Is Whatsapp enough on the Primitivo?

[Peregrine]

Hi, All. I am aiming to do my first camino in September, on the Primitivo. I'm trying to decide between buying a physical sim card when I arrive or an esim I can install on my phone ahead of time and then activate when my plane lands. Having the esim installed before I leave will relieve some of my anxiety, but I see that esims provide data only, and not a Spanish phone number or the ability to make calls. That would leave me with Whatsapp as my only calling option. Do any of you veterans know if Whatsapp is sufficient on the Camino Primitivo or if I would be handicapped by relying on it alone?

 

[trecile]

I have never bought a Spanish sim card. I mostly use WhatsApp, but when I need to phone a landline or other number that doesn't have WhatsApp I use the Viber App. I purchase $5 of "Viber Out" credits, which allows me to make calls at the rate of 2¢ a minute, both within Spain and internationally, for instance if I need to call my bank in the US.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

 

[JCLima]

Hi, All. I am aiming to do my first camino in September, on the Primitivo. I'm trying to decide between buying a physical sim card when I arrive or an esim I can install on my phone ahead of time and then activate when my plane lands. Having the esim installed before I leave will relieve some of my anxiety, but I see that esims provide data only, and not a Spanish phone number or the ability to make calls. That would leave me with Whatsapp as my only calling option. Do any of you veterans know if Whatsapp is sufficient on the Camino Primitivo or if I would be handicapped by relying on it alone?

eSIMs can provide a phone number and the ability to make phones calls and send text messages, you just have to choose an eSIM that provides those services.

 

[Peregrine]

I have never bought a Spanish sim card. I mostly use WhatsApp, but when I need to phone a landline or other number that doesn't have WhatsApp I use the Viber App. I purchase $5 of "Viber Out" credits, which allows me to make calls at the rate of 2¢ a minute, both within Spain and internationally, for instance if I need to call my bank in the US.

Cheap International Calls Worldwide | Viber Out

Make free internet calls with Viber. Call friends and family on any landline or mobile phone with Viber credit, sign up today at Viber.com

account.viber.com

Thank you for this. That is very helpful. I’ll look for it.

 

[Rick Davidson]

I used Holafly in Italy. It worked perfectly. The WhatsApp connections also exceeded expectations. Streaming, data, etc., all worked perfectly. I watched the Giro with my cell data feed. You can also use FaceTime since it is also a data connection.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

eSIMs can provide a phone number and the ability to make phones calls and send text messages, you just have to choose an eSIM that provides those services.

Yes, correct. When you install the second SIM you tweak settings to indicate which SIM is the default for calls and texts and which is for data. You can change things though to what makes sense at the time of use.

 

[Pathfinder075]

My primary contract allows me 16GB of data in Europe. This year i intend to grab a prepay Movistar contract and add that sim to my phone to increase the data capability. A side effect of that is I will also have a Spanish number and some calling minutes.

As to whether WhatsApp is enough, I would say it depends on whether you need to call spanish numbers. If you don't then it will be fine. If you do then you need a local sim/esim or other package that affords you a local number.

If you need to make calls to Spanish numbers, having a local prepay esim is probably wise. If you are staying at albergues that don't allow reservations, i wouldn't bother.

 

[Peregrine]

eSIMs can provide a phone number and the ability to make phones calls and send text messages, you just have to choose an eSIM that provides those services.

I used Holafly in Italy. It worked perfectly. The WhatsApp connections also exceeded expectations. Streaming, data, etc., all worked perfectly. I watched the Giro with my cell data feed. You can also use FaceTime since it is also a data connection.

Yes, correct. When you install the second SIM you tweak settings to indicate which SIM is the default for calls and texts and which is for data. You can change things though to what makes sense at the time of use.

My primary contract allows me 16GB of data in Europe. This year i intend to grab a prepay Movistar contract and add that sim to my phone to increase the data capability. A side effect of that is I will also have a Spanish number and some calling minutes.

As to whether WhatsApp is enough, I would say it depends on whether you need to call spanish numbers. If you don't then it will be fine. If you do then you need a local sim/esim or other package that affords you a local number.

If you need to make calls to Spanish numbers, having a local prepay esim is probably wise. If you are staying at albergues that don't allow reservations, i wouldn't bother.

Thank you all for your advice on this. I had never heard of an esim until very recently, so it has been work making sense of them. I will look for one that gives me a phone number.

 

[trecile]

I would say it depends on whether you need to call spanish numbers. If you don't then it will be fine. If you do then you need a local sim/esim or other package that affords you a local number.

If you need to make calls to Spanish numbers, having a local prepay esim is probably wise.

As I posted above, I have never bothered to get a Spanish phone number, and have never had a problem using my data plan and wifi with messaging apps and a very small investment in Viber credits.

Thank you all for your advice on this. I had never heard of an esim until very recently, so it has been work making sense of them. I will look for one that gives me a phone number.

You will need to make sure that your phone will take an esim.

 

[Peregrine]

As I posted above, I have never bothered to get a Spanish phone number, and have never had a problem using my data plan and wifi with messaging apps and a very small investment in Viber credits.

You will need to make sure that your phone will take an esim.

Thank you, Trecile. My phone can handle esims, so I am all set in that regard.

 

[trecile]

Thank you, Trecile. My phone can handle esims, so I am all set in that regard.

BTW, If you do decide to get an esim with a Spanish phone number your WhatsApp number will not change, so that your friends and family back home can still contact you via WhatsApp at your original phone number.

Most of the inexpensive esims that you can purchase online don't included calling, but Holafly does. Their plans are a bit more expensive that some that you can buy from Airalo, but they say that they offer unlimited data and up to 60 minutes of phone calls.

 

[Peregrine]

BTW, If you do decide to get an esim with a Spanish phone number your WhatsApp number will not change, so that your friends and family back home can still contact you via WhatsApp at your original phone number.

Most of the inexpensive esims that you can purchase online don't included calling, but Holafly does. Their plans are a bit more expensive that some that you can buy from Airalo, but they say that they offer unlimited data and up to 60 minutes of phone calls.

Perfect. Thank you so much, Trecile.

 

[lt56ny]

BTW, If you do decide to get an esim with a Spanish phone number your WhatsApp number will not change, so that your friends and family back home can still contact you via WhatsApp at your original phone number.

Most of the inexpensive esims that you can purchase online don't included calling, but Holafly does. Their plans are a bit more expensive that some that you can buy from Airalo, but they say that they offer unlimited data and up to 60 minutes of phone calls.

I have a question for you. I always go to Vodafone to get a sim card and a cheap data/minutes plan. They always give you the choice of either keeping your telephone number or getting a Spanish telephone number. Last year before I started the Aragones I decided to keep my home telephone number. When I got to Canfranc I tried to activate my Alert Cops app with my Mexican number and it never went through as I never was able to get a code. Do you keep your American number? Have you ever experienced this problem. This year I will change to the Spanish number so I don't have to worry about it. I will be walking the Vasco Interior to Burgos on my first leg of this camino and I doubt I will see many pilgrims. Nice to have Alert Cops just in case.

 

[trecile]

I have a question for you. I always go to Vodafone to get a sim card and a cheap data/minutes plan. They always give you the choice of either keeping your telephone number or getting a Spanish telephone number. Last year before I started the Aragones I decided to keep my home telephone number. When I got to Canfranc I tried to activate my Alert Cops app with my Mexican number and it never went through as I never was able to get a code. Do you keep your American number? Have you ever experienced this problem. This year I will change to the Spanish number so I don't have to worry about it. I will be walking the Vasco Interior to Burgos on my first leg of this camino and I doubt I will see many pilgrims. Nice to have Alert Cops just in case.

I did have trouble with AlertCops this year on a new phone. It kept saying that the activation code was sent, but I never received it. Ultimately I emailed them, and after some back and forth they emailed me the code.

Here is a thread about the problem with AlertCops.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

Your post reminded me that I needed to post on that thread about how my problem was resolved.

 

[lt56ny]

I did have trouble with AlertCops this year on a new phone. It kept saying that the activation code was sent, but I never received it. Ultimately I emailed them, and after some back and forth they emailed me the code.

Here is a thread about the problem with AlertCops.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/alert-cops-sms-challenge.81231/

Your post reminded me that I needed to post on that thread about how my problem was resolved.

Thanks I will bookmark your thread. But I will use the Spanish phone number option again. As you said you don't lose your contacts and your contacts can continue to send you messages or calls on Whatsapp without changing my number.

 

[El Cascayal]

but I see that esims provide data only

Esims also provide phone calls & text. 2 years ago I used an esim from Orange Holiday which was cheap and plentiful. Once I figured out, 48h later, how to get data (WiFi), it worked very well. This one had a French number.
Since then I have popped in to a Vodafone store and had them install & reactivate their Vodafone SIM card with excellent coverage. This October I will try Movistar which according to my Spanish friends has better coverage in the boonies. I find it easier for me to let them install & set it up.
Buen Camino!

 

[trose]

Hi, All. I am aiming to do my first camino in September, on the Primitivo. I'm trying to decide between buying a physical sim card when I arrive or an esim I can install on my phone ahead of time and then activate when my plane lands. Having the esim installed before I leave will relieve some of my anxiety, but I see that esims provide data only, and not a Spanish phone number or the ability to make calls. That would leave me with Whatsapp as my only calling option. Do any of you veterans know if Whatsapp is sufficient on the Camino Primitivo or if I would be handicapped by relying on it alone?

I also use WhatsApp but when landing in Madrid I just stop in to the phone store at the airport and get a sim which they set up for me, simple and inexpensive. I’ve used esim in the past and simply prefer a physical sim. Either way enjoy your Camino!!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I’ve used esim in the past and simply prefer a physical sim.

In that case you may prefer to transfer your regular home plan to your eSIM and leave your physical SIM slot free for your travel needs. That way, instead of swapping SIM cards, you have the advantage of two networks. If you do this I suggest setting things up so the defaults are that the eSIM is used for calls and texts (so calls from home are gotten) and the SIM is used for data and WhatsApp if you have it.

 

[trecile]

In that case you may prefer to transfer your regular home plan to your eSIM and leave your physical SIM slot free for your travel needs. That way, instead of swapping SIM cards, you have the advantage of two networks

This also eliminates the chance of losing your home SIM card.

 

[gittiharre]

I never

Hi, All. I am aiming to do my first camino in September, on the Primitivo. I'm trying to decide between buying a physical sim card when I arrive or an esim I can install on my phone ahead of time and then activate when my plane lands. Having the esim installed before I leave will relieve some of my anxiety, but I see that esims provide data only, and not a Spanish phone number or the ability to make calls. That would leave me with Whatsapp as my only calling option. Do any of you veterans know if Whatsapp is sufficient on the Camino Primitivo or if I would be handicapped by relying on it alone?

I never bother with local Sim cards. Just use available wifi en route

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

I just finished hiking across 5 countries in Europe using only Watsapp. Never had a problem anywhere.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Holafly on an eSIM has been mentioned here. A new five minute video was uploaded this morning by YouTube tech guy Liron Segev talking about Holafly and how to install it to your phone's eSIM. He is even using it in Spain. You can skip the first minute if you want.

Edit: I went to Holafly.com and found it rather expensive. You do get an Austrian phone number though with 60 minutes of inbound calls and another 60 outbound.

 

[Canche]

Whenever I go to another country I buy a Sim card.

 

[KathyRugg]

I spent a day in Madrid before heading to SJPP. I stopped in at the Orange Store located in Puerta del Sol and they helped me purchase my e-sim and get it up and running. I had a Spanish phone number as well as a ton of data. The only “problem” is that each 28 days I had to renew, but it was way cheaper than my home carrier would have been. I think each 28 days was around 25€.

 

[Canche]

I spent a day in Madrid before heading to SJPP. I stopped in at the Orange Store located in Puerta del Sol and they helped me purchase my e-sim and get it up and running. I had a Spanish phone number as well as a ton of data. The only “problem” is that each 28 days I had to renew, but it was way cheaper than my home carrier would have been. I think each 28 days was around 25€.

I agree

 

[Helen O'Shaughnessy]

I live in NZ, but once in the EU I use a simple Tesco sim And pay a minimal amount for a month of calls text and data. Both SIM cards are kept in my phone, I can use my European sim in any EU country, so handy for me as I have family in Ireland and I travel to Spain, Portugal, France and Italy. I disable my NZ sim of course.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Here is some year old data I happened across yesterday:

During the third quarter of 2022, Spain was the European country with the highest WhatsApp penetration rate, with approximately 90 percent of its digital population using the over-the-top messaging service. Italy ranked second with a penetration rate of 89 percent, while Portugal followed with over 88 percent of the internet users in the country using the Meta-owned service.

The webpage has a bar chart showing values for another 10 countries.

WhatsApp penetration rate in Europe 2022 | Statista

During the third quarter of 2022, Spain was the European country with the highest WhatsApp penetration rate, with approximately 90 percent of its digital population using the over-the-top messaging service.

www.statista.com