Pay-as-you-Go Spanish Mobile

[ajloughran]

Hi,
Starting the VdlP in Sevilla in mid-April and would appreciate advice on purchasing a "pay-as-you-go" mobile for the trip.
regards,
Arthur Loughran

 

[piogaw]

Hola arthur,

If your cell phone is unlocked, just buy a spanish pay as you go sim card. It is very simple to use, but bureaucratic to buy. You can only buy them in spain now due to previous terrorist activity in madrid.

I have a spanish pay as you go (prepago) sim card for 2 years now. I find it very hard to use as in many places on the via de la plata there is no signal. I was told orange has poor coverage in spain. They bought air time from the other big companies in spain. It was recommended to me that i buy from movistar or vodafone. I have no exprience with either of them. Maybe some other veteran peregrinos can offer some advice.

Buen camino.

 

[Choweth]

Hola arthur,

If your cell phone is unlocked, just buy a spanish pay as you go sim card. It is very simple to use, but bureaucratic to buy. You can only buy them in spain now due to previous terrorist activity in madrid.

I have a spanish pay as you go (prepago) sim card for 2 years now. I find it very hard to use as in many places on the via de la plata there is no signal. I was told orange has poor coverage in spain. They bought air time from the other big companies in spain. It was recommended to me that i buy from movistar or vodafone. I have no exprience with either of them. Maybe some other veteran peregrinos can offer some advice.

Buen camino.

What does locked and unlocked mean? I keep seeing this everywhere.


{Candace}

 

[ranthr]

Your phone might be locked if you have bought it with a binding for a year or more to an operator. If the binding time is out you can unlock it, and you will find out how on the webside of your company.
I have used vodafone and orange, the last on VdlP in 2011, and it did not work wery well. I often had only securitycalls, while people with French orangecards had conection. My vodafonesimcard worked well for three caminoes but after the Madridterror I lost my number. If I get a simcard again I would choose vodaphone rather than orange. Buen camino!

 

[David]

yep -a locked phone will only accept sim cards that are the same as the company that you are contracted to. An unlocked phone will accept any sim cards from any company.

 

[grayland]

equipment-questions/topic5071.html

Good information here.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I used an old iPhone3 last year.
I learned if you'd had the phone more than 2 years, they were required by law to unlock it.
So I had it unlocked.
I purchased a SIM from Vodafone and it worked GREAT!

If your phone has wi-fi and you just want to make emails, not calls, you don't even have to have that.
You can pick up free wi-fi in nearly every village along the Camino Frances.

I haven't tried this phone and sim on the VDLP, but will be taking it next month.. so we'll see.
I actually hate taking electronics, but since I'll be walking alone and am not familiar with this route, I'll carry the iPhone just in case of emergency.