Germany

Staying connected in Germany

Visitors come to Germany for many reasons: family visits, trade fairs, study, or a classic route through Berlin, Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle and the Rhine Valley. Its central position also makes Germany a natural starting point for rail trips into neighbouring countries.

Summer brings long days and plenty of festivals, Oktoberfest fills Munich from late September into early October, and from late November nearly every town has a Christmas market. Data is most useful for tracking delayed trains and platform changes, buying local transport tickets and finding your way around sprawling exhibition grounds.

Coverage and networks

The plan information names these networks in Germany: O2 and Vodafone DE.

Taking the train on to Austria, Czechia, the Netherlands or France? The Europe 39 countries plan saves switching eSIMs at each border — still check the country list first.

Signal and speed depend on where you are, your device and network conditions, and can differ between plans.

Choosing a data allowance

eSIM plans for Germany currently last 1 to 30 days and come in these types:

• Daily data (500MB, 1GB, 2GB and 3GB per day): suits a steady routine. Check when the daily allowance resets and what happens once it is used.
• Total data (3GB to 30GB): one allowance for the whole trip, handy when some days are heavier than others.
• Unlimited: always read the fair-use policy; after a set amount, speed may be reduced.

Suggestions for this trip

• A 7–10 day rail trip between cities: 1GB per day is usually plenty for maps and train apps; download tickets and timetables in advance so you are not relying on data en route.
• Trade fairs or business trips with email and video meetings: choose 2GB or 3GB per day, or an unlimited plan (fair-use policy).
• A 15–30 day family visit spent mostly messaging and video calling: a 20GB or 30GB total data plan usually suits better than daily data.

Count your arrival and departure days. Before paying, check the exact plan for when validity starts, how days are counted, and whether hotspot, calls or SMS are included; these differ between plans.

Before you go

• Trains: DB Navigator shows real-time departures, platform changes and your e-tickets; delays are common, so switch on journey alerts.
• Transport pass: The Deutschlandticket covers regional trains, trams and buses nationwide (not long-distance express trains); it is sold in apps as a subscription, so remember to cancel it.
• Payments: Germany is more cash-minded than many of its neighbours; bakeries, market stalls and small cafés may not take foreign cards, so keep some euros handy.
• Sundays: Most shops and supermarkets are closed; supermarkets inside major stations are the usual exception.
• Local SIM: Identity checks with a passport are mandatory, in store or by video call, so a local SIM may not work straight away.
• eSIM setup: Before buying, make sure your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked. Install the eSIM before you fly, on a stable Wi-Fi connection, following the instructions sent with your plan.
• On arrival: Set the travel eSIM as your mobile data line and follow its roaming instructions. Turn off data roaming on your home SIM to avoid unexpected charges.