How to call a US cell number from the US (when the phone is in Spain)

[wynrich]

I was wanting to let my family here in the US know how to reach me while I am in Spain. Our T-Mobile phone numbers should work there. Do you know ... if someone is calling me, do they just call my number as they would if I were in the United States with the phone? I.e., just dial the number? Or do they need to put 011 or some other prefix in front of it? Thanks!

 

[alexwalker]

They call you as normal. If you want to call home, use your country prefix.

 

[J Willhaus]

We were able on our US plan to call and receive calls from the US as usual.

 

[J Willhaus]

Be sure to remind them about the time difference. My elderly mother was always calling me at 2 or 3 a.m.

 

[David]

As above - they just call as usual but let them know that the ringing tone will sound different

 

[montyhiker]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend. I’m planning to use the free WhatsApp to make calls when I have WiFi (Albergues), download an eSIM for my phone when I wanna use data, like on the trail. Buen Camino.

 

[J Willhaus]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend. I’m planning to use the free WhatsApp to make calls when I have WiFi (Albergues), download an eSIM for my phone when I wanna use data, like on the trail. Buen Camino.

Yes, but T-Mobile has free services in Spain so the OP doesn't have to switch sim cards.

 

[wynrich]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend. I’m planning to use the free WhatsApp to make calls when I have WiFi (Albergues), download an eSIM for my phone when I wanna use data, like on the trail. Buen Camino.

We do plan to get Spanish SIM cards after we get there because the T-Mobile data is slow and I think calls are 25 cents a minute (and Vodafone is so inexpensive these days). But, I wanted to be sure my family could use our US numbers as an alternate way to reach us, especially before we get our Spanish SIM cards since that might not happen for a few days.

 

[trecile]

Yes, but T-Mobile has free services in Spain so the OP doesn't have to switch sim cards.

Unless they have an upgraded plan with T-Mobile phone calls are 25 cents a minute.

The best thing to do is to have your friends and relatives install WhatsApp, so that you can make free calls over wifi or cellular data.

 

[J Willhaus]

Unless they have an upgraded plan with T-Mobile phone calls are 25 cents a minute.

The best thing to do is to have your friends and relatives install WhatsApp, so that you can make free calls over wifi or cellular data.

I agree, but I cannot train my elderly Mom to use WhatsApp no matter how hard I have tried....unfortunately we now have the expensive ATT plan. When I was using T-Mobile a few years ago it was a much better deal. I don't think we paid 25 cents per minute then, but maybe my memory is also poor.

Now I have a new phone that accepts a dual Sim so even if she calls me it will only be a couple of expensive days on my ATT plan instead of every day and I can get an e-Sim for the rest of it...

 

[PiesIrlandeses]

I was wanting to let my family here in the US know how to reach me while I am in Spain. Our T-Mobile phone numbers should work there. Do you know ... if someone is calling me, do they just call my number as they would if I were in the United States with the phone? I.e., just dial the number? Or do they need to put 011 or some other prefix in front of it? Thanks!

Always store your US contacts' numbers beginning with +1.

So for example, a US number (987) 654 3210 should be stored as +19876543210 .

The contact can then be called from any location in the world.

 

[J Willhaus]

Tip: To make the + sign appear before the 1, touch and hold down your 0 briefly and the + sign will appear. Took me like 3 years to figure that out...

 

[witsendwv]

Yes, but T-Mobile has free services in Spain so the OP doesn't have to switch sim cards.

Is T-Mobile free to call home to the US? I have been looking to switch from AT&T which charges $10/day for 10 days per billing period. I looked into T-Mobile and I understood that unlimited data would carry over, but calls would cost per minute. If not, I need to look again because I thought I would use the data to navigate and have to use WhatsApp to call. Thanks.

 

[wynrich]

Is T-Mobile free to call home to the US? I have been looking to switch from AT&T which charges $10/day for 10 days per billing period. I looked into T-Mobile and I understood that unlimited data would carry over, but calls would cost per minute. If not, I need to look again because I thought I would use the data to navigate and have to use WhatsApp to call. Thanks.

Last time I checked, my T-mobile plan had free data and texts, but calls were 25 cents per minute. I do plan to get a vodafone card for use in Spain. But wanted people to be able to reach me on my T-Mobile phone from the US in emergencies.

 

[witsendwv]

Last time I checked, my T-mobile plan had free data and texts, but calls were 25 cents per minute. I do plan to get a vodafone card for use in Spain. But wanted people to be able to reach me on my T-Mobile phone from the US in emergencies.

Thank you, that is exactly what I thought. I need data and texts but calls I can do wifi calls and zoom with family and not have to pay per minute. WhatsApp should also work. Guess I have to get serious about switching!!

 

[wynrich]

Thank you, that is exactly what I thought. I need data and texts but calls I can do wifi calls and zoom with family and not have to pay per minute. WhatsApp should also work. Guess I have to get serious about switching!!

We have found that T-Mobile's free data in Spain is slow. But, of course, usually you have wi-fi when you need to do heavy-duty use of data so that might not be too much of a problem.

 

[witsendwv]

We have found that T-Mobile's free data in Spain is slow. But, of course, usually you have wi-fi when you need to do heavy-duty use of data so that might not be too much of a problem.

Slow while surfing or slow when using a map?

 

[wynrich]

Slow while surfing or slow when using a map?

Hmmm. Definitely slow while surfing. I'm having trouble remembering about maps. Probably a little slow but I'm not sure. If you want to use it for maps, you might pre-load the maps when you have wifi.

 

[J Willhaus]

It worked fine for us in 2016 to 2019 as hospitaleros. One albergue did not have wifi either. Depends on how dependant you are on your phone, I think. I just usually put mine away and follow the arrows.

 

[trecile]

Is T-Mobile free to call home to the US? I have been looking to switch from AT&T which charges $10/day for 10 days per billing period. I looked into T-Mobile and I understood that unlimited data would carry over, but calls would cost per minute

It depends on which T-Mobile plan you have.
I've always had one of their plans that provided free data and texting to and from US numbers, but all phone calls were 25¢ a minute. Last year I upgraded to their Magenta Max plan (though they may have changed the plan name) which gave me 5GB of high speed data while abroad each billing cycle and some free phone calls.

But back when I had the standard plan I just used apps to make free or low cost phone calls. I used WhatsApp to call people who use it, and the Viber app to make calls to businesses and people without WhatsApp. I bought $5 worth of Viber Out credits and the phone calls were about 2¢ a minute.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

 

[nycwalking]

Be sure to remind them about the time difference. My elderly mother was always calling me at 2 or 3 a.m.

In 2019, my mom called me at 3am whilst I was asleep my first night in Spain sleeping in a hostel.

That’s how I realized my phone was working in Spain sans SIM card, or this or that.

 

[witsendwv]

It depends on which T-Mobile plan you have.
I've always had one of their plans that provided free data and texting to and from US numbers, but all phone calls were 25¢ a minute. Last year I upgraded to their Magenta Max plan (though they may have changed the plan name) which gave me 5GB of high speed data while abroad each billing cycle and some free phone calls.

But back when I had the standard plan I just used apps to make free or low cost phone calls. I used WhatsApp to call people who use it, and the Viber app to make calls to businesses and people without WhatsApp. I bought $5 worth of Viber Out credits and the phone calls were about 2¢ a minute.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

I will look into the Magenta Max, thanks.

 

[Tickbush]

My service is with Spectrum and they charge just 7 cents per minute to the US while in Spain.

 

[Rodo549]

EDITED***
We have the t-mobile Magneta plan and used it extensively in 2022. Data and text incur no additional charges. After checking with my wife, I learned talk is $3 per minute unless you get the $15/mo upgrade.

 

[t2andreo]

I was wanting to let my family here in the US know how to reach me while I am in Spain. Our T-Mobile phone numbers should work there. Do you know ... if someone is calling me, do they just call my number as they would if I were in the United States with the phone? I.e., just dial the number? Or do they need to put 011 or some other prefix in front of it? Thanks!

I use t-Mobile and it works just like you were at home. the caller just calls your number and your phone rings in Spain. No one has ever had a problem contacting me - including spam and nuisance calls.

BTW, text works seamlessly.

They do not start to complain about your usage overseas until you have been out of heh US for more than 30 days, Then they will start to remind you that the international unlimited text and data benefits are for business trips and vacations. Clearly, these folks have never done a Camino...

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Hans-Georg Goebel]

We were able on our US plan to call and receive calls from the US as usual.

are you really sure that you can call an US- number from EU without using the country code?
I dont beleave it. Calling from US to your mobilefone, should go without an additional Country code.

 

[Rmarkob]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend.

ATT does the same except calling and data are at the same speed/volume as my home plan. However, it’s capped at $100/month. That was worth it to me to avoid getting a Spanish SIM and number and making sure family members knew it, not to mention additional cost to them to call a Spanish number. Verizon might do something similar. That said, WhatsApp is what I used with international friends.

 

[Sugaree]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend. I’m planning to use the free WhatsApp to make calls when I have WiFi (Albergues), download an eSIM for my phone when I wanna use data, like on the trail. Buen Camino.

We have Verizon too, I just changed our plan to Ultimate Unlimited which includes international calling, data etc. $25 more per billing cycle. We will change back to the cheaper plan when we get home. We will also get an Inexpensive Orange e-sim card for 1 phone, so we can leave an in-country call back number if needed.

 

[JimDerry]

A different provider..... I have been using Google Fi for 2 years now and I get unlimited data and texts in 200 countries. Calls from US are free in 50 countries. Calls TO the US, Canada and Mexico from other countries are $.20 a minute. So far I have used this provider in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Honduras, Mexico and Canada and it has worked flawlessly. I got the Unlimited Plus plan @ $65/month for one phone.
And no, I don't work for or have any association with Google!!
Check them out.

A Simple, Wireless Phone Plan With Unlimited Data - Google Fi Wireless

Make the switch to a wireless phone plan at an affordable price. Get unlimited data, international roaming, and more from your friends at Google Fi.

fi.google.com

 

[SilentNight]

I have T-Mobile as well. When calling from the USA, my family and friends called like normal, as if they were making a phone call to me when I was in the States. Same when I called/texted family or friends, I used their normal phone numbers. The calls were crystal clear. There is no need to enter a different country’s area code. The cost was already included in my Magenta phone plan (unlimited data and calls), so I didn’t have to pay extra on my 6-week Euro trip this past autumn. If you don’t have Magenta, use WhatsApp, which is free and does texting, fast image upload/download, and calls.

 

[wynrich]

I appreciate all your replies. It's great to know people in the states can simply dial the number they are used to dialing. I didn't expect that!

 

[JamesGeier]

ATT does the same except calling and data are at the same speed/volume as my home plan. However, it’s capped at $100/month. That was worth it to me to avoid getting a Spanish SIM and number and making sure family members knew it, not to mention additional cost to them to call a Spanish number. Verizon might do something similar. That said, WhatsApp is what I used with international friends.

I am an AT&T customer with an unlimited data plan. As Rmarkob says, their international plan is $10 per day up to a maximum of $100 per billing period. Having unlimited data was nice, and it was very fast in Spain. I typically use WhatsApp but I like knowing that my family & friends at home can reach me quickly and easily without needing to know a separate number.
Buen Camino!
--james--

 

[HKim]

I use T-Mobile, which, as stated by many above, works great in Spain. However, I plan to change my number shortly before heading on my Camino, as I do *not* wish to receive 10-20 spam calls a day from telemarketers while on pilgrimage.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

A different provider..... I have been using Google Fi for 2 years now

I've been a happy user of Fi for 8 years. At home they use T-Mobile as their carrier. Overseas you can cut their 20 cent per minute rate down to around 2 cents (depends on who you call and where but generally really cheap). To do that get into airplane mode and then connect to wifi and dial. Using the Google Voice app (it's not the same as Fi) which uses the Internet for calls (either wifi or cellular data) you can call with rates similar to Fi's wifi rates.

I've looked into US phone rates and their international rates and if Fi didn't exist I would pick T-Mobile as my provider.

 

[JillGat]

I’m with Verizon (in the US). They want $10 per day to use my phone internationally with limited data. With a 30-40 day Camino, that’s more than I care to spend. I’m planning to use the free WhatsApp to make calls when I have WiFi (Albergues), download an eSIM for my phone when I wanna use data, like on the trail. Buen Camino.

I just saw this on the Verizon site. I just want data, as I can use Whatsapp for calls. Texts are free. Why wouldn't this be a good deal?

International Monthly Plan

$100/Monthly

Ideal for trips of 10 days or more. Add as a one time or recurring charge. Use your phone in 210+ countries and destinations.

Includes

• Unlimited data*
• 250 minutes
• Unlimited texts

*After first 20GB of high speed data get unlimited 3G data.

 

[JillGat]

I use T-Mobile, which, as stated by many above, works great in Spain. However, I plan to change my number shortly before heading on my Camino, as I do *not* wish to receive 10-20 spam calls a day from telemarketers while on pilgrimage.

good point. Can't you just not answer any calls that are from unknown numbers?

 

[HKim]

Can't you just not answer any calls that are from unknown numbers?

With the work I do I need to be able to receive calls from a variety of unknown numbers. When it's a robocall, though, I simply block that number. Then the same spammers simply spoof another number to try to sell me something - and I block that number.

 

[JillGat]

With the work I do I need to be able to receive calls from a variety of unknown numbers. When it's a robocall, though, I simply block that number. Then the same spammers simply spoof another number to try to sell me something - and I block that number.

Texting is free on this $100 monthly plan. If you don't recognize a number, you just shoot em a text.
ps - you WORK while you are on the camino?

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I use T-Mobile, which, as stated by many above, works great in Spain. However, I plan to change my number shortly before heading on my Camino, as I do *not* wish to receive 10-20 spam calls a day from telemarketers while on pilgrimage.

American here. I use NoMoRobo to screen calls from known spammers. The phone rings once and then NoMoRobo only lets the possibly good numbers through. There is a way to have real people to get through if NoMoRobo thinks they are a robot. Free for landlines, mobile has to pay something.

Also, with my home service I have used the settings to record calls and to get an email notice for any left. I know either the caller's name or number, the time of the call and the length of the message. I can then call a number to listen to the recording. I ignore calls with a message less than 10 seconds long. I use this when on a trip but also at home.

I use Verizon's FIOS service for landline calls at home but maybe your service has something similar.

Google Fi and Google Voice also have nice features for screening calls. They not only send out an email but the email can be a transcript of the call.