Internet & SIM
Austria has good mobile network coverage and fast internet — even in most Alpine valleys. However, there may be dead zones in very remote mountain huts and valleys.
For EU Citizens
Thanks to the EU roaming regulation, you can use your German mobile contract in Austria without extra charges — calls, SMS, mobile internet at the same conditions as at home. This also applies to Swiss tariffs with an EU roaming option (check beforehand!).
Austrian SIM Cards
If you need a local SIM (long-term stay, non-EU citizens):
- A1 — largest network, best coverage even in the mountains
- Magenta (formerly T-Mobile) — good coverage, competitive prices
- Drei (3) — good network, cheap data packages
- HoT (Hofer Telekom) — prepaid, very cheap, uses the Drei network
Prepaid SIM cards are available at Hofer, in supermarkets, and in mobile phone shops. Registration with ID required since 2019. Prices: from around 10 € for 10 GB data volume.
WLAN
Hotels, cafes, and restaurants almost everywhere offer free WLAN. In Vienna, there is free city WLAN (Freenaut) at many public places. On mountain huts, WLAN is the exception — and if available, usually slow and expensive.
