eSIM for Austria

Viasimo's Austria eSIM starts at $1.29 for 500 MB over 1 day, running on 3 and A1.net with 5G where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Works everywhere in Austria

Burgenland
Carinthia
Lower Austria
Salzburg
Styria
Tyrol
Upper Austria

Select your planIn stock

Duration

Quantity

Unlimited data · 3 Days$6.99

Unlimited data · 3 Days ×1

$6.99

Going to more than one country? See regional plans

Does my phone take an eSIM? Check now

Dial *#06# on your phone. If you see an EID number, your phone takes an eSIM. Most phones sold since 2019 do.

Not sure it works on your phone? Check compatibility

Network

Which networks does the Austria eSIM use?

Host networks: 3 / A1.net

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

Data: 500 MB – 50 GB or unlimited
Validity: 1–180 days
Speed: 4G LTE / 5G
Hotspot / tethering: Supported on most devices
Activation: Starts when you first connect in your destination
Speed management: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
Top-ups: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
Text messages (SMS): Data only: use an app for verification codes
Unused validity: 180 days before it must be installed

Setting up Buy, scan the QR code we email you, and switch on the travel line when you land. How it works

Choosing a plan

How much data do you need?

The allowances below are our sizing recommendations, not measurements. The plan beside each one is the cheapest option on this page that covers it.

Recommended data allowances matched to the plans sold for this destination
You are	Plan for	Cheapest plan that covers it
LightMaps, messaging and the occasional lookup	About 1 GB a week	$1.591 GB, 7 days
TypicalMaps, social, photos and some browsing	About 3 to 7 GB a week	$4.595 GB, 30 days
HeavyVideo streaming, video calls and uploads	10 GB a week or more	$8.0010 GB, 30 days
Working or sharingTethering a laptop, calls and cloud sync	20 GB a week or more	$13.99Unlimited, 7 days

Work it out from your own habits

What a week abroad costs

eSIM, local SIM or roaming?

Charged per day

Your carrier roaming

Queue and plastic

A SIM at the airport

$1.29

Viasimo, one bundle

Only the Viasimo figure is a price: it comes from today’s live catalog. The other two rows are directional, not quoted rates.

About this eSIM

Austria packs an enormous amount of terrain into a small country, and your phone notices. Connectivity is dense and quick in the cities and along the valley floors, then it goes quiet the moment a cable car lifts you above the treeline. An eSIM hands you a local data connection the second you switch it on at the gate, which matters here because so much of an Austrian trip runs on live information: train times, lift status, mountain weather, hut availability.

Getting online when you land

Do the install at home, on your own wifi, before you go anywhere near a boarding pass. Downloading an eSIM profile needs a working connection, and airport wifi is exactly the wrong place to discover that your phone is carrier-locked or that you fat-fingered an email address. Once the profile sits in your settings, arrival is a two-tap job: turn the line on, allow data roaming for that line, set it as your default for mobile data.

Vienna Airport at Schwechat handles most arrivals, and you will want the connection working before you reach the platform, because the City Airport Train and the S-Bahn leave from the same level and the cheaper one is not the obvious one. Salzburg, Innsbruck and Graz take a lot of the ski-season traffic and are small enough that you walk out of the terminal into a bus stop with a live departure board on your screen. If nothing attaches in the first minute, toggle airplane mode once; the handset usually finds a network on the second attempt.

The networks you'll be on

Your eSIM attaches to an Austrian mobile network automatically. You do not choose an operator by hand and you do not need to know which one you landed on; the profile carries the permissions and the phone sorts out the rest. In practice that means modern high-speed service in the cities and larger towns, with an older generation waiting underneath as a fallback in the valleys and along rural rail lines.

Two settings are worth knowing. If data stalls somewhere with visible bars, switching network selection from automatic to manual and picking a different Austrian network by hand will often shake it loose. And if you are travelling with a second line, keep calls on your home number and data on the eSIM so verification codes still arrive.

Where coverage holds, and where it thins

The reliable spine of the country is urban and low-lying: Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, the Danube corridor through the Wachau, the motorway network and the main rail lines that follow the river valleys. In those places a video call is unremarkable.

Then there is the other Austria. Signal thins fast in the side valleys of Tyrol and Vorarlberg, in the Hohe Tauern, on the switchbacks of the Grossglockner high alpine road, and on ridgelines where the nearest mast is on the far side of a mountain. Ski areas are patchy in a specific way: strong at the base stations and mid-mountain restaurants, unreliable in the bowls and back valleys between them. Long rail tunnels drop you entirely, and some of the Salzkammergut lake shores sit under cliffs that block everything. None of this is unusual for alpine Europe, but plan around it rather than assume it away, especially if your route home from a hike depends on a timetable you have not saved.

What you'll actually use data for here

Timetables, mostly. The rail network is good enough that you will lean on it, and the useful part is live: platform changes, delays, connection risk on a tight change at Salzburg or Innsbruck. In Vienna the U-Bahn, tram and bus network runs on the same principle, and the city's transport apps are more accurate than any printed map.

In the mountains you will be checking weather windows and lift and slope status several times a day, sometimes hourly, because conditions move quickly and closures are common. Mountain huts increasingly want a booking rather than a walk-in, which means email or a booking form the night before. Add restaurant reservations, museum time slots for the bigger Vienna collections, translation for the odd rural menu, and the usual stream of photos going home, and a moderate daily allowance covers a normal trip comfortably.

Before you fly

Check your handset actually supports eSIM, then install the profile at home and leave it switched off until you land. Download offline maps for whichever valley or ski area you are heading to, not just the city; the offline copy is what saves you when the signal drops on a trail. Screenshot your accommodation address, your hut bookings and any lift pass confirmations, because paper and screenshots both work where a network does not.

Keep your home line active for SMS codes, turn data roaming on for the travel line specifically, and set the eSIM as the default data line so nothing quietly bills you at home rates. If you are crossing into Germany, Italy or Switzerland on a day trip, check whether your plan covers the wider region or stops at the border before you get on the train.

Unlimited runs at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continues slower.

Before you buy

Important to know

This is a data-only eSIM. It carries no calls or SMS on its own number.
Your existing number stays on your primary SIM, so calls and verification texts keep working.
Your phone must support eSIM, and some carrier-locked phones cannot install one.
Signal varies with location, terrain, congestion and your handset. Dense urban areas are consistently better served than remote ones.
5G only works where the host network has deployed it and your phone supports it. Everywhere else it falls back to 4G LTE.
The eSIM selects a host network automatically. You cannot pick or switch between them.
Unlimited plans run at full speed up to a fair-use limit, then continue at a reduced speed. Read the fair usage policy

Looking for more information?

Frequently asked questions

Does an eSIM work in Austria?

Yes. Your Austria eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are 3, A1.net. Coverage runs on 4G LTE and 5G where the network has rolled it out, and falls back to 4G elsewhere.

Do I get 5G in Austria?

Yes, where it has been deployed. 5G runs on 3, A1.net in Austria, and your eSIM uses it automatically on a 5G-capable phone, dropping back to 4G LTE outside covered areas. No country is covered everywhere, so 5G availability varies by location.

Which Austrian network has the best 5G?

In Opensignal's April 2025 Austria report, Drei (3) users spent about 40.7% of their time on 5G, more than twice the share on A1 or Magenta, and Drei narrowly led average download speed. A1 scored best for coverage. Your eSIM uses both 3 and A1, so your phone gets Drei's 5G in towns and A1's wider reach in the countryside.

Is there free wifi on Austrian trains?

Yes. ÖBB Railjet and Cityjet trains, and some Nightjets, have free wifi on the OEBB network. It works by combining several mobile networks through antennas on the roof, so it drops in the same tunnels and valleys as your phone. ÖBB asks passengers not to stream video. For anything important, use mobile data.

What number do I call for mountain rescue in Austria?

Call 140 for Bergrettung (mountain rescue), or 112, the general emergency number. 112 connects on any available network, so it can work even when your own network has no signal. A data-only eSIM can't make calls, so dial from your home SIM. If there's no signal at all, try higher ground or go to the nearest hut or lift station.

Can I buy the Austrian vignette on my phone?

Yes, through the ASFINAG app or webshop. A 1-day or 10-day digital vignette is valid straight away. An annual or two-month digital vignette bought online by a private buyer only becomes valid on the 18th day after purchase, because of the legal cancellation period. If you need one immediately, buy it at a petrol station or toll station.

Will my Austria eSIM keep working if I cross into Switzerland or Germany?

Not necessarily. A single-country Austria plan works on 3 and A1 inside Austria. Near the borders at Bregenz, Salzburg or Kufstein, your phone may pick up a German or Swiss network. Switzerland is not in the EU, so check your plan covers it before day trips. Turn on airplane mode near the border if your plan covers Austria only.

How much data do I need for 7 days in Austria?

For 7 days in Austria, Viasimo sells 1 GB for $1.59 and unlimited data for $13.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

Installing, keeping your number, topping up and hotspot work the same everywhere: see how it works →

Know before you go

Austria: what to know before you land

Austria's two networks used by this eSIM, Drei (3) and A1, came top in Opensignal's 2025 tests: Drei for 5G availability and overall download speed, A1 for coverage. What changes your trip more is how you use that signal: on ÖBB trains, in a mountain emergency, and when buying a motorway vignette on your phone.

Emergency: 112 all emergencies
140 mountain rescue
144 ambulance
133 police
Plugs: CF 230V
Currency: Euro (EUR)

Main airports

VIE Vienna International Airport
SZG Salzburg Airport W. A. Mozart
INN Innsbruck Airport
GRZ Graz Airport

Apps worth having ÖBBWienMobilASFINAGUberBoltWhatsApp

Drei and A1 in Opensignal's Austria tests

Austria has three mobile operators: A1, Magenta and Drei (shown on phones as 3). Your eSIM connects through 3 or A1.

That pairing does well in independent testing. In Opensignal's April 2025 Austria report, Drei had the highest share of time on 5G, at about 40.7%, against roughly 17% for A1 and 15% for Magenta. Drei also edged the average download speed at around 68 Mbps, though all three operators finished within a few Mbps of each other. A1 had the best Coverage Experience score, which measures how widely users can get a signal, at 8.4 out of 10, the strongest result of the three.

Having both networks on one eSIM means your phone uses whichever of the two is stronger where you are. If the data seems stuck in a village where you can see bars, try choosing the other network manually in your phone's mobile settings.

Wifi on ÖBB Railjet and Cityjet trains

ÖBB offers free wifi on all Railjet and Cityjet trains and on some Nightjets. Connect to the network called OEBB, accept the terms, and tap WiFi Connect. You can check whether your train has wifi in the ÖBB app or Scotty's train details, or look for the wifi symbol by the doors.

It's worth knowing how this works. Antennas on the roof combine signals from several mobile networks and share them inside the train, so the onboard wifi has the same weak spots as your phone: the long Alpine tunnels and the deep valleys on routes such as Innsbruck to Bludenz. ÖBB asks passengers not to stream video, filters some websites automatically, and the speed falls as more people log on.

Use train wifi for email and checking connections, and switch to your eSIM when you need something reliable, such as a video call or a large upload. The onboard portal at railnet.oebb.at shows live journey information, which helps on tight changes at Salzburg or Linz.

Calling 140 or 112 on an Alpine trail

Austria has a dedicated mountain rescue number, 140 (Bergrettung), alongside 112 for all emergencies, 144 for an ambulance and 133 for the police. Austrian tourism information for walkers highlights a few points about phones:

112 will connect on any available network, even if your own network has no signal, and a prepaid line with no credit can still call it. Our eSIM is data only and can't make calls, so you'd dial from your home SIM.
If you can't get through, turn the phone off and on again, then try 112 again. If that fails, move to higher or more open ground and keep trying.
If you still can't connect, go to the nearest hut or lift station, where you can usually report an accident.

As a backup when your phone fails, use the Alpine distress signal: six whistles, shouts or torch flashes in one minute, then a minute's pause, repeated. The reply is three signals a minute. Before you leave the valley, save the hut's phone number and send someone your route over WhatsApp, because by the time you need help there may be no signal.

Buying the motorway vignette in the ASFINAG app

If you're driving, you need a vignette for Austrian motorways and expressways. The digital version is linked to your number plate and you can buy it in the ASFINAG app or webshop with a card or PayPal. The catch for visitors is timing: consumer law gives you a right to cancel online purchases, so an annual or two-month digital vignette bought online by a private buyer is only valid from the 18th day after purchase.

The 1-day and 10-day vignettes are exempt and start straight away, which is what most visitors need. For an annual vignette, either order it well before your trip or buy one at a sales point (petrol stations, ÖAMTC and ARBÖ offices, border toll stations), where it's valid immediately.

It's worth having data when you cross the border. You can buy a short vignette in the car park just before the motorway, and the app shows your registered plate if you're stopped. Check the plate carefully before you pay, because a wrongly registered plate is an offence. From the 2027 vignette year, only the digital version will be sold.

Researched October 2026 · 4 sources

insights.opensignal.com Austria, April 2025, Mobile Network Experience (Opensignal)
oebb.at WiFi on the train (ÖBB)
salzkammergut.at Alpine emergency: what to do (Österreichs Wanderdörfer info sheet)
oesterreich.gv.at Vignette for motor vehicles weighing up to 3.5 t (oesterreich.gv.at)

7-day itinerary

Seven days in Austria: Vienna, the Wachau, Salzburg, Hallstatt and Innsbruck

A rail-based first week from east to west: two days of palaces and museums in Vienna, a Danube day in the Wachau, Salzburg's old town, the lakeside village of Hallstatt and the Alps above Innsbruck.

Length: 7 days
Bases: 3

When to go May to June and September to early October give long days, open cable cars and Danube boats without the July and August crowds; December brings Christmas markets but shorter days and some seasonal closures.

Day 1 Vienna

Vienna: the Innere Stadt and the Hofburg

Vienna Airport to the centre is about 16 minutes on the City Airport Train or around 25 minutes on the S7 or a Railjet to Wien Hauptbahnhof.

Start at St Stephen's Cathedral and climb the south tower or ride up the north tower for the view over the roofs. Walk the Graben and Kohlmarkt to the Hofburg, where the Imperial Apartments, the Sisi Museum and the Silver Collection share one ticket. Cross the Heldenplatz to the Albertina for its graphic art collection, then end the day at the Naschmarkt and a walk back along the Ringstrasse.

Signal Strong 4G and 5G across central Vienna on 3 and A1, with 3 the more likely to show 5G. The U-Bahn has mobile coverage in its stations and tunnels.
Day 2 Vienna

Schönbrunn, the Belvedere and the MuseumsQuartier

Take the U4 to Schönbrunn Palace early and book a timed ticket for the state rooms, then walk the gardens up to the Gloriette. In the afternoon, head to the Upper Belvedere for its Klimt and Schiele collection and the formal gardens between the two palaces. Finish in the MuseumsQuartier, where the Leopold Museum stays open into the evening on some days.

Signal Reliable 5G or 4G throughout, including in the Schönbrunn gardens. Thick palace walls can weaken it indoors, so download your e-tickets before you queue.
Day 3 Vienna

The Wachau: Melk Abbey and Dürnstein

Vienna to Melk by train is about 1 hour 15 minutes; the Melk to Dürnstein boat takes roughly 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, and Krems to Vienna about 1 hour by train. Outside the boat season, use the Wachau bus along the river.

Take the train west to Melk and visit the Benedictine abbey, with its library and marble hall high above the Danube. From spring to autumn, take a scheduled boat downstream through the vineyards and apricot orchards of the UNESCO-listed Wachau to Dürnstein. Climb to the castle ruin where Richard the Lionheart was held, then continue to Krems for the train back to Vienna.

Signal 4G is solid in Melk, Dürnstein and Krems. On the river the signal follows the valley and may fade briefly under the steeper slopes, but you are rarely without data for long.
Day 4 Salzburg

Salzburg's old town and fortress

Vienna to Salzburg by ÖBB Railjet or Westbahn, about 2 hours 30 minutes.

Take a morning Railjet to Salzburg. Walk the Getreidegasse to Mozart's Birthplace, then cross the Residenzplatz to the cathedral. Ride the funicular up to Hohensalzburg Fortress for the panorama over the old town and the mountains to the south. Cross the Salzach in the late afternoon to the Mirabell Gardens and climb the Kapuzinerberg for the evening view back across the river.

Signal The Vienna to Salzburg line keeps good 4G, with free OEBB wifi on Railjets. Salzburg's old town has strong 4G and 5G; it weakens inside the fortress walls.
Day 5 Salzburg

Hallstatt and the Salzkammergut

Postbus 150 from Salzburg to Bad Ischl takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, then a 30-minute train to Hallstatt station and a short ferry across the lake. Go early and allow the whole day.

Head into the Salzkammergut to Hallstatt, a lakeside village inside the Hallstatt-Dachstein UNESCO landscape. Take the funicular up to the Skywalk viewpoint and, in season, tour the salt mine, one of the oldest in the world. Back in the village, see the painted skulls in the charnel house beside the Catholic church and walk the lakeshore away from the main square, which fills with day-trippers by late morning.

Signal 4G is fine in Bad Ischl and Hallstatt village, though steep slopes can cut it on parts of the lakeshore. Expect no signal deep in the salt mine.
Day 6 Innsbruck

Innsbruck: the Golden Roof and Bergisel

Salzburg to Innsbruck by Railjet takes about 1 hour 50 minutes; many trains cut through Bavaria via Rosenheim on the way.

Take the train to Innsbruck and drop your bags. Walk the old town to the Golden Roof, then visit the Hofkirche with its bronze statues around the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. In the afternoon, take the tram or bus to the Bergisel ski jump, designed by Zaha Hadid, for the view down the Inn valley. End with a walk along the river past the coloured houses of Mariahilf.

Signal On the Salzburg to Innsbruck run your phone may switch to a German network as the train crosses Bavaria, and an Austria-only plan may not work there; use the train wifi. Innsbruck itself has strong 4G and 5G.
Day 7 Innsbruck

Up the Nordkette and Ambras Castle

The funicular starts a few minutes' walk from the old town; the full ride to Hafelekar takes around 30 minutes.

Take the Hungerburgbahn funicular from the Congress station, then the two Nordkette cable cars up to Hafelekar at about 2,300 metres. Walk the short path to the summit for views over the Karwendel and the city below. Come down by early afternoon and visit Ambras Castle, a Renaissance palace with an armour collection and a portrait gallery. Innsbruck has direct trains back to Vienna and connections to Munich and Zurich.

Signal Coverage is good at the cable car stations and on the ridge, but behind rock on the trails above Hafelekar it can disappear. Save 140 for mountain rescue and remember the eSIM is data only, so call from your home SIM.

Staying connected on this route

Your eSIM uses 3 and A1: if data stalls where you can see bars, select the other network manually.
Railjet trains through Bavaria and border towns such as Salzburg and Kufstein can put you on a German network, which a single-country plan may not cover.
Book Schönbrunn and Hallstatt salt mine tickets and download them before you go; signal is weaker behind palace walls and underground.
Download an offline map of the Salzkammergut before the Hallstatt day, as the lakeshore and mountain paths have gaps.

Itinerary sources · 5

austria.info Austria official tourism site
oebb.at ÖBB: wifi on the train
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Wachau Cultural Landscape
whc.unesco.org UNESCO World Heritage: Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape
insights.opensignal.com Opensignal: Austria mobile network experience report

Where this comes from

Information and verification

Each block below says what was checked and when. Anything we cannot date, we do not claim.

Prices and plans: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in.; Verified October 30, 2026
Host networks: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM.; Verified October 30, 2026