Cell Phone Options

[Beth07]

Hello,
What is the best way to stay in touch with home while on the Camino? Is there access to computers and the internet in the Albergues? Is it costly and slow? Is it cheaper to use your phone for emails, texting? Is there wireless available? I am presently with Rogers in Victoria BC and a travel plan is $40 plus the $66 I presently pay. And the travel plan is only unlimited receiving, 100 sent texts and 100 min of voice. What would you suggest? thanks so much for your help.

 

[Bajaracer]

There are desktop computers at most albergues for 1 euro per 20 min on average, and most of them are slow, it is not cheaper to use your Rogers phone to call and text, wifi is available at most albergues.
If you can get Rogers to unlock your phone, you can switch out your Rogers SIM card with a Spanish SIM card which costs 15-20 euros with data and local calling minutes. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[jirit]

I just checked the Rogers travel package for $40 and it indicates the plan only covers 15 minutes of voice. That works out to nearly $3 per minute for a voice call, if you don't do any text messaging. It works out to $1.50 per minute for a voice call if you actually use all 100 text messages.

Not sure where it indicates the $40 zone 2 european travel package is good for 100 minutes of voice?

Please note the same package does not offer data, so if you plan to email family photos, etc watch out, you will get burned with the roaming data charges, unless you use wifi only. Does you phone support wifi?

At a $1.50 per minute beyond the initial 15 mniutes, you would be better served by buying a cheap disposal phone for making local Spanish calls only and/or taking a mobile Internet device for sending emails and making Skype calls.

If you current mobile device supports wifi and you can download Skype then use Skype to call folks back home or simply email them.

Orange offers a BIC phone which I used last time.

http://movil.orange.es/tienda-moviles/disenados-para-ti/bic-phone/

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Beware of the salesmanship in cell phone international options. My brother signed up for the $30 per month international service with AT&T. It came with about a 200mb data limit per month, which seemed enough. He got home and now has a bill close to $600 for the month. There are no warnings when limits are being exceeded, and some location service ate up data bandwidth at a horrendous rate. He did use Google maps for finding obscure roads when we were avoiding the rain. He thinks that may have been the problem. He did not do any texting, and had very limited international phoning.

My French, then Spanish, SIM chip worked as advertised, and cost about 15E per half month.

Don't be lured by cell phone company promises. They may obscure reality.

 

[piogaw]

Make sure your phone is unlocked, then wait for you to arrive in spain to buy a spanish sim card. You will save a lot of money. Best for sim card in spain is either vodafone or movistar.

Buen camino.

 

[MeganG22]

Just wanted to add another option- leave the phone at home! Of course this depends on how often you use it and feel you need to be in touch..... I was gone a total of 8 weeks, including 32 days of that on El Camino and LOVED not having my phone with me. Plenty of albergues and internet cafes along the way allowed me to check email whenever I desired (I of course made sure my family knew email was the way to reach me.)
Of course some might argue about emergencies- what do you do if something happens?? Fortunately there are so many people along every step of the Way that I never felt alone or out of touch or in danger.
To each his/her own of course! I've never been completely dependent on my phone in general- actually finally bought my first smartphone last week Just have to find the best plan for you!
Buen Camino!

 

[JALAN JAUH]

actually finally bought my first smartphone last week

Shows what a luddite you are.

 

[jimsantiago]

I am planning to pick up a SIM card at the Caminoteca in Pamplona when I pass through a few days into my walk.

 

[SYates]

Hello,
What is the best way to stay in touch with home while on the Camino? Is there access to computers and the internet in the Albergues? Is it costly and slow? Is it cheaper to use your phone for emails, texting? Is there wireless available? I am presently with Rogers in Victoria BC and a travel plan is $40 plus the $66 I presently pay. And the travel plan is only unlimited receiving, 100 sent texts and 100 min of voice. What would you suggest? thanks so much for your help.

Internet and wifi are plenty on the Camino, in albergues as well as in bars. Prices vary, sometimes free (but unsecured!, so be careful what you transmit) sometimes around 1 Euro per 15-20 min. If you can't get your phone unlocked, leave it at home and buy a very cheap one on arrival in Spain. If you can unlock it buy a Spanish SIM card, everything else, at least in my opinion, is far too expensive. Buen Camino!, SY

 

[Beth07]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. So helpful. All the best.

 

[jimsantiago]

Here is another option that may work, depending on how you want/need to communicate. If you can wait until you have WiFi access, then you might be able to use Skype with your iPhone or Android device. Just install the Skype app on your smartphone before you leave, create an account and load 10-20 Euros into your account. You will be able to call other Skype users (set up your family or loved ones with the app too) for free, and your Skype credits will be used when you call a landline or mobile anywhere in the world. It's very inexpensive.

 

[Beth07]

Just wanted to add another option- leave the phone at home! Of course this depends on how often you use it and feel you need to be in touch..... I was gone a total of 8 weeks, including 32 days of that on El Camino and LOVED not having my phone with me. Plenty of albergues and internet cafes along the way allowed me to check email whenever I desired (I of course made sure my family knew email was the way to reach me.)
Of course some might argue about emergencies- what do you do if something happens?? Fortunately there are so many people along every step of the Way that I never felt alone or out of touch or in danger.
To each his/her own of course! I've never been completely dependent on my phone in general- actually finally bought my first smartphone last week Just have to find the best plan for you!
Buen Camino!

You are so right. I will turn off all data etc and take my phone because of all the info I carry in it...but not use it for anything else. If I find I need a disposable when I get there I will buy one. I so appreciate all the help I have been given re my phone question. I will definately pass on the phone plan with Rogers.

 

[Beth07]

Beware of the salesmanship in cell phone international options. My brother signed up for the $30 per month international service with AT&T. It came with about a 200mb data limit per month, which seemed enough. He got home and now has a bill close to $600 for the month. There are no warnings when limits are being exceeded, and some location service ate up data bandwidth at a horrendous rate. He did use Google maps for finding obscure roads when we were avoiding the rain. He thinks that may have been the problem. He did not do any texting, and had very limited international phoning.

My French, then Spanish, SIM chip worked as advertised, and cost about 15E per half month.

Don't be lured by cell phone company promises. They may obscure reality.

You are right. I will pass on the phone plan. Thank you for your response.

 

[Beth07]

There are desktop computers at most albergues for 1 euro per 20 min on average, and most of them are slow, it is not cheaper to use your Rogers phone to call and text, wifi is available at most albergues.
If you can get Rogers to unlock your phone, you can switch out your Rogers SIM card with a Spanish SIM card which costs 15-20 euros with data and local calling minutes. PM me if you have any questions.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out! If I take out me Rogers Sim Card..will all my info still remain in my phone? Calendar items, notes, contacts? Thanks for your help.

 

[Beth07]

Thank you for taking the time to help me out! If I take out me Rogers Sim Card..will all my info still remain in my phone? Calendar items, notes, contacts? Thanks for your help.

*my

 

[Bajaracer]

All your phone settings will remain the same, contacts, notes, the only thing is you get a local number, the nice thing about an unlocked GSM IPhone or smartphone is all you have to do is change the SIM card for each country you visit.
Make sure Rogers unlocks your smartphone before you leave for Spain.

 

[PadreQ]

Take a look at simsforspain.com. I used them two years ago, very inexpensive and flawless. Sim cards and cheap unlocked phones.

 

[Anne100]

Take a look at simsforspain.com. I used them two years ago, very inexpensive and flawless. Sim cards and cheap unlocked phones.

Which package did you get ?

 

[NicoZ]

Thank you for taking the time to help me out! If I take out me Rogers Sim Card..will all my info still remain in my phone? Calendar items, notes, contacts? Thanks for your help.

Some of this may depend on what apps etc you're using.

For all the google apps (calendar,email,keep,mapping,drive,search,etc) when you get a new phone or tablet all you do is input your login info and it syncs the data for you. Just changing a SIM doesn't even require this.

Some times phones are set to save phone numbers/contacts to the SIM. If this is true you'll find a option to save the data to the phone. Do this before removing the SIM.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You will be able to call other Skype users

Most WiFi is in public areas, so you will be entertaining the entire group around you with your half of the conversation! Sometimes TMI...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Vodafone pay as you go offering for up to 5gb of data and a chip:

http://www.vodafone.es/tienda/parti...mcontrato&page_labelAux=tol_ip_iyf_im_imp_d_h

 

[indyinmaine]

If you go to Europe on a regular basis there are several places where you can obtain a "permanent" SIM card. All you have to do is recharge it once a year and these days you can do that on the web. If you aren't leaving for awhile, try www.europasim.com. I have my Vodafone chip from them.

 

[PadreQ]

I used the Lebara package - I am about to get another one - I still have the unlocked phone that I bought the first time. I had good coverage all over the Frances. Free incoming calls and the international rates are excellent for calling home to check in.

 

[lynnejohn]

Rogers will unlock your phone for $50 and then you can get a Spanish SIM card on a paygo plan when you get to Spain. Much less expensive than the "travel plan". Once your phone is unlocked you can also buy an American (or other) SIM card and use it the same way.

 

[jmcorrigan]

I just read that T-Mobile in the US is now offering free global data roaming and texting, plus a flat 20 cents charge per minute for calls internationally with their standard plans. It covers Spain.

 

[Bajaracer]

I just read that T-Mobile in the US is now offering free global data roaming and texting, plus a flat 20 cents charge per minute for calls internationally with their standard plans. It covers Spain.

Read the fine print.....

Additional charges apply in excluded destinations; included destinations subject to change at T-Mobile’s discretion. Qualifying postpaid Simple Choice plan and capable device required. Taxes additional; usage taxed in some countries. Voice and text features for direct communications between 2 people. Communications with premium-rate (e.g., 900, entertainment, high-rate helpline) numbers not included and may incur additional charges. Calls over Wi-Fi are $.20/min; texts over Wi-Fi are $.20 each. Coverage not available in some areas; we are not responsible for the performance of our roaming partners’ networks. Data at up to 2G speeds. No tethering.

I'm not keen on the 2G data speed, you still have to get a local SIM card if you want 3G/4G/LTE speeds on your smartphone.

 

[jmcorrigan]

I did read the fine print, even before you tried to assist my frail brain circuits. Given that it is a US cellphone company it's astounding that the rate is so low, even if it is 2G (which is just fine for emails). If you want to watch tv on your Camino, then no, it won't work for you.

The EU is in the process of reducing data roaming charges in stages, but just removing data roaming charges instead is a big leap, especially coming from the States where monthly plan rates are ridiculously high and foolishly using your Phone outside your network can lead to financial ruin.

Anyone from the US who is going to travel to, and through, Europe could benefit from T-Mobile's move. Small print or no. Buying SIM cards in every country with new cell numbers--all of which are international calls for family back home--is a pain in the ass. But incurring roaming charges is an even bigger pain in the ass.

I just wanted to bring the option to people's attention. It's one less thing they have to deal with when they get to Spain. But if you are a heavily-connected user, then this won't work for you. Obviously.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Buying SIM cards in every country with new cell numbers--all of which are international calls for family back home--is a pain in the ass.

It took me about ten minutes and cost 5 to 15E, which included that amount in phone and data service (the data plan is currently about 12E for a gigabyte, 60 minutes of calling, and 60 text messages). The Vodafone clerk did all the set up. All I had to do was pull out my wallet. My brother signed up for the ATT international service for $30 per month before he left home. He returned to a $800 data bill (he thought he had read the fine print)! He envied the pain in the ass I endured! You can get reasonable international rates as well:

Llamadas y SMS Internacionales
Con Vodafone Internacional hablarádesde 1 cent./min. a 60 país, las 24 horas y con solo un establecimiento de llamada de 25 cent
Consulta aquí todos los precios por destino y prefijos asociados.
SMS internacionales, las 24 horas: 60 céntimos.

The T-Mobile service requires a $50 basic plan, much more than the SIM with no contract from Vodafone. When you leave Spain, it does not cost a cent more...

 

[jmcarp]

Make sure your phone is unlocked, then wait for you to arrive in spain to buy a spanish sim card. You will save a lot of money. Best for sim card in spain is either vodafone or movistar.

Buen camino.

I don't mean to contradict you, but I have an unlocked quad-band GSM phone and used an Orange SIM card purchased from http://www.simsforspain.com/ and was quite happy with the coverage and cost. I chose the Orange Mundo plan which includes calls to the US and Canada for 1C (that's 1 cent or centime, not 1 Euro) per minute + 29C connection charge. Texts; however, were more expensive -- 71C for outgoing texts to the US and Canada (not sure of the cost for incoming texts, but I think it's less than that). I purchased additional minutes as needed at Orange stores in the larger cities.

I only recall one place where I could not acquire service, and that was in a rural area some distance from a highway. In contrast, my wife signed up for the Verizon global plan for her smartphone (voice/text only). It cost $4.99 for the plan, plus the per minute/per text rates as used. I don't recall those exact rates, but the per minute rate for voice was quite a bit higher than my Orange Mundo rate, while her rate per text message was less than mine. The problem, however, was that Verizon partners with Vodaphone in Europe, and my wife was seldom seldom able to acquire a signal outside of the larger cities.

We both used wifi for email and internet, and although nearly all the albergues and bars say they have wifi, we found that it was typically down or swamped and very slow due to bandwidth limitations. We also discovered that we usually had to be withing just a few feet of the wireless router to use wifi. In general we were pretty disappointed with wifi availabilty and effectiveness.

Whatever you do, unless you purchase a generous local data plan, keep the data function of your smartphone/iphone turned OFF or at least in airplane mode or else you'll end up with a big bill when you get home.

Jim

 

[piogaw]

hello jim,

i walked 2 caminos with orange pay as you go sim card. the camino frances from sjpdp to sdc did not give me any problem at all. my second camino this winter the vdlp from sevilla to sdc, i constantly have problems with connection. sometimes i was not able to use my cell phone for a whole week. being cheap in term of prices is no good if you can not access the internet.

i am only one person, but this was my actual experience. i was also told that the big companies in wifi provider are movistar and vodafone. that orange rents their lines from movistar.
.

 

[Bajaracer]

http://www.tuenti.com/movil?force_www=1 Tuenti Movil (uses Movistar network) has the best deals on SIM cards with data and local calling minutes, this is what I'll use for my next Camino, a better deal than Orange and better reception.