Madrid Airport - Cell plan

[GuyA]

Hi...will be walking the Camino Primitivo next May. Flying in to Madrid and then likely to Oviedo same day. I was hoping to setup a cell phone plan between flights in the airport...Vodafone, Orange or other however can’t find any information on how to do this.

Appreciate any suggestions....

Thanks

Guy

 

[Stripey Socks]

I understand that many of the mobile phone companies have outlets at the airport including Orange. Mel

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is a store that sells electronics that has SIMs for Orange, Vodafone, and other companies. They will install and test your service. It is the least perfumey store in the mall, so follow your nose!

 

[Dennis52]

Hi...will be walking the Camino Primitivo next May. Flying in to Madrid and then likely to Oviedo same day. I was hoping to setup a cell phone plan between flights in the airport...Vodafone, Orange or other however can’t find any information on how to do this.

Appreciate any suggestions....

Thanks

Guy

When I bought my SIM card there was an outlet as you come off the plane which was much higher priced than the outlet at the subway.
I paid 20€ for my plan.

 

[J Willhaus]

music, electronics and photography - Aeropuerto Madrid-Barajas - Aena.es

www.aena.es

This is the madrid airport shops link. There appear to be at least two different vendors with cell phone cards at this time. I would check again shortly before you go.
Good luck?

 

[Tincatinker]

Hi...will be walking the Camino Primitivo next May. Flying in to Madrid and then likely to Oviedo same day. I was hoping to setup a cell phone plan between flights in the airport...Vodafone, Orange or other however can’t find any information on how to do this.

Appreciate any suggestions....

Thanks

Guy

Can’t help on the sim-card question but do note that Oviedo airport is nowhere near Oviedo. You might find you’ll have time, while waiting for a bus or train from Madrid, to pick up a sim from an urban retailer rather than pay airport premiums

 

[Anniesantiago]

I had no problems with Vodafone on the Madrid route.

 

[biggmick]

Hi...will be walking the Camino Primitivo next May. Flying in to Madrid and then likely to Oviedo same day. I was hoping to setup a cell phone plan between flights in the airport...Vodafone, Orange or other however can’t find any information on how to do this.

Appreciate any suggestions....

Thanks

Guy

This may not apply to you Guy but just to let people from outside Europe know, it's free to roam your mobile phone service from one EU country to another. To be more specific, If you use a Sim card from one EU country in another EU country the charges are the same as if you were still in the original country. This applies to calls, texts and data. It applies to calls and texts to all other EU countries (only once you have left the original country) So if you buy a Sim in France and then travel to Spain, you can call anywhere in the EU at the same rate as the tariff in France. This applies to Pay as you go, including any add on packs. It also applies to contract plans with inclusive minutes, texts and data.
This will apply on Sims from the UK at least till the end of 2020 (when the UK is planned to leave the EU). IT will probably apply after this date as well but better to check at the time.
Its worth noting that Spanish Mobile companies are not considered very competitive on price compared to other EU countries.

 

[GuyA]

Many thanks for the great info...also found out that Orange allows one to purchase a plan online and have the SIM card shipped to a home address. When you arrive at your destination plan is automatically activated once the SIM card is inserted as long as you have an unlocked phone and allow roaming.

Have anyone successfully used this approach?

Happy Holidays!

Guy

 

[J Willhaus]

I had understood that you could not purchase outside of Spain. We had to show ID etc as non-citizens with our purchase. Perhaps the law has changed, but that was implemented after terrorist attacks in Madrid some years ago.

 

[GuyA]

Hmmm...many thanks for the heads up...definitely need to do more homework here.

Guy

 

[J Willhaus]

We use T Mobile which offers free data and low cost calls with our regular US plan. We use that in Spain with Whatsap. Don't know what service you have in Canada?

We also have an old school flip phone with a Spanish number mainly for use when we are hospitaleros. We just add 5 Euros to it every year to keep the number active. We don't use it much.

 

[Juspassinthru]

GuyA,

Spain does require that you register your SIM if it’s a Spanish number so you can get a Spanish SIM in the US but to activate it you need to provide your passport at a physical location in Spain. As mentioned previously, if you get a French, German, etc. SIM, there is no secondary registration step and, as noted there is no roaming charge within the EU. If you buy your SIM in Spain, they register it at the same time. Personally, I get an EU SIM from another country and skip the extra step, I normally use 3UK but the whole Brexit mess may kill that option. Good luck, Buen Camino.

 

[GuyA]

GuyA,

Spain does require that you register your SIM if it’s a Spanish number so you can get a Spanish SIM in the US but to activate it you need to provide your passport at a physical location in Spain. As mentioned previously, if you get a French, German, etc. SIM, there is no secondary registration step and, as noted there is no roaming charge within the EU. If you buy your SIM in Spain, they register it at the same time. Personally, I get an EU SIM from another country and skip the extra step, I normally use 3UK but the whole Brexit mess may kill that option. Good luck, Buen Camino.

Many thanks...the prepaid Orange plan I was looking at provided a UK phone number so it would seem that I can get the plan, SIM card ahead of time in Canada and activate on my own upon arrival. If it costs a bit more to do this not concerned for peace of mind.

Cheers
Guy

 

[Juspassinthru]

The plus to a UK number is that the menu is in English, as noted, this may not be an option after 2020.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Forgot to mention but you probably know, calling will require entering the country code, Spain is +34 if your SIM is not from a Spanish provider.

 

[Jackdaniels]

I bought Lebara prepaid SIM in a shop at T4. Second floor, right side, as I remember. They also selling other staff, not SIM only.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you get a Spanish SIM then hotels, albergues, taxis and so on can call you without making an international call (and possibly they may not want to). On the other hand, you can only use the carrier for that SIM. If the carrier has bad coverage where you are then you can't connect. With a foreign SIM roaming in Spain your phone can connect to any tower around.

 

[Jackdaniels]

Depends what you need. If you live outside Europe, calls and mobile internet can be expensive. From other side, throw out your SIM after Camino. I had no problem with that carrier, almost everywhere had coverage and 4G.