Are there any sim cards I can purchase in Austria that will allow data access in the Czech republic as well?

Thanks
FDW

So A1 is suppose to have the best network.

They have reasonable prepaid plans. But it sounds like prepaid doesn't include LTE?

This page shows plans that include LTE but I don't think these are prepaid:

http://www.a1.net/internet/mobile-internet-tarife

That is, a tourist can't buy these with credit cards. I think like Free in France, you have to have a local bank account to pay for these plans.

Anyone know otherwise, try to get LTE data in Austria?

LTE is avaible just for Contracts. But HSDPA is so fast in 99% you dont neet LTE.thats not true. All 3 Operator 3, TMA and A1 have quid the same Network and in many case the Share the Tower. Just locals see the different between the Network.No Contract.If you have Money on the Card Roaming is possible but very expensive. Depending of the Operator in this Case its 3: 0,24 €/ MB so a local Simcard will be cheaper over the time.

If someone want a Activated Simcard i can send it!

And recharch is very easy! All Supermarket Company sell a Recharch Card and allow it to pay with a CC for expample: Billa, Spar (+Interspar, +Eurospar), Merkur, Zielpunkt
Discounter dont accept cc like: Hofer, Penny (?)

EDIT: What is very Important for all Traveler who Travel Beween Salzburg and Innsbruck (via Kufstein) the Train dive truth Germany it means Roaming!

In austria currently, I've had good luck with 3 (drei.at) service. Cost was a bit higher than I was expecting, perhaps the sales clerk took advantage a bit with the language barrier. I got the 1 month unlimited data package (nimm3 internet flat), final price was 31.59 euro, 37.90 with tax.

Anyway, works fine with my huawei E586 mifi, speed is good, not sure about coverage outside in the countryside, as I'm only in tourist areas where you'd expect good service. Even streamed a couple hours of netflix over a vpn connection with no buffering issues.

So do you realy need a Flat for travelling? :confused::eek:
When i rember the Price for an Simcard is 9,90€ and 18 € for the "contract".
Thats 27,9€ and all Price include all Tax in Austria !!!! (Except for Business)

http://www.drei.at/portal/de/privat/...imm3-internet/

the are cheaper local products....

The Link for A1 has changed: http://www.a1.net/handys-telefonie/bfree-wertkarte-plus

cheaper: https://www.drei.at/portal/de/privat...imm3-internet/

Verizon offers plenty of phones that are quad-frequency, and I assume Sprint does, also. But make sure you are choosing a phone that has a radio frequency compatible with the places you travel.

When out of the US, I recommend using a data SIM and using the combination of Google Voice (get a number local to you for free) and Google Hangouts. Seamless way to dial any US number using essentially VOIP on a cell phone, usually for no charge.

Ok all!

Traveling to Vienna for a week. Have a dedicated iPhone 5 for international travel - all I need to do is grab a pre-paid SIM whe I get there and install. Understand there are several providers, all likely with similar plans.

The big question - where is the most convenient place to pick one up - as in there will not be any language issues or attempts to screw the tourist?

Obviously will be traveling through the airport, and we will be staying at the InterContinental® Vienna - Johannesgasse 28.

TIA