The best eSIM for Germany depends on your trip. If you only visit Germany, a Germany data plan sized to your stay is the simplest choice. If you also travel to Austria, France, the Netherlands or other countries in Europe, or you need a phone number for calls and texts, pick a Bouygues Telecom Europe plan with a French +33 number. Either way, you install the eSIM at home before you fly and it connects when you land. This guide compares the eSIMs for Germany sold on SimOptions by trip length, data and phone number, using the current plan details on our Germany eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Germany, two weeks in Germany, and two weeks with a phone number.
Germany 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Germany 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Germany
Quick comparison: eSIMs for Germany
SimOptions sells two kinds of prepaid eSIMs for Germany. Here is how they compare.
Germany data plans (1 GB to 100 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days and 100 GB for 180 days.
- Countries: Germany only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- Top-ups: available.
Bouygues Telecom Europe plans (15 GB to 120 GB)
- Data and days: Travel Basic 15 GB and Travel Basic+ 20 GB for 15 days, My European eSIM 30 GB, 60 GB or 120 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: 46, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic and the UK.
- Phone number: Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. Travel Basic is data only.
- Speed: 5G where available.
- Top-ups: not available, so pick enough data and days for your trip.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Germany trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself two questions: do you visit other countries, and do you need a phone number?
City break or short trip (up to a week): Germany 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a weekend in Berlin or a week in Munich, a small Germany plan covers maps, messages, train and ride apps and browsing. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks in Germany: Germany 20GB or Travel Basic
For a two-week holiday, you have two data-only options with 15 days of validity.
- Germany 20GB gives you 20 GB in Germany, and you can top it up.
- Travel Basic from Bouygues Telecom gives you 15 GB on 5G in 46 countries. It's the better fit if your trip also takes you to Austria, Switzerland or elsewhere in Europe. It can't be topped up.
A month or a long stay: Germany 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Staying longer for work, studies or a long visit? Germany 50GB lasts 30 days. Germany 60GB lasts 90 days and Germany 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
Data-only Germany plans · 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days, 100 GB for 180 days · See all eSIMs for Germany
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Germany plans are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If a hotel, a car rental desk or a business contact in Germany needs to call or text you on a normal number, the Bouygues Telecom plans give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, German numbers included:
- Travel Basic+: 20 GB for 15 days.
- My European eSIM 30GB: 30 GB for 30 days.
- My European eSIM 60GB: 60 GB for 30 days.
- My European eSIM 120GB: 120 GB for 30 days.
The plan details list calls and SMS within Europe only, not to the US, Canada or other countries outside Europe. Our guide to Europe eSIMs with a phone number explains when you really need one.
All Bouygues Telecom · French +33 number · calls, SMS and 5G data in Germany and 45 other countries in Europe · See all eSIMs for Germany
Germany plus other countries: a Bouygues Telecom plan
Taking the train to Vienna, Prague or Amsterdam, or driving on to Switzerland? A Germany plan only works in Germany. The Bouygues Telecom plans cover 46 countries, so one eSIM works for the whole trip. For trips that include Turkey or the Balkans, compare the other plans in our guide to the best eSIM for Europe.
How much data do you need in Germany?
It depends on how you use your phone. Wi-Fi at your hotel or rental helps a lot. As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop or a friend's phone? Hotspot (tethering) uses data fast, so go a size up. You can track what you use in your phone's settings.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Germany?
Your phone plan is from the EU: check it first
Under the EU's "Roam like at home" rules, you can use a plan from an EU country in Germany at domestic prices, within your carrier's fair use limits. The rules also cover Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). A travel eSIM still helps if your plan has a small data allowance abroad.
You're coming from the US, Canada, the UK or Australia
Roam like at home doesn't apply to plans from outside the EU and the countries listed above, and that includes UK plans. Your carrier sets its own roaming prices in Germany, so check them before you go. A travel eSIM gives you local data at a fixed prepaid price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and security codes.
What about a German SIM or eSIM?
You can buy a prepaid line from a German carrier such as Telekom, Vodafone or O2, but German law requires the carrier to check your identity with a passport or another official ID before the line is activated (Section 172 of the German Telecommunications Act, Bundesnetzagentur: ID checks for prepaid mobile services). It makes sense if you stay for months or need a German +49 number. Our guide to eSIM providers in Germany covers the local carriers, and it also helps if your phone doesn't support eSIM, since German carriers sell physical SIM cards too.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: About eSIM on iPhone). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Germany
- Buy your plan on the Germany eSIM page. Your QR code comes by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM.
- Label the line "Germany" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you land, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Use Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you land? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Germany?
It depends on your trip. For a week in Germany, Germany 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Germany 20GB, or Travel Basic if you also visit other countries. For a long stay, Germany 60GB or 100GB. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
Which eSIM is best for Germany and Austria or Switzerland?
A Bouygues Telecom plan. Travel Basic, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM cover Germany, Austria, Switzerland and 43 other countries with one eSIM. The Germany plans only work in Germany.
Can I get a German phone number with a travel eSIM?
Not with the SimOptions plans. The Germany plans are data only. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number that you can use to call and text German numbers. For a +49 number, you need a line from a German carrier, with an ID check.
Is there an unlimited data eSIM for Germany?
The Germany plans go up to 100 GB. If you want unlimited data, the Europe Unlimited plans on our Europe eSIM page include Germany and last 7 or 14 days, on 4G/LTE and without a phone number.
Can I use a Germany eSIM on a tablet?
Yes, if your tablet supports eSIM, like the Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad models (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPad). A tablet doesn't need a phone number, so a data-only Germany plan is usually enough.
Can I use my phone as a hotspot in Germany?
Yes, the Germany eSIM lets you share your connection with a hotspot. Keep in mind that a laptop uses much more data than a phone.
Can I top up my Germany eSIM?
The Germany data plans can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data and days before you go.
When should I install my eSIM for Germany?
Install it at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before you fly. It connects automatically when you arrive in Germany. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.