I have an unlocked quad band GSM phone which i would like to use in Germany during our upcoming 3 week visit.

Can anyone advise me where to get a sim card at Frankfurt Airport, and what company and plan might be best for our trip. I don't plan to use it extensively, but would like the convenience of a mobile phone while we are there.

Thanks

Clearly best choice for a SIM today is fonic.de
Fonic cards are available at every Lidl.de store.

You can find the closest Lidl store at www.lidl.de
Finally one SIM, that is better than all the rest (so far).
Rechargable by credit card.

Calls to the US and Canada are 9ct per minute, as are all national calls and calles to fixed networks in Europe.

Card costs 10€ and comes with 75 min to all those destinations mentioned above. Unlimited Internet can be bought for 2.50€ a day. Now also available at Jet (Conoco), Staples, DM Market, real and ProMarkt electronics.

I will be going to Germany in 2 weeks and have the same question. Thank you logos999 for your help.

In addition I will be bringing my laptop. As I go to Germany 2-3 times per year I am looking for internet service that is prepaid and that I can use when I am there and when I return I can just resume using it.

logos999--thank you very much for this information.

You're welcome.

If you want internet payable by day, this fonic is an option too, since a flat rate would be at least 20€ per month.

An UMTS stick using this tarif costs 50€, but you need a German address and it's mail order only.
http://www.fonic.de/html/surfen_vorteile_angebot.html

Or you can buy one at Tchibo.de which has a different SIM. Their stores are everwhere, but internet costs are 3€ per day of use.
Tarifs for voice arent nearly as good as fonics.

Both sticks are using cat6 HSDPA, comparable to "DSL 2000" and are locked to the "O2" network. Streaming movies on your notebook works nicely. . If you need a faster connection you would want to use Vodafone or T-Mobile, but it gets more expensive and isn't really needed unless you're doing huge downloads.

It SHOULD work buying a stick at Tchibo and a fonic SIM at Lidl, since the stick only has a netlock to "O2", but I havn't checked that.

And yes, you only pay those 2.50€ on calendar days you use the stick

You can buy a stick directly at a Tchibo store, no need to preorder there.

Thank you again logos999. You have given me the info that I need.

According to the fonic website,to buy a SIM card, i need a German address and bank account.

"Um die FONIC SIM-Karte auf sich registrieren lassen zu können, benötigen Sie ein deutsches Bankkonto, eine Adresse in Deutschland und müssen mindestens 16 Jahre alt sein. "

Obviously that's not going to work.

I expect that this might be the case with other carriers as well.

Can anyone shed any light on the process of a visitor obtaining a SIM card?

Just register it on any name you like. I always use:

Angela Merkel, Willy-Brand-Str. 1, 10557 Berlin,
or maybe you dogs name. That's good too.

No need for a bank account. Nobody is going to ask you a question, just go there and buy. No, it's not yet Italy over here

Just a reminder, if you want to register the card, it's done over the internet, the person at checkout has no idea what you're talking about, when you ask for "registering". She can only help you with potatos and cucumber.

Thanks,logos, that's reassuring. Maybe I'll buy a few potatoes and cucumbers with the card as well!