- Time of past OR future Camino
- St Mary MacKillop Camino
Frances Sept 22
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Yes, no problems whatsoever. If you’re unsure of the process then buying the eSIM at an actual ‘phone shop (every decent sized town) with actual real staff should sort you out.Hi has anyone purchased an eSim for your phone (in Spain) and used this separately to your home country sim? Providing your phone is eSim compatible, you won’t have to remove your home numbers physical sim. Just wondering if anyone has done this and the benefits/problems. Thanks
Hi Lucy, I finished the CF last Wednesday and used Airalo for my ESim provider. I was very pleased with the speed/performance etc. You get data only, so I used WhatsApp for text messaging and phone calls. Only challenge was loading via QR code from a different device or printed. I just opened the QR email from my iPad and hit it with my phone. No problems. Also, their instructions are very clear and easy to follow. I will be using them again!Hi has anyone purchased an eSim for your phone (in Spain) and used this separately to your home country sim? Providing your phone is eSim compatible, you won’t have to remove your home numbers physical sim. Just wondering if anyone has done this and the benefits/problems. Thanks
RecommendationsAmazing technology! So, this app, Airalo, is actually an internet provider? Does this mean you will have WiFi when it is otherwise unavailable, in a town, on the road? Will someone who has used it please comment a little more? @USMC-Pilgrim, should we install it prior to leaving home? Thanks
SInce I am a technology moron I am not sure of what an eSIM is as opposed to a regular sim card. When I arrive in Spain my first stop is at a Vodafone office. They have very cheap plans that are either 28 or 30 days. Orange also has good plans). The person helping you does everything. GIves you a new Spanish telephone number and I am off. I pay about 20 Euros. I get more than enough calling minutes for Europe. (I walk in late fall /early winter and call albergues ahead to make sure they are open.) and Spain. I have no one to call in Europe so that is fine. I get a ton of data to use internet. It is no matter if where I am staying has wifi or good wifi, I can call my wife and my two kids in Mexico or New York on Whatsapp or Facetime. I have to call my wife every day to prove I am alive still. I never have run out of minutes or data. I get a text when I have to reload. I also walk long distances so I need two months. I go to the link they send me and I can recharge my phone in about 30 seconds. The link is in a few languages. Even though I speak Spanish OK I still use the English language link. It is really easy.Yes, no problems whatsoever. If you’re unsure of the process then buying the eSIM at an actual ‘phone shop (every decent sized town) with actual real staff should sort you out.
With a suitable iPhone (for example); just scan the QR code with your camera and follow the prompts.
Henry, one of the folks that I walked with did exactly as you describe. She was very pleased with the service and cost.SInce I am a technology moron I am not sure of what an eSIM is as opposed to a regular sim card. When I arrive in Spain my first stop is at a Vodafone office. They have very cheap plans that are either 28 or 30 days. Orange also has good plans). The person helping you does everything. GIves you a new Spanish telephone number and I am off. I pay about 20 Euros. I get more than enough calling minutes for Europe. (I walk in late fall /early winter and call albergues ahead to make sure they are open.) and Spain. I have no one to call in Europe so that is fine. I get a ton of data to use internet. It is no matter if where I am staying has wifi or good wifi, I can call my wife and my two kids in Mexico or New York on Whatsapp or Facetime. I have to call my wife every day to prove I am alive still. I never have run out of minutes or data. I get a text when I have to reload. I also walk long distances so I need two months. I go to the link they send me and I can recharge my phone in about 30 seconds. The link is in a few languages. Even though I speak Spanish OK I still use the English language link. It is really easy.
One final thing. I have walked the VDLP and the Norte all the way. The Norte, after the split from the Primitivo becomes pretty isolated and you are way in the country. The VDLP in many places can be described as desolate. I have ALWAYS had a signal to use my phone whether it was data or to make a call.
Very helpful! Thanks so much! I think it will be perfect when I walk El Salvador to have internet availability.Recommendations
1. Create the Airalo account and download the app anytime. www.airalo.com.
2. Purchase the ESIM and activate it once in the country or Region of interest.
3. The ESIM loads as "Unknown Number". Samsung Sim Card Manager permits renaming, so mine is Spain. See below.
4. The ESIM provides data only, so when you have a cell signal, you have access to data/wifi. I found it to be speedy quick whenever I had at least 1 bar of signal.
5. I learned about Airalo from a couple I met randomly on a cruise ship. No association or endorsement beyond it was simple to use and provided good service.
Hope that helps.
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Can you tell me how much date you used a month? I’m looking at their Eurolink plans for 30 days 5gb is $20, and 10gb is $37. We plan to use it only for GPS and WhatsApp and WiFi for everything else when we can. I don’t want to spend extra $$ for two months on two phones if I don’t need to.Hi Lucy, I finished the CF last Wednesday and used Airalo for my ESim provider. I was very pleased with the speed/performance etc. You get data only, so I used WhatsApp for text messaging and phone calls. Only challenge was loading via QR code from a different device or printed. I just opened the QR email from my iPad and hit it with my phone. No problems. Also, their instructions are very clear and easy to follow. I will be using them again!
There is a lot of free WiFi in Spain, you just have to search for a signal. I found WiFi available in most squares, and it was good quality, as well.Can you tell me how much date you used a month? I’m looking at their Eurolink plans for 30 days 5gb is $20, and 10gb is $37. We plan to use it only for GPS and WhatsApp and WiFi for everything else when we can. I don’t want to spend extra $$ for two months on two phones if I don’t need to.
I figured as much but trying to figure out how much data I need while there. We will only be using Google maps and whatsapp.There is a lot of free WiFi in Spain, you just have to search for a signal. I found WiFi available in most squares, and it was good quality, as well.
From the user's perspective, an eSIM does the same thing as a physical SIM. The reason to have both, is so you can have access to both your home phone number and a second Spanish number, on your phone without having to physically extract and change SIM cards in your phone. Instead you switch between phone plans by changing settings. (Of course you still need to pay whatever charges your home plan might have for roaming while you use your home SIM in Spain.)I am not sure of what an eSIM is as opposed to a regular sim card.
I hope this helps. The iSIM is new but this webpage describes it too.I am not sure of what an eSIM is as opposed to a regular sim card
I only call myself a tech idiot because I have had to depend on my kids for years and years to explain everything to me. You know how sensitive they can be with parents haha. When I get my new sim card installed most of my contacts are still in my phone. I do not know why but they are. The ones that aren't are not anyone I would call anyway. In this way also I do not have to pay for the additional costs that you speak of. I also send a quick email before I go that if anyone needs to call me because of some type of emergency and they can't reach me they can call my wife or kids and they can get in touch with me. Anything else can wait until after I get back home. Like I said for me at least, just going to Vodafone makes it so, so much simpler for me.From the user's perspective, an eSIM does the same thing as a physical SIM. The reason to have both, is so you can have access to both your home phone number and a second Spanish number, on your phone without having to physically extract and change SIM cards in your phone. Instead you switch between phone plans by changing settings. (Of course you still need to pay whatever charges your home plan might have for roaming while you use your home SIM in Spain.)
I don't have an e-sim because my phone doesn't allow it, but I look forward to this feature when I get a new phone.
P.S. I don't understand most of the technology, either, but it is because I haven't bothered (and don't intend) to learn those details. I do wish people would stop calling themselves tech morons/idiots as if there were two camps of people. We all need to learn these new developments, and we pick and choose which ones matter to us enough to bother with.
- Not-a-moron, just learning
That seems to be a huge drawback to me. I thought that one of the most important reasons to get a local Sim would be to have a local phone number to call businesses, and to give them to call you back.One concern is Airalo is DATA only! You will not have Euro phone number. So people cannot phone you and you cannot phone them as with a regular land line phone.
So I wanted to make sure you saw this reply Bill but I didn't want to quote too much.Sooooo
Do you mean that you would first need to set your 2-factors in the bank app, to include the Spain SIM number instead of your home number?then your bank sends a text message to the SIM card which gets sent to you over in Spain
I was writing assuming that the home (Canadian) SIM was still installed in the phone.Do you mean that you would first need to set your 2-factors in the bank app, to include the Spain SIM number instead of your home number?
Please don't adopt a category! We all need to pick and choose which complications are worth the learning effort. And what is not worthwhile now might become so, later, and vice versa.What do you think I am, some kind of Luddite??!!
Luddite - Schmuddite! I'm getting a new phone. Bells and whistles here I come!Please don't adopt a category! We all need to pick and choose which complications are worth the learning effort. And what is not worthwhile now might become so, later, and vice versa.
(1) I only used airplane mode when on wifi at a known location with secure wifi.Very helpful! Thanks so much! I think it will be perfect when I walk El Salvador to have internet availability.
The next obvious questions in order to use this, will you need to on phone
1) inactive airplane mode
2) if you inactivate airplane mode, then will you receive calls on physical SIM card on your phone
3) is there a way to bypass physical SIM card on phone to use e SIM preferentially
Also a tech moron.
I gotCan you tell me how much date you used a month? I’m looking at their Eurolink plans for 30 days 5gb is $20, and 10gb is $37. We plan to use it only for GPS and WhatsApp and WiFi for everything else when we can. I don’t want to spend extra $$ for two months on two phones if I don’t need to.
extra points for using the term Luddite!Luddite - Schmuddite! I'm getting a new phone. Bells and whistles here I come!
There's more to an eSim than that... I don't know what it is but 3 months ago researching it a regular Vodafone 20€ sim card with 10 GB and calling everywhere (I'm in the US today having just got back and it works fine here...) I used my sim card "wide open" meaning I didn't go thru any extra effort searching out wifi, I posted to FB during the day, used Whatsapp a lot and traveled after doing the Camino to Spain, Portugal and France.... Never a glitch, never exceeded 5 GB ... I'm not a video watcher and as a Camino traveler, you won't be watching much eitherHi has anyone purchased an eSim for your phone (in Spain) and used this separately to your home country sim? Providing your phone is eSim compatible, you won’t have to remove your home numbers physical sim. Just wondering if anyone has done this and the benefits/problems. Thanks
You can cut down the amount of data used by Google Maps, possibly all of it, if you download maps ahead of time when you have WiFi. The attached video shows how but I noticed a difference between it and the version I use. For me I have to get to the menu with the Offline maps option by clicking my avatar on the top right of my phone's screen. Also, the presenter doesn't comment on the fact that each name in the list of maps has a menu accessed by the three vertical dots to the right of the map name to Update, View, Rename or Delete. I suggest having a map for each stage incorporating an area a bit larger than the stage you plan on walking. Have maybe five downloaded. Delete the one walked that day and download the next one you don't have if you have WiFi. If you don't have WiFi you still have a few days to try to download again. Rename the maps to something like Stage01 (I'd add the 0 for days 1-9 so numeric order and alphabetical order give you the same list order).I figured as much but trying to figure out how much data I need while there. We will only be using Google maps and whatsapp.
You are the opposite of a tech nerd!, I am a total tech nerd and really don't want to spend my time learning all about some new technology
Well, I too, finally puchased a T-mobile plan and an Iphone. No need to worry about siim cards. Thanks to a post a while ago by Trecile, I explored T-Mobile as a provider. So far so good! Much simpler!To Lucy 3095,
Here is my totally worthless 2 cents worth of advice.
First, I understand you are from Oz and all the advice you are getting is from the US and Canada. So the first thing I would do is talk to your current provider and ask them for advice. The Forum is not really a place for authoritative technology information.
Second, I am in the same boat as It56ny and C clearly, I am a total tech nerd and really don't want to spend my time learning all about some new technology that is going to change before my next visit to Spain.
For many years when I traveled I would buy an Orange simcard with data and a French or Spanish number and inform my family regarding my new number.
I recently purchased an iPhone13 from T-Mobile with a US eSim including International service for about $75USD/month, there was no need to to buy a new simcard when I travel to the Euro Zone in May to change my phone service. I could call and receive any form of communication from friend in Europe and the US and access data up to a point and that glitch was quickly resolved by one phone call back to the US.
I just looked at the Orange site. You can purchase an eSim from them and activate it immediately before you leave. You will get data and a Euro French phone number valid for 14 days. This can be extended by registering your identity. The cost of the Orange eSim is comparable to Airalo with the added advantage of receiving a phone number. see https://travel.orange.com/en/offers/europe/Hi has anyone purchased an eSim for your phone (in Spain) and used this separately to your home country sim? Providing your phone is eSim compatible, you won’t have to remove your home numbers physical sim. Just wondering if anyone has done this and the benefits/problems. Thanks
They normally ask to see you passportI just looked at the Orange site. You can purchase an eSim from them and activate it immediately before you leave. You will get data and a Euro French phone number valid for 14 days. This can be extended by registering your identity. The cost of the Orange eSim is comparable to Airalo with the added advantage of receiving a phone number. see https://travel.orange.com/en/offers/europe/
Yes I remember that in the past. But last year it seems I did it online. I filled out some stuff and sent a picture of my passport et voila it was done.They normally ask to see you passport
See above1) inactive airplane mode
2) if you inactivate airplane mode, then will you receive calls on physical SIM card on your phone
3) is there a way to bypass physical SIM card on phone to use e SIM preferentially
See aboveThe second concern is the nefarious 2 factor authentication used by many banks. Disabling your normal sim and using your new eSim means you cannot receive that critical text message with the code.
Not reallyThis is so important and yet, soooo complicated!!
Thank youa sim is a sim e or otherwise
No needHow will I enable this second plan? By switching the tiny little cards back and forth or by having 2 codes in my phone and choosing how each works".
Hi once I have loaded the Airald esim onto my phone in Australia. When I arrive in Spain what number will be used in Spain to make local calls from my phone to find accomodation etc.. Will it be my Australian number?Recommendations
1. Create the Airalo account and download the app anytime. www.airalo.com.
2. Purchase the ESIM and activate it once in the country or Region of interest.
3. The ESIM loads as "Unknown Number". Samsung Sim Card Manager permits renaming, so mine is Spain. See below.
4. The ESIM provides data only, so when you have a cell signal, you have access to data/wifi. I found it to be speedy quick whenever I had at least 1 bar of signal.
5. I learned about Airalo from a couple I met randomly on a cruise ship. No association or endorsement beyond it was simple to use and provided good service.
Hope that helps.
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Have you spent much time in Paris?Thank goodness as I think the only time I’ve ever been spoken to rudely in France was in an Orange store trying to register my passport.
May I ask, please, @biarritzdon if there was a technical problem with T-mobile phone, or plan, which required you to call back to USA We will be using this plan in September and I wanted toknow if I should expect a glitch when we use T-Mobile in Spain.I recently purchased an iPhone13 from T-Mobile with a US eSim including International service for about $75USD/month, there was no need to to buy a new simcard when I travel to the Euro Zone in May to change my phone service. I could call and receive any form of communication from friend in Europe and the US and access data up to a point and that glitch was quickly resolved by one phone call back to the US.
I've been using t-mobile on trips abroad, including 6 Caminos for many years and haven't had any problems.May I ask, please, @biarritzdon if there was a technical problem with T-mobile phone, or plan, which required you to call back to USA We will be using this plan in September and I wanted toknow if I should expect a glitch when we use T-Mobile in Spain.
Marbe2,May I ask, please, @biarritzdon if there was a technical problem with T-mobile phone, or plan, which required you to call back to USA We will be using this plan in September and I wanted toknow if I should expect a glitch when we use T-Mobile in Spain.
I've been using t-mobile on trips abroad, including 6 Caminos for many years and haven't had any problems.
If I need to make phone calls I use apps like WhatsApp and Viber that work on wifi or my free cellular data rather than pay t-mobile's 25¢ a minute.
Sorry to hear about your health issues! Be well and thanks for your explanation.Marbe2,
The problem I had was a result of a misunderstanding by the salesperson from whom I purchased my new phone and plan. I explained that I travel often and also want to talk to friend in France and Spain from the US and vica versa. It tuned out that the plan they sold me did not have sufficient data to do what I normally do every day in the US, i.e. free wifi from anywhere 24/7. I had to buy extra data several times during the time I was there in April/May. When I returned to the US I asked T-Mobile for an explanation and a refund, and all I got a lot of mumble-jumble about the plan I had was not able to do this or that like I had explained to the salesperson. Bottom line, for few dollars more per month I was able to add more data availability to my plan and failed getting a credit for "my" supposed misunderstanding about what I thought I had purchased.
My advice is to talk to T-Mobile and explain to them exactly what you expect your phone to do for you while you are overseas.
Unfortunately for me after all this BS, I have found out I can no longer travel overseas due to health issues but at least I can still call friends in France.
If you are not a Spanish resident you can only get prepaid subscriptions. And I haven't seen those in Spain as an eSIM. The way to work around this could be to convert your current subscription at home into an eSIM and then buy a regular SIM card on a prepaid subscription in Spain.Hi has anyone purchased an eSim for your phone (in Spain) and used this separately to your home country sim? Providing your phone is eSim compatible, you won’t have to remove your home numbers physical sim. Just wondering if anyone has done this and the benefits/problems. Thanks
No problem as long as you don't want to make phone calls to make reservations. If you use more than a day or two of roaming from your Canadian plan, you will pay the cost of a Spanish plan for a month.Any one see a problem for me?
Thanks for your reply. My plan is not to roam or use my phone for any calls, I'm hoping in October there won't be a need to reserve accommodations.No problem as long as you don't want to make phone calls to make reservations. If you use more than a day or two of roaming from your Canadian plan, you will pay the cost of a Spanish plan for a month.
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