What Are the Best SIM Cards for Short Stays and Tourists in Germany? (2026)
The verdict for stays under 3 months
Buy SIMon mobile flex at EUR 9.99 per month for 50 GB on the Vodafone network. Past about a month here the local line wins outright: EUR 8.99 buys 25 GB with unlimited calls and SMS per 28-day cycle, and a German number is the only kind that can receive an SMS from a hotel, a bank or a delivery. For a stay under a week that never needs that number, a travel eSIM is the cheaper answer.
What it takes to get connected
Every German SIM needs an identity check, prepaid included, so there is no walk-out-and-use-it option. VideoIdent accepts any passport, runs 24/7, and the line goes live minutes to hours later. A travel eSIM skips the check entirely, from EUR 3.44 for 1 GB over 3 days to EUR 13.76 for 10 GB over 30 days, but it is data only and carries no German number, so a code sent by text never arrives.
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Which SIM plan is the best for stays under 3 months?
Sorted by effective monthly price, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by price per gb, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by coverage, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by english support, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by contract freedom, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
★ Short stay pick
SIMon mobile flex
Pause feature suits multi-month but interrupted stays
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Support
- German-only support
- Price per GBBest
- EUR 0.20
More details
- Physical network
- Vodafone
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- monthly subscription, monthly cancellable (1-month notice)
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who want the most data per euro.
Also great
ALDI TALK S
Perfect for weeks-long stays; no contract
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Coverage
- Runs on the O2 network
Plans(4)
- ALDI TALK SOur pick here25 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.36 per GBEUR 8.99
- ALDI TALK M/L50 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.28 per GBEUR 13.99
- ALDI TALK Kombi-Paket L 100GB/28d100 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.19 per GBEUR 18.99
- Aldi Daten Home&Go S150 GB / per 28 days · EUR 0.13 per GBEUR 19.99
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.36
More details
- Physical network
- O2
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~9.74 EUR/month)
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
Best value
Lidl Connect Smart S
No contract, strong network, everywhere
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Support
- German-only support
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.36
More details
- Physical network
- Vodafone
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~9.74 EUR/month)
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
Penny Mobil Smart
No contract, top network, instant availability
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Support
- German-only support
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.36
More details
- Physical network
- Telekom
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~9.74 EUR/month)
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
ja! mobil Smart
Instant, contract-free, best network
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Support
- German-only support
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.36
More details
- Physical network
- Telekom
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~9.74 EUR/month)
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
Kaufland mobil S
Strong network, zero commitment
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Support
- German-only support
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.36
More details
- Physical network
- Telekom
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~9.74 EUR/month)
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
Lyca Flat 20 GB
Built for internationals; buy at the airport
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Coverage
- Runs on the O2 network
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.60
More details
- Physical network
- O2
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year); promo price for first 6 cycles for online orders
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
MagentaMobil Prepaid M
Strong coverage for a few weeks; no commitment
Key information
- Contract
- Prepaid, no lock-in
- Calls
- Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS
- Signup
- Passport or ID check to activate
Plans(4)
- MagentaMobil Prepaid S1 GB / per 28 days · 50 minutes · EUR 4.95 per GBEUR 4.95
- MagentaMobil Prepaid MOur pick here20 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.50 per GBEUR 9.95
- MagentaMobil Prepaid L40 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.37 per GBEUR 14.95
- MagentaMobil Prepaid XL80 GB / per 28 days · Unlimited minutes, Unlimited SMS · EUR 0.25 per GBEUR 19.95
Prices as of 17 August 2026, verify on the provider site.
- Price per GB
- EUR 0.50
More details
- Physical network
- Telekom
- eSIM
- Yes
- ID to activate
- Passport or ID card
- Billing cycle
- 28 days (13 renewals/year; effective ~10.78 EUR/month)
Best for short stays who need a different physical network.
Also a strong fit
Same eligibility, a different shop or network. Every plan is in the full market overview.
Every card here is a German prepaid line, not a travel eSIM. SIMon mobile bills on the calendar month, while ALDI TALK and Lidl Connect renew every 28 days, so their EUR 8.99 is about EUR 9.74 a month across 13 renewals. A stay of a few days that never needs a German number is better served by a travel eSIM.
How we ranked this for short stays5 criteria, weights published
A reader we describe as short stays is not the average reader, so this page does not use the average weights. Coverage carries 10% here against 25% on the general ranking, and Ease of buying carries 40% here against 30% on the general ranking. The weights were fixed on 17 August 2026, before the prices were collected.
Criteria weighting
Fixed 17 August 2026, before pricing was collectedWhat is ruled out, and why
A blocker is not a drawback. It is something that makes the product unbuyable for this reader, and it caps the score at 1.0 however good the tariff is otherwise.
Blocked for this reader
Where the crossover actually falls
Run the two ladders next to each other. Airalo's Germany plans are EUR 3.44 for 1 GB over 3 days, EUR 9.03 for 5 GB over 7 days, EUR 12.90 for 10 GB over 7 days and EUR 13.76 for 10 GB over 30 days. A German prepaid SIM from ALDI TALK or Lidl Connect is EUR 8.99 for 25 GB with unlimited calls and SMS per 28-day cycle. On price alone the local SIM wins from roughly a week; on effort the travel eSIM wins until you need a German number.
The identity check is the real difference. Every German tariff in the catalogue requires it, prepaid included. VideoIdent accepts any passport, runs 24/7, and the line goes live minutes to hours later. Vending-machine SIMs are not a shortcut: the plastic is instant, the online verification still has to happen. Buying is otherwise easy. At Frankfurt Airport the Telekom and Vodafone shops are landside with SIM vending in the terminals, at the same prices as in town, and in any city the Aldi, Lidl, Penny and REWE checkouts sell starter packs. Not on a Sunday, though, unless you are at an airport or a main station.
The number matters the moment anything administrative starts. A travel eSIM is data only and carries no German number, so a code sent by text simply never arrives. If a hotel, a bank or a delivery has to reach you by SMS, you need a German mobile number, and that means a local SIM.
The same tariffs, ranked for other readers
View all 98 plansThe plan picker is the full market overview: every named tier from every provider with its allowance, price and EUR per GB, filterable by situation and re-rankable.Every persona page ranks the same catalogue. Only the weights differ, and each page states its own. If you are already down to two tariffs, the full market overview puts every named tier side by side on price, data and EUR per GB.
How we compared these
Five criteria, weighted for this reader and published above, fixed on 17 August 2026 before the prices were collected. Every price comes from the provider's own page, dated in the catalogue. A blocker caps a product at 1.0. Unlimited allowances are capped at 200 GB when calculating EUR per GB, or every unlimited plan would win that column automatically.
One limit worth stating: the catalogue carries one fit score per persona, not a score per criterion, so the ordering reflects that score and the editorial reasoning behind it rather than an arithmetic weighted total. Per-criterion scoring is the next data pass; until it lands, the weights explain the ranking rather than compute it.
Of the 98 plans in the catalogue, 30 score 4 or 5 for this reader, across 20 providers. Where fewer than three providers clear that line, the third card is still the next best option available and is labelled for what it wins on, not presented as a strong fit.
Sources: provider tariff pages and dated German price sources, accessed August 2026. Some links earn a commission at the same rate for every provider, so no weighting favours a payer.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need ID to buy a prepaid SIM card in Germany?
Yes. Identity verification is required on every German SIM, prepaid included. VideoIdent accepts any passport and runs 24 hours a day, and the line activates minutes to hours after the check. Even a SIM bought from a vending machine at an airport has to be verified online before it connects.
Is a travel eSIM or a German SIM better for a two week trip?
It depends on whether you need a German number. A travel eSIM installs before you fly and skips Germany's mandatory identity check: Airalo's Germany plans are EUR 9.03 for 5 GB over 7 days and EUR 13.76 for 10 GB over 30 days. A German prepaid SIM is EUR 8.99 for 25 GB per 28-day cycle and is the only one of the two that can receive an SMS.
Can you buy a SIM card in Germany on a Sunday?
Not in a supermarket. Shops close on Sundays, so the Aldi, Lidl, Penny and REWE checkouts that normally sell starter packs are shut. Airport and main-station shops are the exception: Frankfurt Airport has Telekom and Vodafone shops landside and SIM vending machines in the terminals, at the same prices as in town.