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How to Get WiFi in Vienna for Your Holidays
11 July 2024
pocket wifi
Joseph Philipson
Vienna is the capital of Austria and a beautiful city with incredible architecture like the Schönbrunn Palace, Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral (Stephansdom), and Belvedere Palace.
Plenty of fantastic art galleries and museums exist, such as the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Albertina Museum, and MuseumsQuartier.
Then there’s Vienna’s most famous export, opera. There’s the Vienna State Opera, the Musikverein, and Haus der Musik.
Whatever your reason for visiting Vienna, you can either get WiFi or choose one of the internet connection solutions for travelers. Hippocketwifi offers the most cost-effective solution, but let’s see what the other options are before making our decision.
The Best Ways of Getting WiFi in Vienna
The main ways of getting WiFi in Vienna and accessing the internet are pocket WiFi, a prepaid SIM card, an eSIM, an international data roaming plan, or connecting to the city’s public WiFi networks.
Each solution has pros, cons, and costs, so let’s see which is right for you.
Pocket WiFi
Pocket WiFi, a convenient and stress-free option, offers a fast and stable internet connection. It provides a dedicated device to connect to the mobile data network, ensuring you can stay connected without worrying about signal strength or network availability, giving you peace of mind during your travels.
This device, known as a pocket WiFi router, MiFi, or mobile broadband modem, connects to the mobile network and produces a WiFi connection for other WiFI-enabled devices.
Travelers and groups can connect to the internet using various devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
The most popular pocket WiFi providers in Vienna and Austria are Hippocketwifi, Rentnconnect, and My Webspot.
These providers offer both solutions for Vienna and Austria as well as pocket WiFi for all over Europe.
Pros
A pocket WiFi device typically has a better antenna than a smartphone’s. This makes the device particularly good at maintaining a connection in rural areas, or anywhere there is a spotty signal.
With destinations like the Wachau Valley, Seegrotte Hinterbrühl (an underground lake), and the Semmering Railway all worth visiting during a trip to Vienna, it’s worthwhile having a device that’ll keep you connected.
Cons
The downside to pocket WiFi is that it’s another device you must carry on and keep charged. Luckily, the device is usually tiny, and most will stay charged for most of the day. It has intelligent power-saving settings to avoid wasting the battery when not in use.
Cost
The cost of pocket WiFi is lower than most other ways of staying connected in Vienna.
You can rent a mobile hotspot from Hippocketwifi for Vienna and Austria from €4.90 per day with free delivery to Europe. Hippocketwifi is the best value for money.
Rentnconnect charges €7.49 for a 4G connection with unlimited data for a 2-week rental period plus an €8 shipping fee.
MyWebspot costs €9.50 a day over 15 days, and you can pay €2.90 extra each day for an unlimited high-speed connection.
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SIM Cards
The SIM card is what allows your phone to work. You can’t make calls, send messages, or access the mobile data network without it.
This SIM is associated with your phone number and your contract with your provider. Buying a prepaid SIM for Austria allows you to access the internet using local network providers.
Austria has three mobile operators: A1 Telekom, Magenta Telekom, and 3 (pronounced Drei). Prepaid SIM providers use these networks.
You can buy SIMs from carriers’ stores, order them online and have them sent to Austrian postal addresses, or purchase them at certain supermarkets, like HoT. Once you have the SIM card, you’ll need to activate it by following the instructions provided by the carrier. This usually involves inserting the SIM card into your phone and following the activation process on your device.
Pros
For solo travelers, a prepaid SIM card is a straightforward and cost-effective way to access the internet on their smartphone. Purchase a SIM card, insert it into your phone, and top it up with data as needed.
Cons
A prepaid SIM will be associated with a different number, so you will only be reachable at your other number for calls or messages if your phone has two SIM card slots.
Cost
A1 Telekom charges between €15 and €32 for top-ups between 30GB and 35GB with minutes and messages. There are also data add-ons available between €5 (1GB) and €13 (10GB).
Magenta Telekom offers ten different versions of their prepaid SIM starter pack. Top-ups cost between €9.90 and €29.90 for 30GB to unlimited data.
3’s starter pack costs €9.90 and includes either a mobile or data-only plan. The company also offers various plans, ranging from €7 (15GB) to €30 (Unlimited).
eSIM
An eSIM, available on modern smartphones, offers a virtual SIM card you can configure before your trip. This simple setup process ensures you can enjoy the benefits of a different provider’s SIM card without the hassle of physical cards, making your internet setup stress-free.
You can buy eSIMs before you arrive in Vienna, and popular options include Holafly, Orange, and Airalo. Each provider offers different data packages and prices, so it’s worth comparing them to find the best option for your trip.
Pros
A travel eSIM is a convenient and easy-to-setup option. You can browse and buy an eSIM before you get on the plane to Austria, ensuring you’re prepared and ready to go when you arrive.
Cons
The downside of an eSIM is the same as any other option that connects through a phone. This means it uses the antenna in smartphones, which are rarely as good as those in a pocket WiFi device. Suppose you head outside Vienna to anywhere with a weaker mobile network signal. In that case, you’ll wish for a better device to stay connected.
Cost
Airalo offers the Galli eSIM range for between $4.50 (1GB over 7 days) and $12 (20GB over 30 days).
Holafly charges $6 per day for unlimited data.
The Orange Holiday Europe eSIM solutions cost between €4.99 (1GB over 7 days) and €49.99 (100GB of 5G over 28 days).
Data Roaming International Plan
You can always organize an international data roaming plan with your domestic provider. Partner networks allow your smartphone to stay connected as it would at home.
Pros
The advantage of data roaming is that it doesn’t require another device or SIM.
Cons
Data roaming plans are typically expensive if you start using a data connection without contracting a data roaming service beforehand.
As these connections are through partner networks, the connections are rarely good or fast.
Cost
The cost will depend on your mobile network.
Use Free WiFi
You can always access free WiFi networks provided by local businesses, in shopping centers, or one of the 400 WiFi hotspots across the city, such as on Stephansplatz, Naschmarkt, or various train and subway stations.
Pros
These WiFi networks are free and can be used by anyone with a WiFi-enabled device.
Cons
These networks are at risk of cyber attacks. Hence, you must ensure your device can safely use them using antivirus software, a VPN, and other security measures. It’s also advisable to avoid accessing sensitive information, such as online banking, when using these networks.
These connections are location-dependent. You must be where the WiFi network is, or you can’t access the internet.
When many people use the same network, these free WiFi networks can be slow, especially in small coffee shops, restaurants, or businesses.
Cost
As the name suggests, these networks are free. However, many are only for paying customers within the businesses hosting them, so you may still need to buy a coffee or a snack.
How to Choose the Best WiFi Option for Your Vienna Trip
In most cases, pocket WiFi provides the best connection for travelers in Vienna and around Austria. This will allow you and others a fast and stable connection across several devices. However, there are still some factors to consider before making your decision.
Rental Duration
The cost of each solution will depend on how long you need it. Most solutions get cheaper over time, but specific solutions might not be possible if you’re just in Vienna for a day.
For long stays, you can rent pocket WiFi for almost a year (360 days from Hippocketwifi) across Europe. If Austria is part of a broader trip, pocket WiFi is your best option whether you’re traveling across the continent or simply renting pocket WiFi in Austria.
Connectivity
Ideally, you’ll want an internet connection that works as often and reliably as possible. In this instance, pocket WiFI is still the best choice. With a dedicated device ensuring you’re connected as much as possible, it outperforms the solutions that use your phone for the connection.
Data Limit
Every solution offers differing data limits. You don’t want to pay for data you won’t use and will not want to run out of data at an inopportune time.
The best way to determine which data limit is correct is to look at your phone’s settings and see how much data you typically use when out and about. Your phone will show you how much data you consume over a mobile connection and through WiFi. Remember that your browsing habits will be different in Vienna than at home because you’ll likely use maps more often.
Usage
Different users will have different internet requirements. For example, most casual users will be OK with a 4G connection. This is more than fast enough for many other applications and browsing.
However, business users who require the internet for video conferencing or sending large files will likely opt for 5G connections (where available) and larger data limits.
