Buying SIM card in Madrid

[Novos]

Hello,

I'll be in Madrid a few days before i start my camino in Roncesvalles this August.
Which Sim card should i buy if i only want to have internet? What is the price range?

I went to Poland last year, had a SIM card of PLAY company, paid about 7 usd for 6 GB internet.

Thanks.

 

[Patrick Camino]

There's wifi in almost every albergue. Why would you buy a simcard?

 

[Shaun_Casteneda]

Hello,

I'll be in Madrid a few days before i start my camino in Roncesvalles this August.
Which Sim card should i buy if i only want to have internet? What is the price range?

I went to Poland last year, had a SIM card of PLAY company, paid about 7 usd for 6 GB internet.

Thanks.

If you feel the need to get a sim card for data I recomend Orange 10 Euro 1GB data its called hola targeta prepago, on the front of the packet there is a whale and a squirel.
Orange coverage is excellent over the camino and being pay as you go there is no contract, You will need your passport when you buy it. Correct there is wifi in most albergues but it tends to get switched off after 22.00 to make sure pilgrims got to bed !!!!

 

[Wiley Buckhorn]

Hello,

I'll be in Madrid a few days before i start my camino in Roncesvalles this August.
Which Sim card should i buy if i only want to have internet? What is the price range?

I went to Poland last year, had a SIM card of PLAY company, paid about 7 usd for 6 GB internet.

Thanks.

I bought a sim card at the airport in Madrid two days ago. They said it worked and that they had made calls. I didn't try it before I left. It doesn't work. $45 gone.

 

[SYates]

Wifi (free) is everywhere on the Camino Frances, no need to buy a SIM card only for that.
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Novos]

How about a sim only for calls? Any suggestions?

 

[C clearly]

Vodafone has a card for tourists, good for 30 days, voice and data, for 15 Euros. It's always a good idea to test it in the store.

 

[naplesdon]

I bought a sim card at the airport in Madrid two days ago. They said it worked and that they had made calls. I didn't try it before I left. It doesn't work. $45 gone.

Did you have your phone unlocked before you left?

 

[VNwalking]

A related word to the wise.
If you need web access for navigation (not on the CF, obviously, but for the more out of the way caminos) be sure that you have time to get the SIM before you head out.
This year I assumed I would be able to get a SIM for my phone in the Madrid Airport. But my flight was late so that was a no go.
No problem, I thought. I'll get it in Burgos. But I had forgotten about siesta--and I was off to to Santo Domingo de Silos before the shops opened up again. I needed the SIM to access maps and wikiloc--but because of the timing I was totally out of luck. (Fortunately I had downloaded some maps onto the phone and had downloaded screengrabs of a wililoc track 'in case.' 'In case' happened. But realtime map access would have been much much better.)

 

[Mysticl]

We got our SIM card from a large dept store in Pamplona. Can't remember what plan exactly but it was from Orange. Might have been the ballena (whale) plan (pay as you go after initial purchase, fairly inexpensive) but really can't remember We were able to top up as needed from almost any atm machine or the occasional vending machine or even by phone. Super easy but we did struggle a bit initially as we do not speak Spanish so the sales girl's attempt to help or answer our questions when we bought the card fell on deaf ears, so to speak. We eventually figured it out and were a little embarrassed at how easy it was .... The reason we wanted a sim was to keep in touch if we got separated and also in case of emergency and also to call ahead for reservations etc ... Not just for data