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Please forgive the following very basic questions. I have read through a number of cell phone threads, but I am so unversed in this subject, I just want to confirm that I understand this process and my anticipated situation. (FYI, my prior caminos were all in the pre-cellphone era!)
I currently use a Samsung Galaxy Note 1. As it is close to three years old, I intend to upgrade in the next month. After upgrading to a new phone, the Note will then be purely for travel.
I would like to take that old Galaxy Note on our camino. We want to have a local phone for emergencies/booking, and we want to be able to Skype and email home (USA) occasionally, and we want to use it "offline" as well, for maps/guidebooks/Kindle and document storage. So....
I would remove my old SIM card from the Note, correct? I would need to get a charger that would work in Spain. And I will also need to ask that it be "unlocked"?
Without a SIM and a service contract, will it still function as a just WiFi device? So we will still be able to access the internet, and we will still have access to my Contacts, and be able to email or WhatsApp them whenever we come across a WiFi signal?
Then, when we get to Spain, we can go to a mobile store like Vodaphone, Orange or Movistar and get a Spanish SIM that can be easily "recharged" as needed.
That will give us local call minutes that we can use for emergencies or booking ahead.
It will give us SMS, which is for sending/receiving texts.
It will give us Data, which is for accessing the internet when WiFi is not available.
Do I understand all this correctly?
Do these Spanish SIMS also allow affordable international calls?
Also, we will be in France on the GR-10 for the first 5-6 days. Will we need a French SIM for that time? And we anticipate spending our last 2-3 weeks in Portugal. Would we swap out the SIM again?
Does this seem the best/easiest way to go in my case? Is there anything I am missing or misunderstanding?
Thanks!
I would remove my old SIM card from the Note, correct? I would need to get a charger that would work in Spain. And I will also need to ask that it be "unlocked"?
Without a SIM and a service contract, will it still function as a just WiFi device? So we will still be able to access the internet, and we will still have access to my Contacts, and be able to email or WhatsApp them whenever we come across a WiFi signal?
Then, when we get to Spain, we can go to a mobile store like Vodaphone, Orange or Movistar and get a Spanish SIM that can be easily "recharged" as needed.
That will give us local call minutes that we can use for emergencies or booking ahead.
It will give us SMS, which is for sending/receiving texts.
It will give us Data, which is for accessing the internet when WiFi is not available.
Do I understand all this correctly?
Do these Spanish SIMS also allow affordable international calls?
Also, we will be in France on the GR-10 for the first 5-6 days. Will we need a French SIM for that time? And we anticipate spending our last 2-3 weeks in Portugal. Would we swap out the SIM again?
!
I fully agree with that suggestion, and it saves a lot of money. I use an iPod touch in Europe (not only on the Camino) at the numerous WiFi spots and in Spain (or any other country for that matter) a 10 Euro SIM into the cheapest unlocked cellphone for "just in case". (I found that Orange had reasonably good coverage everywhere, but I also have a Vodafone cheapy). Ultreya![...]I wouldn't bother with data as wifi is incredibly wide spread on the Camino Frances, so, if you can survive max one day without it you don't need this option in your SIM card. Buen Camino! SY
e I offered about you don't need to worry about sim cards. Because you do.
Edit ... ah fug. I googled the Galaxy after I posted. I thought all smart phones were "global phones" now, but apparently the Galaxy isn't. Deleting all the brilliant and totally irrelevant advice I offered about you don't need to worry about sim cards. Because you do.
I used an old HTC phone with an old SIM card (no current credit on it so, to make it work for WIFi and listening to music, I just set it on Flight mode for the entire time. .... this worked beautifully for me.Please forgive the following very basic questions. I have read through a number of cell phone threads, but I am so unversed in this subject, I just want to confirm that I understand this process and my anticipated situation. (FYI, my prior caminos were all in the pre-cellphone era!)
I currently use a Samsung Galaxy Note 1. As it is close to three years old, I intend to upgrade in the next month. After upgrading to a new phone, the Note will then be purely for travel.
I would like to take that old Galaxy Note on our camino. We want to have a local phone for emergencies/booking, and we want to be able to Skype and email home (USA) occasionally, and we want to use it "offline" as well, for maps/guidebooks/Kindle and document storage. So....
I would remove my old SIM card from the Note, correct? I would need to get a charger that would work in Spain. And I will also need to ask that it be "unlocked"?
Without a SIM and a service contract, will it still function as a just WiFi device? So we will still be able to access the internet, and we will still have access to my Contacts, and be able to email or WhatsApp them whenever we come across a WiFi signal?
Then, when we get to Spain, we can go to a mobile store like Vodaphone, Orange or Movistar and get a Spanish SIM that can be easily "recharged" as needed.
That will give us local call minutes that we can use for emergencies or booking ahead.
It will give us SMS, which is for sending/receiving texts.
It will give us Data, which is for accessing the internet when WiFi is not available.
Do I understand all this correctly?
Do these Spanish SIMS also allow affordable international calls?
Also, we will be in France on the GR-10 for the first 5-6 days. Will we need a French SIM for that time? And we anticipate spending our last 2-3 weeks in Portugal. Would we swap out the SIM again?
Does this seem the best/easiest way to go in my case? Is there anything I am missing or misunderstanding?
Thanks!
I have one device, an unlocked GSM iPhone 5, I bought it through T-Mobile and paid it off in full a couple of months later and T-Mobile unlocked it for me.
I've used it with SIM cards from T-Mobile, Telcel Mexico, Orange in Spain, SMART Phillipines, and finally AT&T. That's five different SIM cards on one device, the only things I need to bring are the plug adapters for the country I'm visiting and a paper clip to change SIM cards.
Since you'll be traveling for close to two months, it would be cheaper to buy a local SIM with data and have your US phone service suspended for the time you'll be away.
From my experience, having a fully functioning smartphone with local data service can be a godsend.
For the price of a couple of bad pilgrim meals, you can have local service with data.
Quick question? I would rather buy the sim card on line and have it mailed to me...just less hassle, tho I have read that I can likely buy one at the Madrid airport. My question is...are they difficult to "set up"? I can unlock my phone and get my US card out...but once I put the Spain sim card in...am I off and running?
... My question is...are they difficult to "set up"? I can unlock my phone and get my US card out...but once I put the Spain sim card in...am I off and running?
Quick question? I would rather buy the sim card on line and have it mailed to me...just less hassle, tho I have read that I can likely buy one at the Madrid airport. My question is...are they difficult to "set up"? I can unlock my phone and get my US card out...but once I put the Spain sim card in...am I off and running?
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