The recent discussion about this reminded me of my own anxieties preparing to walk the remote Via De La Plata in January. Like any walk in a remote area if you are walking on your own, as I was, it is sensible to let people know when/where you are leaving and when/where you expect to arrive. Stretches of the VdlP are so remote that it is only sensible to take a mobile phone ( and a whistle and compass! ) - what I discovered before going and checked out with Ivar today is that:
112 is the number to use for real emergencies.
It works all over Europe - I tried it on my UK mobile - it isn't stored
in my mobile phone book but when I dialled it up it came as EMERGENCY - so the phone recognised it.
Significantly it works even if you have no money in a pre paid phone or even if your supplier has no network - it is universal. Ivar says there does have to be some reception from another of the networks though
It works 24/7 365 days - and the operators speak in many languages
In confirming this Ivar also said:
"The important thing to remember is that you need to have cellphone
coverage (coverage by any mobile operator). Most any corner of Spain
has coverage by either Vodafone, Movistar or any other... but let's
say high up in the Pyrenees there may be spots with no coverage by any
operator. In these spots 112 would not work. I have lived in Spain for
almost 3 years now and have yet to find a spot with no coverage, but
it is important to know about it.
For a coverage map of Spain by Movistar (one of the biggest mobile
operators in Spain) have a look here:
http://www.cobertura.movistar.es/"
I found this very reassuring and I hope others do too.
112 is the number to use for real emergencies.
It works all over Europe - I tried it on my UK mobile - it isn't stored
in my mobile phone book but when I dialled it up it came as EMERGENCY - so the phone recognised it.
Significantly it works even if you have no money in a pre paid phone or even if your supplier has no network - it is universal. Ivar says there does have to be some reception from another of the networks though
It works 24/7 365 days - and the operators speak in many languages
In confirming this Ivar also said:
"The important thing to remember is that you need to have cellphone
coverage (coverage by any mobile operator). Most any corner of Spain
has coverage by either Vodafone, Movistar or any other... but let's
say high up in the Pyrenees there may be spots with no coverage by any
operator. In these spots 112 would not work. I have lived in Spain for
almost 3 years now and have yet to find a spot with no coverage, but
it is important to know about it.
For a coverage map of Spain by Movistar (one of the biggest mobile
operators in Spain) have a look here:
http://www.cobertura.movistar.es/"
I found this very reassuring and I hope others do too.