Advice on mobile phones

[Pilsprog]

My partner and I are planning to do the Camino summer 2014. We will be traveling from the US to France and starting at SJPdP. We're thinking about getting pay-as-you-go mobile phones to have for emergency purposes etc on the route. Any advice on what's the best way to buy this type of phone in France/Spain?

 

[Bajaracer]

Buy a Spanish one when you cross into Spain, a French prepaid can only be refilled in France and is expensive to roam in Spain.

 

[NicoZ]

Voice roaming isn't that expensive. The cap is 30 cents a minute. Some companies may even be less then the legal cap. If the intention is to use it only for emergency use the roaming costs shouldn't be a big issue. The OP might not even use up the intial credit.

 

[wayfarer]

You could also get your own phones unlocked and get Spanish SIMs when you reach Pamplona. You may be even able to buy them online, I will check with my son, he lives in Spain.

 

[lynnejohn]

There are multiple threads on mobile phones and SIM cards here on the forum. It's difficult to track the information. Do any of the moderators want to take this on, similar to Susannafromsweden's work with the bedbug threads?

 

[daesdaemar]

I used a Vodaphone in Spain. Service was excellent throughout. They also had a special deal where I could call to the US after 8 PM for only about 18 cents a minute. Worked out very well for me.

 

[jmcarp]

I have an unlocked GSM phone and purchased a SIM card online from a place in Boston called simsforspain.com. They offer plans on all the major carriers in Spain, and I selected the "Orange Mundo" plan, which included calls to the US and Canada for just 0.01€ per minute and local calls in Spain for 0.07€ per minute, both with a 0.29€ connection charge for each call. Text messages were 0.71€ each. Coverage was excellent along the Camino Frances. The cost of the card was $29.95, and I refilled it as needed at Orange stores in the major towns along the route. There are cheaper plans if you don't plan to make a lot of voice calls. If you decide to purchase a card before you get to Spain, be sure to purchase it at least a couple of weeks before you leave so you have time to complete the registration process, which includes providing your name and passport information. That way the card will be operational as soon as you arrive in Spain. Note: Spanish SIM cards do not work in France, but you can use wifi in SJPP to send emails or possibly make calls using Skype.

Buen Camino,
Jim

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

My advice is not to bring a phone.
You will not need it.
If in an emergency, you will have options.
Leave it behind. Trust me.
The camino provides. If you allow it to.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[thetravellingpen]

Hola

My advice is not to bring a phone.
You will not need it.
If in an emergency, you will have options.
Leave it behind. Trust me.
The camino provides. If you allow it to.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

Well, that's not possible for everybody. As much as we'd all like to completely detach from the outside world while on the camino, some of us can't. I'm leaving my 10-year old child for a month, would that be fair for her not to be able to reach me? I don't think so, and it's hard enough leaving her for so long, and hard to justify that it's not a selfish thing to do. Also, for those that run a business, sometimes they have to be reached, and that is just reality, even if it means just checking once a day.
For some people leaving the phone at home is the best thing ever, and that's great! For others, it's just not possible or practical for various reasons, and I've found some people on here to be judgmental of those that have to stay connected, almost implying that it's not a 'true' pilgrimage if you have contact with home... just saying. (not saying you are judgmental, just a general comment based on what I've read on various threads).

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

When I wrote to leave the phone at home, it was because it can be an important decision to make, inasmuch as much of modern life is to be available and reachable at all times. Many people feel that it is impossible to change this for a month, although it is a very new thing to our existence, two decades old at the most.
I believe that considering being a bit off-line while walking a Camino may make more sense than on other travels or vacations.

As you write this is not possible for all and I do understand this.
But one could arrange alternatives, which would provide the needed connection to home or work.
It would be very simple to just call home every day along the road. That way you would decide who and what needed your attention.

I don't think there is anything as a 'true' pilgrimage.
I believe we have to make our own decisions, based on our personal life and needs and wishes.
As well as taking advice from experienced people, if one wants that. This is what this website is all about.
And I still maintain, giving my advice, that contemplating a period of time, with a minimum of interference, can be very benign for many people. It was for me.
However anyone decides to do their pilgrimage, I pass no judgment.
I can only say

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Well, that's not possible for everybody. As much as we'd all like to completely detach from the outside world while on the camino, some of us can't. I'm leaving my 10-year old child for a month, would that be fair for her not to be able to reach me? I don't think so, and it's hard enough leaving her for so long, and hard to justify that it's not a selfish thing to do. Also, for those that run a business, sometimes they have to be reached, and that is just reality, even if it means just checking once a day.
For some people leaving the phone at home is the best thing ever, and that's great! For others, it's just not possible or practical for various reasons, and I've found some people on here to be judgmental of those that have to stay connected, almost implying that it's not a 'true' pilgrimage if you have contact with home... just saying. (not saying you are judgmental, just a general comment based on what I've read on various threads).

Bingo and right on Miss TravellingPen

 

[JoanneK]

I have an unlocked GSM phone and purchased a SIM card online from a place in Boston called simsforspain.com. They offer plans on all the major carriers in Spain, and I selected the "Orange Mundo" plan, which included calls to the US and Canada for just 0.01€ per minute and local calls in Spain for 0.07€ per minute, both with a 0.29€ connection charge for each call. Text messages were 0.71€ each. Coverage was excellent along the Camino Frances. The cost of the card was $29.95, and I refilled it as needed at Orange stores in the major towns along the route. There are cheaper plans if you don't plan to make a lot of voice calls. If you decide to purchase a card before you get to Spain, be sure to purchase it at least a couple of weeks before you leave so you have time to complete the registration process, which includes providing your name and passport information. That way the card will be operational as soon as you arrive in Spain. Note: Spanish SIM cards do not work in France, but you can use wifi in SJPP to send emails or possibly make calls using Skype.

Buen Camino,
Jim

Thanks for this info Jim. We were wondering how to get a sim once on the trail - as as we are starting in SJDP how to manage the France/
Spain thing. I understand why some advise not to take a phone, but for various reasons, we will want one. Joanne

 

[Bajaracer]

Thanks for this info Jim. We were wondering how to get a sim once on the trail - as as we are starting in SJDP how to manage the France/
Spain thing. I understand why some advise not to take a phone, but for various reasons, we will want one. Joanne

What cell carrier and phone do you use in the US? There might be a way to use what you already own, it just takes a little homework and research.

 

[JoanneK]

What cell carrier and phone do you use in the US? There might be a way to use what you already own, it just takes a little homework and research.

I am in Sydney Australia. Leaving Sydney on 20 April 2014. I will see if simsforspain will mail to Aus - if not my sister in law can get it for me. Thanks

 

[Anniesantiago]

I had AT&T unlock my iPhone and I bought a SIM from Vodafone. Inexpensive to use and easy.

 

[Anniesantiago]

For those who MUST reach home, consider gmail-chat or Skype from an iPad. Internet is free and much easier on the pocketbook.

 

[Bajaracer]

I am in Sydney Australia. Leaving Sydney on 20 April 2014. I will see if simsforspain will mail to Aus - if not my sister in law can get it for me. Thanks

Australia uses the GSM standard for their mobile phones, the same as Spain and France, find out if your local phone carrier will unlock what you already own and just swap out SIM cards when you get to Spain. Wait till you get to Spain to buy a SIM card, much cheaper and a better selection of carriers to choose from.

 

[JoanneK]

Australia uses the GSM standard for their mobile phones, the same as Spain and France, find out if your local phone carrier will unlock what you already own and just swap out SIM cards when you get to Spain. Wait till you get to Spain to buy a SIM card, much cheaper and a better selection of carriers to choose from.

Thanks. We have a phone that is unlocked but are coming from Paris straight to SJDP. Not sure if I will be able to get a SIM in Roncevalles or have to wait until Pamplona - not a long wait all going well.

 

[Bajaracer]

Thanks. We have a phone that is unlocked but are coming from Paris straight to SJDP. Not sure if I will be able to get a SIM in Roncevalles or have to wait until Pamplona - not a long wait all going well.

Roncevalles has no stores, your best bet would be to wait till you get to Pamplona, El Corte Ingles has all carriers to choose from.

 

[jmcarp]

What cell carrier and phone do you use in the US? There might be a way to use what you already own, it just takes a little homework and research.

As I stated above, I took an unlocked GSM phone with a Spanish SIM card. My wife did as you suggest, adding the global service provided by our US carrier, Verizon. Verizon uses the Vodafone network in Spain, and my wife found that she had no service outside the major cities along the route. I, on the other hand, had excellent service along the entire Camino Frances using the SIM card from the Orange network. This is not to knock Vodafone, because others on these forums have reported good coverage on that network -- it may be that Verizon's global roaming service has some built-in limitations.

Jim

 

[Karenpriest]

My partner and I are planning to do the Camino summer 2014. We will be traveling from the US to France and starting at SJPdP. We're thinking about getting pay-as-you-go mobile phones to have for emergency purposes etc on the route. Any advice on what's the best way to buy this type of phone in France/Spain?

I took my iPhone. Used it as my camera and internet device. (Lots of the alburges had wifi!). I bought an international plan for it through my server(Verizon) and didn't have any nasty surprises bill-wise upon my return. Just be sure you study how to actually DIAL internationally! I also have Dropbox loaded on my laptop and phone, so my pics were automatically backed up.

 

[jmcarp]

Thanks for this info Jim. We were wondering how to get a sim once on the trail - as as we are starting in SJDP how to manage the France/
Spain thing. I understand why some advise not to take a phone, but for various reasons, we will want one. Joanne

Unless you're coming through Paris, you'll probably be coming through Pamplona on your way to SJPP. If you come by bus into Pamplona, there are several Vodafone, Orange, and Movil stores within a couple of blocks from the bus station. You can pick up a Spanish SIM card there. But, as it has been pointed out, that won't work in France. Unless you spend the night in Orisson on your way up the hill, you'll probably only be in France one night. Hopefully you can get by for one night and the following day without phone service; if not, there's always wifi and email.

Buen Camino,
Jim

 

[biloute]

Unless you're coming through Paris, you'll probably be coming through Pamplona on your way to SJPP. If you come by bus into Pamplona, there are several Vodafone, Orange, and Movil stores within a couple of blocks from the bus station. You can pick up a Spanish SIM card there. But, as it has been pointed out, that won't work in France. Unless you spend the night in Orisson on your way up the hill, you'll probably only be in France one night. Hopefully you can get by for one night and the following day without phone service; if not, there's always wifi and email.

Buen Camino,
Jim

Why would it not work? When I had a French phone, it worked in Germany. It's like going from one US state to another, back when there were regional plans and anything outside that region was roaming.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Why would it not work?

The phone companies have not coordinated service, so you get roaming charges outside the host country for France and Spain. A Vodafone chip from England will not work on Vodafone in Spain. Orange from France will not work in Spain. AT&T is breaking the logjam a bit with its international service, but read the fine print!

 

[biloute]

The phone companies have not coordinated service, so you get roaming charges outside the host country for France and Spain.

This is normal. Phone companies aren't the EU government. Roaming charges are just extra charges; they don't keep the phone from functioning. Same thing when you cross from the US to Canada. It's just a matter of calls and data being more expensive.

 

[jmcarp]

Why would it not work? When I had a French phone, it worked in Germany. It's like going from one US state to another, back when there were regional plans and anything outside that region was roaming.

I don't claim to know all the finer details of service among the countries, but my phone with a Spanish SIM card gave me a "No Service" message when I was in SJPP. Of course that may have been because that particular carrier (Orange) did not have service in France, or at least in that part of France. Since I was only going to be in France for a day or so, I didn't figure it to be a big deal.

The SIM card I used was actually purchased in the US from a company called SIMs for Spain http://www.simsforspain.com/. Using that card, outgoing calls to the US or Canada were only 0.01€ per minute and outgoing calls within Spain were, as I recall, 0.07€ per minute, which I thought was pretty reasonable. Text messages were higher -- I believe 0.71€ each. I didn't purchase data, but used wifi for emails and the little bit of other internet-related uses I needed.

Another alternative is an "international" SIM card from one of these vendors: http://www.cellularabroad.com/cellAbroadSIMcard.php or http://www.telestial.com/. I've used one of the Telestial cards in the past when visiting multiple countries, and it worked fine, but it provided a UK-based number for my phone which meant the costs for calls or text messages was considerably higher because you're basically on roaming rates outside the UK. But looking at the big picture, unless you'll be on the phone more than a few minutes every so often, the actual per minute cost may not really add up to a big expense.

Jim

 

[Bajaracer]

I had my iPhone 5 with a Spanish SIM (Orange) that I bought in Madrid Airport, when I got to SJPDP it was on the SFR network, I'm sure it would have worked in France, but it would have sucked the credit down quickly if I used it and I wouldn't be able to add more credit unless I was in Spain or pay online.
If the phone you already own can be unlocked or is unlocked, all you have to do is swap SIM cards when you cross into Spain.
I don't understand why people put so much credit on their phones, the most I put on mine was €20 and I primarily used the data which costs €15 for a month.
The worldwide SIM cards are not a good deal unless your are traveling through multiple countries, a local SIM would be best.

 

[indyinmaine]

I think I'm right that for the best deals you should buy the phone and/or SIM in Spain. I thought I had lost my phone in Najera and bought another one for €40. That included 400 minutes and 400 SMS for one month. For another €10 you could extend it another month with the 400 min ad infinitum. It was a Vodafone shop but I think this one was a Movil promotion. Since I travel a lot I had AT&T unlock my phone and I bought a SIM from Vodafone.it when I'm in Europe. That costs me around €.10/min or SMS, outgoing only.

 

[handzondeck2]

I am in Sydney Australia. Leaving Sydney on 20 April 2014. I will see if simsforspain will mail to Aus - if not my sister in law can get it for me. Thanks

Joanne - have you tried looking into purchading a TravelSim card? Www.travelsim.com.au. I use it quite frequently when I go overseas on the camino.

 

[handzondeck2]

Not sure if this is relevant but has anyone considered getting a dual sim phone and that way you can keep your home provider as well as theobe overseas. Food for thought.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Yes; have one; it works well, but is not a smartphone. It does have WiFi.

 

[JALAN JAUH]

falcon269 wrote: A Vodafone chip from England will not work on Vodafone in Spain.
The UK Vodafone SIM card bought on ebay in England for £10 postage free in July this year, had £10 installed with it; it served me well in Spain and used it mainly for texting and data was used for GPS when looking for directions in Spain. There is enough free wifi on the camino to use Skype, Tango. Viber, facetime and other Apps to make it very convenient and economical for video communication. Blogging, googling and emailing was done mainly when there was free wifi, more and more places have free wifi, just ask.
Grandpa Joe

 

[grayland]

I still have a Spanish SIM (Lebara) wit about 12 Euro credit on it.
Anyone who can use it is welcome to it....free
It is the iPhone 5 size.

 

[RueFlower]

Hola

My advice is not to bring a phone.
You will not need it.
If in an emergency, you will have options.
Leave it behind. Trust me.
The camino provides. If you allow it to.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

I agree, this isn´t possible for all of us. I begin my camino in a few days, I´m a teenager going by myself and I need to be able to reach my family every three days so they don´t think "I´ve died in the Pyrenese and send Interpol after me" (their words).

I´ve been in Spain already for over a week just ajusting to the time difference and reintroducing myself to Spanish. I´ve been using an Orange SIM card in an unlocked phone. The service is fine but the customer service is the worst I´ve ever encountered anywhere. So I´d buy a SIM card or two ahead of time and make sure at least one of them works before you hit the trail. I ran out of minutes two days after I got here (I didn´t have many on in the first place and I only made two international calls and one call in Spain, all very short) I´ve been trying to refill the minutes before my Camino but every time I try, Orange says they can´t do anything. So just be wary of that.

 

[jmcarp]

...I´ve been using an Orange SIM card in an unlocked phone. The service is fine but the customer service is the worst I´ve ever encountered anywhere...

I used an unlocked basic GSM phone with an Orange card purchased in the US from http://simsforspain.com. I had to provide my passport data to get the card activated for use in Spain, but I did that online before leaving the states. Like many sim cards bought online, it had only a few minutes preloaded, but I had no problem buying recharge minutes from the Orange store in Pamplona to get enough minutes to last a while. I later bought additional recharge minutes in the Orange stores in Burgos and Sarria. While I speak basic Spanish, every Orange store I visited had at least one clerk who spoke English, so language was not a problem. I never tried buying recharge minutes at locations other than an Orange store.

For whatever it's worth, a friend I met between Roncesvalles and Pamplona had an unlocked phone and went with me to the Orange store to buy a sim when we reached Pamplona. It seemed like the plans they offered in the store were very confusing compared to the plan I had with the sim card I purchased beforehand.

 

[lettinggo]

I agree, this isn´t possible for all of us. I begin my camino in a few days, I´m a teenager going by myself and I need to be able to reach my family every three days so they don´t think "I´ve died in the Pyrenese and send Interpol after me" (their words).

I´ve been in Spain already for over a week just ajusting to the time difference and reintroducing myself to Spanish. I´ve been using an Orange SIM card in an unlocked phone. The service is fine but the customer service is the worst I´ve ever encountered anywhere. So I´d buy a SIM card or two ahead of time and make sure at least one of them works before you hit the trail. I ran out of minutes two days after I got here (I didn´t have many on in the first place and I only made two international calls and one call in Spain, all very short) I´ve been trying to refill the minutes before my Camino but every time I try, Orange says they can´t do anything. So just be wary of that.

Hola

You may want to use sms to save some money. International calls are normally expensive.
Also, tell then ones who are worried that 'no news, are good new',.. as well as Interpol doesn't look after pilgrims; this forum does

Buen Camino and have a great time
Lettinggo

 

[jmcarp]

...You may want to use sms to save some money. International calls are normally expensive...
Lettinggo

I guess it depends on where you get the sim card and where you'll be doing most of your international calling. On the sim card I used (see my previous post plus others further up in this thread), calls to North America were .01€ per minute plus a .29€ connection charge, and outgoing text messages were .71€ each. So users of this card calling the US or Canada could talk for 42 minutes for the cost of one text message. There are undoubtedly better plans for heavy text users, but for me this plan worked well, and it may be something to consider for others from the US or Canada who prefer talking to texting. I have no monetary interest in that company, I just simply found it to be a good deal for me personally.

 

[bystander]

Me?
Telephone calls back home whilst on the camino?
No chance.
My family are all trained in "no news is good news"
I am sure if anything goes "t!ts up" at either end the bad news will travel quite fast enough.

I am not going to bit-feed them my camino as I go
I intend, when I get home, to bore them rigid by regaling them with all the details in one long insomnia-curing session!

 

[Tia Valeria]

'Pay as you go' and text only is the simplest and cheapest way to keep in touch. If the signal is poor a text will often still be sent while making a call will not connect. If using vouchers to top up then ours (UK issued) could be added when in Spain (Orange/EE)

 

[jmcarp]

Me?
Telephone calls back home whilst on the camino?
No chance.

As the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. Some like to stay in touch, some don't.

 

[gimpywalker]

I'm in Paris right now enroute to SJPdP and I have an unlocked iphone. I just popped my SIM card out to eliminate any extra charges and have been using it with free wifi like an iPad. It works great. If wifi is good in Spain I may not need to even buy a card but will play it by ear. I get text messages, not sure how, and emails and can upload my posts to my blog. I don't need it as a phone (yet). I just get a message warning me there is no sim and then it carries on.

 

[NicoZ]

I'm in Paris right now enroute to SJPdP and I have an unlocked iphone. I just popped my SIM card out to eliminate any extra charges and have been using it with free wifi like an iPad. It works great. If wifi is good in Spain I may not need to even buy a card but will play it by ear. I get text messages, not sure how, and emails and can upload my posts to my blog. I don't need it as a phone (yet). I just get a message warning me there is no sim and then it carries on.

What US company are you with? Verizon? The SIM is also your phone number. If you're getting SMS then the phone knows who you are.

Is there an R on the screen? I'd assume top right corner?

 

[tominrm]

Recently I found that those who live in the U.S. and use T-Mobil service, the solution to this telephone issue is simple and very good. By subscribing their Simple Choice Plan, you get unlimited free data and text in 120 countries including Spain. No roaming charge! When you find a location with free wifi, you can use other service like Skype or Kakao Talk.

Please call T-Mobil before you leave the country to verify. Disable your voice mail ( someone said it costs money if someone leaves message)

It is only for Simple Choice Plan subscribers and do not apply to pre-paid phones.

 

[Bajaracer]

I'm in Paris right now enroute to SJPdP and I have an unlocked iphone. I just popped my SIM card out to eliminate any extra charges and have been using it with free wifi like an iPad. It works great. If wifi is good in Spain I may not need to even buy a card but will play it by ear. I get text messages, not sure how, and emails and can upload my posts to my blog. I don't need it as a phone (yet). I just get a message warning me there is no sim and then it carries on.

More than likely, you're receiving text messages, emails, and uploading to your blog because you are in a wifi area, iPhones still function like an iPod Touch when the SIM card is removed.

 

[Bajaracer]

Recently I found that those who live in the U.S. and use T-Mobil service, the solution to this telephone issue is simple and very good. By subscribing their Simple Choice Plan, you get unlimited free data and text in 120 countries including Spain. No roaming charge! When you find a location with free wifi, you can use other service like Skype or Kakao Talk.

Please call T-Mobil before you leave the country to verify. Disable your voice mail ( someone said it costs money if someone leaves message)

It is only for Simple Choice Plan subscribers and do not apply to pre-paid phones.

I was with T-Mobile for several years with an unlocked iPhone, the so-called unlimited data is really 2G/EDGE with slow data speeds, (you can get a 14 day higher speed pass for $50 for 500mb of data, but you would need at least 30 days for a full length Camino which would be over $100) and $.20 per minute voice calls incoming and outgoing, the only thing good is the free texting.
For myself, buying a local SIM card with data is still cheaper than buying any "international plan" or other add ons. For less than €20 I can have a fully functioning smartphone with data (and I don't have to wait to find wifi) and a local number (I'm sure albergues would be thrilled to call your home number= $$$) with free incoming calls and cheaper rates to call back to the US.
No US carrier can beat these prices to be able to use a smartphone with data. https://www.tuenti.com/movil

 

[JoeNYC]

Bajaracer- Where did you pick up the sim card? The Tuenti website won't take a US mailing address.

 

[Bajaracer]

Bajaracer- Where did you pick up the sim card? The Tuenti website won't take a US mailing address.

You have to get one there or have someone who lives in Spain ship one to you.

 

[gimpywalker]

What US company are you with? Verizon? The SIM is also your phone number. If you're getting SMS then the phone knows who you are.

Is there an R on the screen? I'd assume top right corner?

Not with US company. Canada. Good old Sasktel. I took my SIM card out in Canada and am just using the phone as an iPod/iPad. I think it will stop me from using my phone too much by forcing me to wait for a wifi hotspot. Of course if I really need it I guess I'm hooped. Will try to hold out till Pamplona then will maybe get a spanish sim.

 

[PeterMahon]

Maybe buy 2 small unlocked phones and then just buy sim cards when you get to Europe. I bought a 10 Euro Vodafone simcard in the Netherlands and it lasted me months. It even worked great for texts on the Camino! Check out my blog post about my first day on the Camino and have the best time ever!

http://www.lostnorfound.com/2015/09/el-camino-surviving-day-1.html