Spanish SIM card or AT&T World Call Rates - Which is best?

wrjohnsonjr

New Member

Time of past OR future Camino

I plan to walk September 2014

• Jan 24, 2014

• #1

AT&T European voice call rates are:

For making and receiving calls in the Europe Region:
Monthly
Charge
Included
Minutes
Per-Minute
Overage
$30
30($1.00/min)
$1.00
$60
80($0.75/min)
$1.00
$120
200($0.60/min)
$1.00

Without the package, the Pay-Per-Use Rate in Europe Region (France & Spain included) is $1.50/min.

*** Would a Spanish SIM card for an iPhone 5 be a better cost option?

 

Bajaracer

Camino Frances 2013 Jun-Jul SJPDP to Finisterre

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Frances (2013) Jun-Jul SJPDP to Finisterre

• Jan 25, 2014

• #2

That's still expensive to call back to the US, with a Spanish SIM, incoming calls are free, with AT&T you'd be paying for incoming calls.
My advice would be to get AT&T to unlock your iPhone 5 and get a prepaid Spanish SIM with data and leave a prepaid calling card at home with family or friends to have them call you for less than $0.10 a minute.
I brought my unlocked iPhone 5 and used an Orange SIM with data that I bought for €15 with 1GB data and added a total of €30 for voice credit throughout my Camino.
My advice is to get a Spanish SIM from Tuenti Movil, for €18, you get 1.5GB of data and 150 local minutes with free incoming calls.

 

daesdaemar

Camino-holic

Time of past OR future Camino

Camino Ingles - twice

• Jan 25, 2014

• #3

I got a Vodaphone SIM card that I put in my Nokia and was able to call back to the USA after 8 PM for 18 cents/minute. Great deal!

 

grayland

Veteran Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Yes

• Jan 25, 2014

• #4

wrjohnsonjr said:

AT&T European voice call rates are:


*** Would a Spanish SIM card for an iPhone 5 be a better cost option?

Click to expand...

The answer is very simple. Any U.S. carrier will be much, much more expensive than s Spanish SIM.

This is a fact.

 

nreyn12

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Walked (2005) (2007) (2008) (2009) (2010) (2011) (2012) (2013) (2014) (2015); Guide 2013-2016

• Jan 26, 2014

• #5

Last year Orange had an international plan that allowed you to call the US for one cent per minute, any time, plus a 15 cent connection fee. I think you needed to invest only 10-20 euros to get started. Of course you must have an unlocked phone.

 

neverlost4good

Active Member

Time of past OR future Camino

April 2015

• Mar 6, 2015

• #6

If I buy a SIM card in Madrid to put into my unlocked iPhone 5, will all my apps disappear?

 

grayland

Veteran Member

Donating Member

Time of past OR future Camino

Yes

• Mar 6, 2015

• #7

The prepaid Spanish (0r other) SIM has no effect on any app or anything else downloaded on your phone.
However....if your contacts are only stored on your home SIM, you would not have access to them.
It is pretty simple to download them from the SIM to the phone memory.
It is unlikely that this is the case.