Cell phones and Sim Cards

[vanrobin]

I guess that a lot of people take their cell phone not only to use for communication but as a camera. The quality of photos is certainly great, saving weight and space. I use my cell not to phone out particularly but so that my wife can phone me from Vancouver after my day and at the beginning of hers. My query however is regarding getting a Spanish SIM card. This spring I was on the Norte arriving by ferry from England and I was able to get a SIM card and very reasonable monthly plan in Santander at a Vodaphone store. However, if one starts the Frances at SJPP one is in France and if one arrives via Bayonne presumably one has to wait until one gets into Spain to get a card; however, I sense that there are no outlets of the major providers in the smaller towns where one can get a plan as opposed to an off the shelf card. If one arrives at SJPP via Madrid or Barcelona I suppose one can get a card and maybe a plan at the airport, but I think at more expense unless there is an actual phone shop. It would be good to hear of the experiences of other pilgrims. Thanks.

 

[C clearly]

Your phone will still work with your Canadian plan, which is adequate for emergency use but rather expensive for a lengthy conversation. Do you use wifi or text messaging? If so, you could agree to use email or a brief daily text until you reach Pamplona. Or, call for less than 1 minute and pay the $2.

Another alternative would be to fly to Bilbao, spend a night to help with jet lag, look at the Guggenheim museum, buy your SIM card, bus to Pamplona, have Istvan pick you up to stay the next night at Corazon Puro, get driven to SJPP, and then start walking.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

There is another great way to go, @vanrobin. On our last Camino I bought my Spanish sim card from this online company (http://www.simcardspain.es/en/) and they mailed me an activated sim card to my house on Vancouver Island. They carry all the big carriers and it worked perfectly allowing me to have a functioning phone plan when I arrived in the country. During the trip I was also able to top up my pay as you go directly from my cell phone although it certainly isn't a hardship to top up at the many stores along the way. Buen Camino, Jordon.

 

[SYates]

Do you still have your SIM card from this spring? If yes, you could just re-activate/re-load it? Buen Camino, SY