Do You Need a SIM Card for a Holiday of Under Two Weeks in Germany? (2026)
The verdict for a holiday under two weeks
Not a physical one, still. Two weeks stays under the point where a German prepaid SIM pays for its identity check and starter-kit errand. A travel eSIM on a 15-day window covers the whole trip from EUR 5.59, installed by QR before you fly. The under-two-weeks eSIM ranking has the plans.
Where the crossover to a physical SIM sits
At two weeks the price gap has narrowed: ALDI TALK sells 25 GB for EUR 8.99 per 28-day cycle, which beats a 15-day eSIM on gigabytes per euro. What it does not beat is the process. Germany requires identity verification on every line with a German number (TKG), so the physical SIM means a starter kit, a VideoIdent passport session, and a wait, spent on holiday time. From about a month that trade flips, and the short-stays ranking covers that case.
Buy physical anyway if your phone has no eSIM support, or if you need a German number that receives SMS, which no travel eSIM provides. For maps, messaging, tickets and photos over 8 to 14 days, the data-only eSIM is the right tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a physical SIM card for two weeks in Germany?
Yes, and at two weeks it is closer to worth it than at one: ALDI TALK's 25 GB for EUR 8.99 per 28-day cycle covers the trip in one purchase. But it still requires a starter kit and a passport identity check (VideoIdent) before it activates, and a travel eSIM covers 8 to 14 days from EUR 5.59 with no check at all.
At what trip length does a German prepaid SIM beat a travel eSIM?
Around one month. A 28-day ALDI TALK cycle costs EUR 8.99 for 25 GB, well under any travel eSIM at that length, and it carries a real German number. Below about three weeks the eSIM wins on effort: no starter kit, no VideoIdent, installed before you fly.
What does mobile data for two weeks in Germany cost as an eSIM?
EUR 5.59 to EUR 19.35 as of August 2026 on 15-day windows: aloSIM 2 GB at EUR 5.59, Ubigi 3 GB at EUR 6.02, Airalo 5 GB at EUR 9.46 and 20 GB at EUR 19.35. Unlimited runs EUR 31.39 for 10 days at Holafly.