Sim cards

[Hey Jude]

Sim cards!
Bear with me as this is a very long post and I write it in the hope that it will help someone else avoid the problems I have had.
I am walking the Camino in April and May and then traveling throughout Europe and beyond for possibly up to 12 months. I want to I have access to data and be in contact with family in Australia over that time. The solution I thought was to get a SIM card that would be useful all over Europe. (My phone is one of the few that is not compatible with an ESIM unfortunately)
Luckily I have a friend in Paris who speaks good French and we searched high and low for a prepaid SIM that would be useful over Europe. I got a "Free" (if you get to the end of the post you will see that this is a total misnomer) sim that I paid for for a month and could renew for a month at a time and would of course be able to access data and phone calls all over Europe. No. As soon as I crossed the Pyrenees this SIM was useless.
That's okay, I paid €30 and I really needed contact with my friends in Paris and needed to be able to use Google maps while wandering aimlessly around Paris. So I thought the €30 was money well spent.
Once I got to Pamplona I bought a Spanish SIM card (Orange) which I was also told would enable me to access data and voice calls all over Europe. (I am picking up a theme here!)
The orange SIM has been very useful, without too many hiccups, as I wander westward across Spain.
Then... One month after I initially bought the "Free" SIM They took €20 from my credit card account. Alarmed, I accessed my online account and tried to cancel but with my non-existent French and a poor website I was unable to do so. I asked my French speaking friend for help. She rang "Free" on my behalf and was told that to cancel my SIM card and avoid future payments I had to send a registered letter to them from Spain, complete with details as to why I have left France including job offers and/or rental agreements!!!! This is all for a prepaid SIM that was "sins obligation" ie. Supposedly no strings.
I consider myself not particularly stupid and my French speaking friend is a very clever person and a lawyer so I don't think we entered into this SIM card business lightly.
What I wish to advise future pilgrims is to wait until you get to Spain to buy a SIM card! And if you can, pay with cash so that they don't have your credit card details to make further unauthorized withdrawals/payments.
Buen Camino all.

 

[dougfitz]

@Hey Jude, I'm sorry to hear this, but there are many ways of getting a SIM that works in Spain other than buying a SIM there. Some years ago, my wife and I did get our SIMs once we had arrived, but more recently we have purchased our SIMs in Australia and had them delivered there before we leave. These have been a mix, but they have always worked in Europe and the UK (both before and after Brexit). There are a couple of companies that do this. We use SIMCorner, and are happy with the service they provide.

The SIMs were are currently using on this trip have come from the UK and Spain, and have worked quite effectively in Spain and Portugal. We will travel home through the UK, and I'm not expecting any issues with using them there either.

I had similar issues to yours with a SIM I purchased in Sweden a few years ago. When I walked into Norway, I found that I hadn't registered my details with the provider, so it was only valid for use within Sweden. By the time I found this out, I was walking well away from anywhere that might have been able to register the SIM. I did have a backup SIM from a previous trip to Norway I was able to recharge when I got to a town. Fortunately, the Swedish SIM provider did not attempt to make any charges to my credit card.

 

[K_Lynn]

Yikes! I used Orange (pay as you go) 2 years ago and the only issue I had was that I could not use my foreign CC online to pay for the next month, I had to find a store to do so. Also: my friend bought her Orange pay as you go sim in France, and could not reload it in Spain - in the store or online because of her foreign CC. So be advised that it may cause issues.
Hopefully these sort of issues have been solved in the last 2 years!

Buen Camino!

 

[NorthernLight]

On a positive note, Orange Spain has a prepaid Sim that gives you 50GB of data for four weeks, for €15. I signed up with €30 which they say will renew the next 4 weeks automatically.

A heck of a lot cheaper than you get in Canada.

 

[Hey Jude]

Yikes! I used Orange (pay as you go) 2 years ago and the only issue I had was that I could not use my foreign CC online to pay for the next month, I had to find a store to do so. Also: my friend bought her Orange pay as you go sim in France, and could not reload it in Spain - in the store or online because of her foreign CC. So be advised that it may cause issues.
Hopefully these sort of issues have been solved in the last 2 years!

Buen Camino!

No, they have not.

 

[naplesdon]

My only warning is about paying cash. I did that in Spain for a sim card several years ago because they said the credit card process was not working that morning. I paid cash and the next day I had no service because I think the sales person pocketed my money.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

Then... One month after I initially bought the "Free" SIM They took €20 from my credit card account. Alarmed, I accessed my online account and tried to cancel but with my non-existent French and a poor website I was unable to do so. I asked my French speaking friend for help. She rang "Free" on my behalf and was told that to cancel my SIM card and avoid future payments I had to send a registered letter to them from Spain, complete with details as to why I have left France including job offers and/or rental agreements!!!! This is all for a prepaid SIM that was "sins obligation" ie. Supposedly no strings.
I consider myself not particularly stupid and my French speaking friend is a very clever person and a lawyer so I don't think we entered into this SIM card business lightly.

I'm almost certain what you describe is illegal under EU laws. (Job offers and rental agreements, really?) Unless, of course, you signed a contract for extended service?

The easiest thing to do might be contest it with your credit card. Or cancel your card, if you have another one, if you think they will continue charging you.

I used Vodafone in Spain and Italy and had no problems ever using a credit card.

 

[Hey Jude]

I'm almost certain what you describe is illegal under EU laws. (Job offers and rental agreements, really?) Unless, of course, you signed a contract for extended service?

The easiest thing to do might be contest it with your credit card. Or cancel your card, if you have another one, if you think they will continue charging you.

I used Vodafone in Spain and Italy and had no problems ever using a credit card.

Yes, illegal
No, no contract signed
No to cancelling my credit card and causing myself all manner of other problem.

 

[Hey Jude]

My only warning is about paying cash. I did that in Spain for a sim card several years ago because they said the credit card process was not working that morning. I paid cash and the next day I had no service because I think the sales person pocketed my money.

Scammers will scam

 

[naplesdon]

BTW, this was in a Orange phone office.

 

[Old Git]

Maybe worth looking at Lebara currently available in the UK. 3gb data 1000 mins and texts in UK 100 mins in Europe. Oh I forgot to say £5 rolling 30 day contract cancel anytime. Cheers

 

[Elle Bieling]

My only comment - perhaps it is time to update your phone to have eSIM capability? I will never regret swithching to it! But, I did already need a new phone. Although, I am sure there will be issues rear their ugly heads with this type SIM as well, eventually. So sad to hear of your trouble.

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

On a positive note, Orange Spain has a prepaid Sim that gives you 50GB of data for four weeks, for €15. I signed up with €30 which they say will renew the next 4 weeks automatically.

A heck of a lot cheaper than you get in Canada.

OMG!! Our Canadian rates are absolutely mind-boggling..... I was quoted $16.00 per DAY!!
Obviously I will be getting a SIM card when I get to Spain.

 

[Liltravlr]

OMG!! Our Canadian rates are absolutely mind-boggling..... I was quoted $16.00 per DAY!!
Obviously I will be getting a SIM card when I get to Spain.

I’m Canadian & yes $16/day is a lot if you walk for 4-6 weeks. But I just left Turkmenistan, where FB is forbidden, WhatsApp is blocked, & we paid $270/night to stay at a hotel with any internet at all so we could keep in touch with our families. So I am very gratefully (today in Istanbul) paying the $16 to use my home plan. Spain will be easier but going tomorrow to Kyrgyzstan, & onward to places with no internet. You find you are willing to pay alot for service when you need it.

 

[MethaV]

Sim cards!
Bear with me as this is a very long post and I write it in the hope that it will help someone else avoid the problems I have had.
I am walking the Camino in April and May and then traveling throughout Europe and beyond for possibly up to 12 months. I want to I have access to data and be in contact with family in Australia over that time. The solution I thought was to get a SIM card that would be useful all over Europe. (My phone is one of the few that is not compatible with an ESIM unfortunately)
Luckily I have a friend in Paris who speaks good French and we searched high and low for a prepaid SIM that would be useful over Europe. I got a "Free" (if you get to the end of the post you will see that this is a total misnomer) sim that I paid for for a month and could renew for a month at a time and would of course be able to access data and phone calls all over Europe. No. As soon as I crossed the Pyrenees this SIM was useless.
That's okay, I paid €30 and I really needed contact with my friends in Paris and needed to be able to use Google maps while wandering aimlessly around Paris. So I thought the €30 was money well spent.
Once I got to Pamplona I bought a Spanish SIM card (Orange) which I was also told would enable me to access data and voice calls all over Europe. (I am picking up a theme here!)
The orange SIM has been very useful, without too many hiccups, as I wander westward across Spain.
Then... One month after I initially bought the "Free" SIM They took €20 from my credit card account. Alarmed, I accessed my online account and tried to cancel but with my non-existent French and a poor website I was unable to do so. I asked my French speaking friend for help. She rang "Free" on my behalf and was told that to cancel my SIM card and avoid future payments I had to send a registered letter to them from Spain, complete with details as to why I have left France including job offers and/or rental agreements!!!! This is all for a prepaid SIM that was "sins obligation" ie. Supposedly no strings.
I consider myself not particularly stupid and my French speaking friend is a very clever person and a lawyer so I don't think we entered into this SIM card business lightly.
What I wish to advise future pilgrims is to wait until you get to Spain to buy a SIM card! And if you can, pay with cash so that they don't have your credit card details to make further unauthorized withdrawals/payments.
Buen Camino all.

Thank you Jude for very important, and not too long, information!
Maggi the pilgrim

 

[CdnDreamer]

I bought an Orange eSIM before leaving Canada. It was only for 2 weeks and could not be extended without registering with them. I didnt register so Orange legally could not extend the plan. It worked great, as soon as I arrived in Europe. Then when I arrived in Spain I got the €15 plan with Vodafone that includes 800 minutes of calls to Canada and other countries, 50 GB of data, and unlimited calls within Spain

( I'm Canadian and my Cdn provider just sent me an email that I am getting 10% more GB per month at home, now 5.5 GB! We are so ripped off in Canada.)

 

[ScorpioGirl22]

I bought an Orange eSIM before leaving Canada. It was only for 2 weeks and could not be extended without registering with them. I didnt register so Orange legally could not extend the plan. It worked great, as soon as I arrived in Europe. Then when I arrived in Spain I got the €15 plan with Vodafone that includes 800 minutes of calls to Canada and other countries, 50 GB of data, and unlimited calls within Spain

( I'm Canadian and my Cdn provider just sent me an email that I am getting 10% more GB per month at home, now 5.5 GB! We are so ripped off in Canada.)

We are absolutely getting ripped off in Canada..... I also got a Vodaphone card last year and will do it again this year.

 

[patiras]

Hello fellow Canadians!
My phone is on Rogers and I was wondering where I would get the Orange eSIM… thanks in advance!

 

[CdnDreamer]

I used travel.orange.com. ordered the esim and it came by email with instructions on how to set up the phone so it worked as soon as I landed in Europe. I only used it for 2 weeks as Vodafone had better deals in Spain.

 

[trecile]

Hello fellow Canadians!
My phone is on Rogers and I was wondering where I would get the Orange eSIM… thanks in advance!

There are many Orange stores - especially in the larger cities. I saw one near the main plaza in Pamplona the other day.

 

[Beachcreature]

Sim cards!
Bear with me as this is a very long post and I write it in the hope that it will help someone else avoid the problems I have had.
I am walking the Camino in April and May and then traveling throughout Europe and beyond for possibly up to 12 months. I want to I have access to data and be in contact with family in Australia over that time. The solution I thought was to get a SIM card that would be useful all over Europe. (My phone is one of the few that is not compatible with an ESIM unfortunately)
Luckily I have a friend in Paris who speaks good French and we searched high and low for a prepaid SIM that would be useful over Europe. I got a "Free" (if you get to the end of the post you will see that this is a total misnomer) sim that I paid for for a month and could renew for a month at a time and would of course be able to access data and phone calls all over Europe. No. As soon as I crossed the Pyrenees this SIM was useless.
That's okay, I paid €30 and I really needed contact with my friends in Paris and needed to be able to use Google maps while wandering aimlessly around Paris. So I thought the €30 was money well spent.
Once I got to Pamplona I bought a Spanish SIM card (Orange) which I was also told would enable me to access data and voice calls all over Europe. (I am picking up a theme here!)
The orange SIM has been very useful, without too many hiccups, as I wander westward across Spain.
Then... One month after I initially bought the "Free" SIM They took €20 from my credit card account. Alarmed, I accessed my online account and tried to cancel but with my non-existent French and a poor website I was unable to do so. I asked my French speaking friend for help. She rang "Free" on my behalf and was told that to cancel my SIM card and avoid future payments I had to send a registered letter to them from Spain, complete with details as to why I have left France including job offers and/or rental agreements!!!! This is all for a prepaid SIM that was "sins obligation" ie. Supposedly no strings.
I consider myself not particularly stupid and my French speaking friend is a very clever person and a lawyer so I don't think we entered into this SIM card business lightly.
What I wish to advise future pilgrims is to wait until you get to Spain to buy a SIM card! And if you can, pay with cash so that they don't have your credit card details to make further unauthorized withdrawals/payments.
Buen Camino all.

I am sorry you experienced this. Frustrating. Thank you for sharing though. Heading to Spain on Sunday and will take your advice and definitely pay on cash.

 

[AlwynWellington]

We use SIMCorner, and are happy with the service they provide.

@dougfitz, thanks for this.

SIMCorner also have an NZ link, so checked it out, as I will be away for nearly three months later this year.

Selected the offer that seemed most applicable - 12GB for 30 days. Then looked at the terms and conditions. There I read the card expires when the 30 days are up. The solution was to purchase multiple cards at the same time. At first blush that seemed a good solution until I read that each card had a different number.

This then gets into the issue of advising the new number to your card provider and hope you do not encounter Two Factor Challenge (SMS message) while that is being changed by your card provider.

 

[dougfitz]

@dougfitz, thanks for this.

SIMCorner also have an NZ link, so checked it out, as I will be away for nearly three months later this year.

Selected the offer that seemed most applicable - 12GB for 30 days. Then looked at the terms and conditions. There I read the card expires when the 30 days are up. The solution was to purchase multiple cards at the same time. At first blush that seemed a good solution until I read that each card had a different number.

This then gets into the issue of advising the new number to your card provider and hope you do not encounter Two Factor Challenge (SMS message) while that is being changed by your card provider.

Yes, all of those are things that you need to work around. I generally have a couple of different authentication mechanisms activated where I can do that, not just a text message to my regular number. I haven't had a problem so far.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

@dougfitz, thanks for this.

SIMCorner also have an NZ link, so checked it out, as I will be away for nearly three months later this year.

Selected the offer that seemed most applicable - 12GB for 30 days. Then looked at the terms and conditions. There I read the card expires when the 30 days are up. The solution was to purchase multiple cards at the same time. At first blush that seemed a good solution until I read that each card had a different number.

This then gets into the issue of advising the new number to your card provider and hope you do not encounter Two Factor Challenge (SMS message) while that is being changed by your card provider.

Great idea. I have never heard of this. They have an online store in the US as well. I guess if you took two of them along and right before the old one expired, you could change your phone number for your two-factor authentification.

In the past I've always bought local Sims, but the two factor authentification issue is starting to become more of a problem. Although I have to carefully look into those authentication apps as well.

And @dougfitz , did they use a particular phone company? Or did they just hook up to any network?

Thanks.

 

[dougfitz]

And @dougfitz , did they use a particular phone company? Or did they just hook up to any network?

This year, all of mine have been with Three UK. My wife's SIMs have all be with the same Spanish telco, just don't ask me which one! In the past. I think that last year, mine were Spanish too, but I rarely pay attention except when activating AlertCops, where one needs the number so they can send you their authentication code. Most of the time, we rely on WhatsApp, and only revert to using a mobile call when that isn't available.

 

[Pathfinder075]

I have Three (UK), but am looking to pick up a local sim, possibly Movistar, Orange or Vodafone.

Is it possible to order a sim on the Prepaid Plus tariff from the UK and get the sim shipped? 10 euros for 40GB, unlimited in country calls and 200 international, seems a good deal. I need it for seven weeks. It is more for when I need to call local numbers. While Three is ok, they only provide 12GB of data when roaming. I would ideally like access to possibly 2-3x that. So 40GB would be fine. I struggle to use much more than that when at home (on a 100GB plan).

Is it easy to pick these up as a sim only package when I arrive in Spain? I prefer cash payment and don't mind topping up in a shop (but also am ok using a credit card online once everything is setup).

 

[Stephan the Painter]

This year, all of mine have been with Three UK. My wife's SIMs have all be with the same Spanish telco, just don't ask me which one! In the past. I think that last year, mine were Spanish too, but I rarely pay attention except when activating AlertCops, where one needs the number so they can send you their authentication code. Most of the time, we rely on WhatsApp, and only revert to using a mobile call when that isn't available.

So you mean the SIMcorner cards that you purchase by mail we're Sims that SIMcorner purchased in advance from particular providers? I guess it really doesn't matter as long as they worked. I'm just curious.

 

[dougfitz]

So you mean the SIMcorner cards that you purchase by mail we're Sims that SIMcorner purchased in advance from particular providers? I guess it really doesn't matter as long as they worked. I'm just curious.

I have not been interested in delving into the details of their business model. We nominate a set of start dates if we want more than one SIM that gives us coverage in the places we want, and select how much data we want. They return SIMs that match that.

How they deal with the telcos to achieve that is not of particular interest to me. Perhaps they pre-purchase, but there might be other ways to hold a stock of SIMs for different telcos and arrange for them to be activated on specific dates.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I generally have a couple of different authentication mechanisms activated

Hi and can you please share those different authentication mechanism with us?

Either on this thread or provide the link to other threads.

 

[Bradypus]

Is it easy to pick these up as a sim only package when I arrive in Spain?

It is very straightforward but you do need to show your passport and fill in a form when you buy the SIM. Not like the UK where pay-as-you-go are unregistered and SIMs can be picked up in supermarkets. You need to buy from a specialist mobile phone shop. The first one on the Spanish side on the Camino Frances is probably in Pamplona. If you are arriving at a Spanish airport then I would buy one there if possible or in the nearest large town. The shop will probably activate it for you on the spot. It has taken about 10 minutes or so to buy the SIM whenever I have bought one.

 

[Pathfinder075]

It is very straightforward but you do need to show your passport and fill in a form when you buy the SIM. Not like the UK where pay-as-you-go are unregistered and SIMs can be picked up in supermarkets. You need to buy from a specialist mobile phone shop. The first one on the Spanish side on the Camino Frances is probably in Pamplona. If you are arriving at a Spanish airport then I would buy one there if possible or in the nearest large town. The shop will probably activate it for you on the spot. It has taken about 10 minutes or so to buy the SIM whenever I have bought one.

I'm coming in via the Ferry at Santander, but it is a major city so should be able to find a phone shop.

There is a Movistar shop not far from the ferry terminal, would that suffice as a specialist shop, or do I need to something different?

 

[Bradypus]

There is a Movistar shop not far from the ferry terminal, would that suffice as a specialist shop, or do I need to something different?

That should do fine. If it is a branch or a franchise of a major network it should be able to sell you a SIM and calls/data package.