Recommendation for mobile prepaid SIM card for smartphone + home calls in Germany
What SIM card would you recommend for a smartphone user for travel in Germany?
It would be probably the only or the most important connection to the Internet, so large amounts of data and relatively fast transfer is an issue.
I need to stay in touch with friends and family, so the calls to other EU countries should be as cheap as possible.
For to the first criteria, I found the T-Mobile offer interesting. The internet costs 10 Euros/month and after reaching the transfer limit it stays relatively fast. According to tests (Galileo from Pro7, AFAIR) it has also the best coverage. However, calls to other countries are very expensive.
For to second criteria, Lebara and Mobilka are interesting. The calls are very cheap, but there are problems with signal strength in many locations, where T-Mobile has no problem. The voice quality, at least in Lebara, is also limited. They both have mobile internet with unlimited transfer, but after reaching the high speed limit, the transfer is reduced to 64 kbps, which is too slow.
I've found out that O2 has foreign calls at moderate prices, but I haven't yet checked for details. There are so many other options, making it is hard to compare them all without spending the whole weekend on it. So, if someone has found a better option than having 2 SIM cards and constantly switching them, this answer would be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
Update in August 2017
The below-mentioned companies Lebara and Lycamobile are still probably the cheapest throw-away SIMs available in Germany. But since the new EU roaming regulation has started to be in effect in June 2017, things have become way easier.
If you're from a European country, you can just use your own SIM with your own data. If you plan to travel across Europe from abroad, you can buy a prepaid SIM card* in the first country and keep using it. In that case, remember to top up enough credit.
*Important: since July 1st 2017 SIM cards have to be registered in Germany. Therefore the costumers have to identify themselves (ID, passport) and they need an adress in Germany!
The answer by Dirty-flow is by now (September 2015) a bit out of date.
Right now the easiest way to get a throwaway SIM is to go to a kiosk or very small store and look for Lebara and/or Lycamobile stickers on the door or windows. Especially in larger cities it's very easy to find those stores. In Berlin every Spätkauf has those SIMs.
The SIMs are usually given for free, or for a very small fee, in which case they include credit. The store will often help with activating them. Mostly activating just means putting them in the phone and waiting. Sometimes visiting the provider's website and logging in with the SIM number is required.
You can purchase credit in the same place. Usually in 5 Euro steps. You'll be given a receipt that has a number that you can use to text it to the top-up service. After that you can book packages with another text service. Some of those packages are good for mobile-data-only. You can get 1GB for 9.90 EUR, for example.
Giving a name to register the SIM is not required.
There are also a lot of packages for calling to non-EU countries cheaply.
Alternatively you can always get Skype credit and do landline-calls to your home country through Skype, which is often way cheaper.
Pictures about "Recommendation for mobile prepaid SIM card for smartphone + home calls in Germany"
Quick Answer about "Recommendation for mobile prepaid SIM card for smartphone + home calls in Germany"
- Lidl Connect. Source: Lidl Connect. Lidl Connect is the prepaid mobile offer from the big German supermarket LIDL. ...
- Aldi Talk. Source: Aldi Talk. ...
- Lebara. Source: Lebara.
Can I buy prepaid SIM card in Germany?
All German mobile operators offer prepaid SIM cards so shop around and find the right SIM package for you and your needs. SIM cards are available from a number of resellers, including telecom shops and supermarkets. You can also order online, although you will still need to provide valid ID and proof of address.Is there a SIM card that covers all of Europe?
Orange Holiday Europe Prepaid SIM Card Additionally, Orange is one of the largest mobile companies in Europe and they have great coverage throughout most of Europe (which isn't always the case with smaller European carriers).How much do SIM cards cost in Germany?
SIM card prices in Germany are average for Western European standards. You can get a Germany SIM card for 9.95 EUR-10 EUR (11.10 USD) from Telekom (formerly T-Mobile), O2 & Vodafone in their stores and from resellers, like Mediamarkt.Can prepaid SIM card be used internationally?
Local prepaid sim cards are often pretty cheap and come with big value data bundles. Most countries and operators have special tourist sim cards. But where local prepaid sim cards stop working, international sim cards continue to roam! With a sim card designed with overseas travel in mind, you'll always be set to go.Best SIM Card in Germany [Mobile Options Explained]
More answers regarding recommendation for mobile prepaid SIM card for smartphone + home calls in Germany
Answer 2
Especially to make calls back home while in Germany there are still another offer: Ortel Mobile.
They offer quite good rates to make calls from Germany to other countries.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, Liza Summer, Alex Green, Anna Shvets