Spanish Mobile Phone in Portugal

[lindam]

Hello,
Please forgive me if the answer to this question is obvious but I have little experience with mobile phones. (I have so far been actively avoiding the purchase of a Smart Phone and am hoping to get away without one for as long as possible). I have an old-fashioned mobile flip-phone (i.e, not a Smart Phone) with a SIM card which I add money to from time to time (in Spain from Spanish company Movistar). I intend on taking my phone with me on the Portuguese route later this year. I will be using the phone only in the case of an emergency or if I feel that it is necessary to reserve any accommodations along the way. My question is: will I be able to use this phone in Portugal and, if need be, will I be able to add additional time to my SIM card while there? Thanks for any advice on this issue.

 

[Swift3]

Hello,
Please forgive me if the answer to this question is obvious but I have little experience with mobile phones. (I have so far been actively avoiding the purchase of a Smart Phone and am hoping to get away without one for as long as possible). I have an old-fashioned mobile flip-phone (i.e, not a Smart Phone) with a SIM card which I add money to from time to time (in Spain from Spanish company Movistar). I intend on taking my phone with me on the Portuguese route later this year. I will be using the phone only in the case of an emergency or if I feel that it is necessary to reserve any accommodations along the way. My question is: will I be able to use this phone in Portugal and, if need be, will I be able to add additional time to my SIM card while there? Thanks for any advice on this issue.

I think you'll need a Portuguese SIM card. You can get one in the town you start in. Buy what you think will be enough minutes initially, and if you need to, top it up as you go. Keep your Spanish SIM card and switch back to it once you cross back over the bridge into Tui.

 

[dougfitz]

There are a few things to consider, primarily what the roaming arrangements are on your current contract and whether it will be cheaper to get a Portuguese SIM for the time you are there.

 

[sulu]

Hi lindam, You can use your Spanish phone in Portugal, if it is pay-as-you-go you may not really notice the extra cost should you have to use it. I took mine when I did the Portugues and I had no problem, though I'm not sure that I ever used it, I couldn't manage a conversation in Portuguese.
In fact the border is not well defined, I took the train from Vigo to Ourense with my pay-as-you-go and it kept telling me that I was in Portugal

 

[SYates]

If you only use it occasionally just use it as it is, you will anyway cross back into Spain ;-) Buen Camino, SY

 

[jmcarp]

I recall a thread from a while back (too lazy to search for it) that mentioned that starting sometime soon the EU rules for mobile phone service providers were going to change, and allow SIM cards from one country to work in all EU countries--assuming network compatibility of course. Is that true, or was I just dreaming?

 

[Bradypus]

You can use a Spanish SIM while in Portugal and vice versa. You will be charged a premium for calls and data while in the "foreign" country. Whether you can use a Portuguese SIM in your Spanish phone is more complicated - is the handset unlocked or tied to a particular network (in your case Movistar)? If you are only going to use the phone very occasionally in Portugal there seems little point in changing your SIM. The extra charge for roaming is already capped at a low level within the EU and by mid-June this additional charge will be abolished.
https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/roaming-tariffs

 

[PLT]

Thanks for the information about making calls in Portugal with a Spanish SIM card. I'm Australian and will be arriving in Spain then walking the Camino from Portugal. After that I cross back to Portugal and yes - not a very well planned trip, but had some constraints.

My question relates more to data - which Spanish SIM will give optimal use of data in both Spain and Portugal? I'm thinking 3 MG for a 5 week period will be plenty. I expect to make some calls but data is the main consideration.

Many thanks

 

[jmcarp]

Thanks for the information about making calls in Portugal with a Spanish SIM card. I'm Australian and will be arriving in Spain then walking the Camino from Portugal. After that I cross back to Portugal and yes - not a very well planned trip, but had some constraints.

My question relates more to data - which Spanish SIM will give optimal use of data in both Spain and Portugal? I'm thinking 3 MG for a 5 week period will be plenty. I expect to make some calls but data is the main consideration.

Many thanks

The link posted by @Bradypus is good information, especially if you'll be in Spain and Portugal after tomorrow (June 15) when the roaming charges are dropped. My wife and I recently returned from the Camino Portugués, and we initially purchased a Vodaphone SIM card in Portugal. This card supposedly would work in Spain also (as well as the rest of Europe), but when we entered Spain, it quit working and I had to buy a Spanish SIM card for that portion of the journey. It wasn't a big deal other than the hassle, since the cards were only 15€ each. But to answer your question regarding which SIM card to purchase, I'd say based on my experience on both the Camino Francés and the Camino Portugués, I'd go with Vodaphone for widest coverage in both countries. For Spain only, at least on the CF, I'd go with Orange. However, assuming the discontinuance of roaming fees, it may not really make a difference as long as you stay with one of the dominant players (Vodaphone, Orange, Movistar) -- just go with whichever offers the best package of minutes, texts, and MB of data.

 

[Bajaracer]

Thanks for the information about making calls in Portugal with a Spanish SIM card. I'm Australian and will be arriving in Spain then walking the Camino from Portugal. After that I cross back to Portugal and yes - not a very well planned trip, but had some constraints.

My question relates more to data - which Spanish SIM will give optimal use of data in both Spain and Portugal? I'm thinking 3 MG for a 5 week period will be plenty. I expect to make some calls but data is the main consideration.

Many thanks

Start shopping for the best prepaid SIM card with data that meets your needs.
http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Europe

Vodafone has a good deal with the Megayuser package, 7gb data, 60 min in calls, with roaming for €20.
https://www.vodafone.es/c/particula...as-prepago-y-recargas/tarifas-prepago/?tab=01

 

[notion900]

@lindam @PLT @jmcarp
Up to date article about roaming from Spain to other EU countries. Open in Chrome for translation.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Promotional deals come and go. Hard to plan. Also, how much time do you really want to spend on saving a couple of € searching for the store or kiosk offering the best deal. I just buy from the closest store/kiosk I can find.

 

[Marluch]

Can someone who has purchased a Sim Card in Portugal verify it is useable in Spain? I saw a posting in Feb 2017 stating it was, but I would like a more recent post to double check. I plan to be in Portugal to begin the Camino at Porto (two weeks) and then 1 week in Spain. I'm bringing a five year old Android phone. Once the Sim Card is installed do you have to add Euros to a particular provider in the respective country? I'm from the US.

 

[lindam]

I was on the Camino in Portugal last year with an old phone with a Spanish Sim card and a contract with Movistar in Spain (as I live in Spain). I was unable to add Euros to my card in Portugal as they do not provide service with Movistar. Therefore, I would suggest that you determine whether or not the company with whom you have purchased your SIM card is supported in Spain and that you will be able to add money to it in another country (i.e., as you purchased the card in Portugal). Hope this helps.

 

[Marluch]

Thank you.