Any tips on telephoning in Spain?

[eamann]

Hello!

God being willing, I set out on 24 March from Valencia for Santiago and Fisterra, which will probably take about eight weeks.

During that time I will want to telephone home (Belgium) and also make occasional calls in Spain (e.g., you arrive at an albergue and find a notice saying "Telephone to xxx for the key").

I'm wondering how to keep costs and hassle to a minimum. What I'm planning to do is to buy a Spanish SIM card for my portable so that I can make calls in Spain and receive calls from home. To telephone home myself I am thinking of buying telephone cards.

Has anybody any better ideas? Or tips as regards buying a SIM card and telephone cards?

Eamann

 

[Deirdre]

Hello Eamann,

I think that sounds like a good plan. When you are in Valencia, it should be easy to get a SIM card - there are Phone House shops everywhere and of course there is always "El Corte Inglés"! Prepaid telephone cards are also easy to buy - usually at a "Tabaco" kiosk/shop.

Do you have to buy a new "plan" when you buy a SIM card in a another country? Please forgive my ignorance, but only one service here in the States uses a SIM card and so I'm not as familiar with changing them. I have a Spanish móvil that I bought some years ago and can continue to use just by paying for more minutes. I've used it to call everywhere in Spain and also to the US when I'm there. I just wondered if it might be simpler just to add €20-30 more minutes and call home as needed. Then you wouldn't have to worry about another card. I imagine Belgium is the same, but in Spain you can charge your phone minutes at any ATM machine.

Valencia is such a beautiful city! I hope you hve fine weather and a wonderful Camino!
Buen Camino,

 

[Javier Martin]

Hello Eamann

You only have to choose a new plan for your calls if you choose a postpaid plan. When a prepaid one I think all calls has the same prize. But, to have a telephone just for one month the best choice is a prepaid SIM.

The most economic option is to send SMSs always that is possible and to ask at your shop if the prize changes depending on the hour of your call.

¿From Belgium...? I'm not sure, but I think I have a guide from Alicante translated from a pilgrim from the Netherlands ... look for it in http://www.amigosdelcamino.com and, anyway, if you need something ask me, I'll try tohelp you if I can.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

 

[eamann]

Belated reply to Deirdre and to Javier

Thanks to both of you for going to the trouble of replying!

Please except my apologies for not answering sooner! Your replies arrived just as I was making ready to leave and I did not have the tiñe to do it then. And today is the first day I am able to do so from Spain.

What I did in the end is buy a Vodaphone SIM card giving me a Spanish number and I opted for a special deal which allows you to telephone ONE, and only one, telephone number in your hoñe country at 12 centimos a minute after 20h00.

May this feast of Easter bring light and new life into your lives!

Best wishes, froñ Villacanas, south of Toledo,

Eamann