StumpyDave
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Norte to Primitivo 7/22. Finistère/Muxia 8/22.
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Yesdo you then have a new Spanish phone number?
Only if you want them to know.Must you then give all of your contacts back home this new number so they know who is calling?
Yes, if you use SMS (phone-based) text messaging, which may or may not be included in the plan that you purchase with your SIM card. However, for all of the internet-based accounts that you have on your phone, such as emails, Facebook, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, you will be the familiar old StumpyDave.Do all your sent texts to family/friends show up (to them) as a strange number from Spain?
Yes, but the plan that you buy with the Spanish sim card probably won't include international texting. Most people in Spain use WhatsApp or another app to send texts. You can use it over wifi, and also make calls via WhatsApp. Or you can use Facebook Messenger or whatever app your friends and family use.Do all your sent texts to family/friends show up (to them) as a strange number from Spain?
Who do you have cell service with?I am in the USA.
November 2019, my cell automatically switched to Spain’s service.
I didn’t realize until I received a call from home.
There was no SIM card needed. No extra charges. Nothing. I used cell exactly as I did within USA.
Ask you carrier if they have an agreement with Spain.
Who do you have cell service with?
Sprint merged with T-mobile and I believe that they have the same type of international service now.I had Sprint at that time.
Yes, my Canadian phone will automatically find and use a service in Spain unless I keep it in airplane mode. But my plan will charge me their international rates.November 2019, my cell automatically switched to Spain’s service.
Thanks for that info, trecile. I am leaving for Italy soon, and I just upgraded my tMobil to "Magenta 55" or something like that, and supposedly I will have unlimited text and data, with phone calls at 25 cents per minute. Does this seem right to you? Also, are the phone calls 25 cents per minute within Italy only, or would that be the same for calls to the US? I have gotten conflicting answers from tMobil representatives, and also from their website, so am hoping you can tell me from your own experience. I wish tMobil was more knowledgeable about their services, but it does sound like the "Magenta" offers what I need.Yes, but the plan that you buy with the Spanish sim card probably won't include international texting. Most people in Spain use WhatsApp or another app to send texts. You can use it over wifi, and also make calls via WhatsApp. Or you can use Facebook Messenger or whatever app your friends and family use.
I'm in the US, and have been using my T-Mobile account for my overseas travels including my Camino trips. My regular monthly fee includes unlimited texting and data while I'm abroad, so I don't need to switch out my sim card. Google Fi has a similar plan. Other US based carriers have international plans that are a lot more expensive.
Yes, the texts to and from US numbers are free.Thanks for that info, trecile. I am leaving for Italy soon, and I just upgraded my tMobil to "Magenta 55" or something like that, and supposedly I will have unlimited text and data, with phone calls at 25 cents per minute. Does this seem right to you? Also, are the phone calls 25 cents per minute within Italy only, or would that be the same for calls to the US? I have gotten conflicting answers from tMobil representatives, and also from their website, so am hoping you can tell me from your own experience. I wish tMobil was more knowledgeable about their services, but it does sound like the "Magenta" offers what I need.
Not dumb questions at all. I’ve wondered the same thing.Hello everyone… I have heard purchasing a Spanish Sim card is the best way to go, as long as you are bringing a phone that is unlocked… (Which mine is.)
My question is, once you insert this Spanish SIM card, do you then have a new Spanish phone number? Must you then give all of your contacts back home this new number so they know who is calling? Do all your sent texts to family/friends show up (to them) as a strange number from Spain?
Sorry if these are dumb questions… I just want to be as prepared as possible for my upcoming Camino. Thanks in advance for your knowledge, experience and advice.
I did something like you did a month ago. I had been in the neolithic age of cellphone service with T-Mobile pay as you go since 2005. It was great phone service but without data and I was always asking for the wifi codes wherever I was. When I traveled to France and Spain, I would buy an Orange simcard and let contacts know my new number. BTW some of those stays were up to 6 months.Thanks for that info, trecile. I am leaving for Italy soon, and I just upgraded my tMobil to "Magenta 55" or something like that, and supposedly I will have unlimited text and data, with phone calls at 25 cents per minute. Does this seem right to you? Also, are the phone calls 25 cents per minute within Italy only, or would that be the same for calls to the US? I have gotten conflicting answers from tMobil representatives, and also from their website, so am hoping you can tell me from your own experience. I wish tMobil was more knowledgeable about their services, but it does sound like the "Magenta" offers what I need.
It depends on the company you choose for your simcard. I haven't been there for 2 years and I think there have been many changes lately to who has the best cellphone coverage in Europe, but I would recommend Orange. I have used them for 20 years.If I buy a Spanish SIM , I should be able to use it in France correct?
Will be landing in Barcelona and then flying to Geneva to walk to Le Puy. Then will make our way back to Leon.
I don't have direct experience, but I have read that people have had problems "topping off" their sim cards when they are in a different country than where they purchased the card.If I buy a Spanish SIM , I should be able to use it in France correct?
Will be landing in Barcelona and then flying to Geneva to walk to Le Puy. Then will make our way back to Leon.
Depends on the carrier, Orange is not a problemI don't have direct experience, but I have read that people have had problems "topping off" their sim cards when they are in a different country than where they purchased the card.
Edit: Another Rick who knows more than me to the rescue. See his post below.I plan on buying a SIM card in Lisbon. Will I need a new SIM card when I cross into Spain?
Thank you Rick, that is helpful, when I purchase it in Spain I will inform them I need to use data throughout EU (just Switzerland and France)Under EU law, the SIM card should continue to work when you cross between EU countries. That is, the phone number will keep working for talk and text. What MAY not keep working is the data plan, and that's the part most people really need. Some SIM card packages offer EU wide data, others are only for the home country. My Euro SIM has one price for data packages bought and used in its home country (France) and a higher price if I want to use data elsewhere in the EU. The talk and text part doesn't care where I am in the EU.
Thank you RickUnder EU law, the SIM card should continue to work when you cross between EU countries. That is, the phone number will keep working for talk and text. What MAY not keep working is the data plan, and that's the part most people really need. Some SIM card packages offer EU wide data, others are only for the home country. My Euro SIM has one price for data packages bought and used in its home country (France) and a higher price if I want to use data elsewhere in the EU. The talk and text part doesn't care where I am in the EU.
I bought a SIM card from Orange France and it worked in Spain too, but I could not buy those 'scratchy' recharge tickets in Spain for it, they told me that Orange Spain is a different company. There was a web address to buy more credits from Orange France but it turned out to be cheaper to just get a new SIM card from Orange Spain.Depends on the carrier, Orange is not a problem
Personally, I probably would have spent the extra money to retain the same EU phone number throughout my trip (I'm assuming it wasn't an outrageous extra cost). I'm not saying your choice was bad but I am trying to indicate what might end up being a non-obvious problem for others.I bought a SIM card from Orange France and it worked in Spain too, but I could not buy those 'scratchy' recharge tickets in Spain for it, they told me that Orange Spain is a different company. There was a web address to buy more credits from Orange France but it turned out to be cheaper to just get a new SIM card from Orange Spain.
While I am on a roll......Thank you Rick, that is helpful, when I purchase it in Spain I will inform them I need to use data throughout EU (just Switzerland and France)
Also get them to check that you have Roaming turned on for that SIM card in your phone settings. No roaming set then the phone wont work regardless of what plan you have.Thank you Rick, that is helpful, when I purchase it in Spain I will inform them I need to use data throughout EU (just Switzerland and France)
A good point.Personally, I probably would have spent the extra money to retain the same EU phone number throughout my trip (I'm assuming it wasn't an outrageous extra cost). I'm not saying your choice was bad but I am trying to indicate what might end up being a non-obvious problem for others.
Hi - I am not sure if this applies to France - but a couple of years back I travelled with my grandson and we bought a sim in Portugal but the minute we crossed the Spanish border we had no more connection - a lesson well learnt but we were able to buy a new one in the next town. I never knew this was how it worked - but now I do!!! Buen caminoIf I buy a Spanish SIM , I should be able to use it in France correct?
Will be landing in Barcelona and then flying to Geneva to walk to Le Puy. Then will make our way back to Leon.
I bought an Orange card in Barcelona in 2019 and used it for both voice and data in France for a few days. I returned to Spain so I can't tell you anything about topping the card off outside Spain.If I buy a Spanish SIM , I should be able to use it in France correct?
Will be landing in Barcelona and then flying to Geneva to walk to Le Puy. Then will make our way back to Leon.
There are already a number of responses to this that clearly indicate that this is quite uncertain. My most recent experience in Europe is that this only works if you register your SIM by identifying yourself. The SIM provider I used did offer a mechanism of doing that using a Swedish bank account, which I didn't have, or going to one of their company outlets, which was impractical once I learned that they weren't going to support the SIM once I had entered Norway. I reverted to using a Norse SIM that I had purchased on a previous trip at a company outlet where I had identified myself with my passport.If I buy a Spanish SIM , I should be able to use it in France correct?
Will be landing in Barcelona and then flying to Geneva to walk to Le Puy. Then will make our way back to Leon.
The link @Faye Walker provided here is to a press release from Feb 21 about the proposed policy that will come into effect on 1 Jul 22. Agreement to the new policy was announced on 9 Dec 21. The current roaming policy that applies up to then can be found here and the formal announcement of the policy that will be in place from 1 Jul 22 is here. There appear to be additional details in the formal announcement of the policy than in the proposed policy press release, but I think they mainly address supplier issues.Rather than go by people’s most recent experiences (mostly pre-COV) and over a stretch of years in which rules changes and experiences changed, try referring to this: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_653
This is 100% correct - must bring your passport to buy a SIM card.Don't forget to take your passport with you when find a store to buy a new SIM card. In 2011 we walked for miles around Madrid trying to find a Vodafone store. When we finally found one there was a long queue, so we were given a ticket and told to return in about 30 minutes. When we went back and it was out turn, we were told that we needed our passport to buy a sim card, which we didn't have with usYou also need a passport to buy a phone.
It is possible to buy a SIM card in many places without a passport, but my experience is that it becomes very difficult to 'register' the SIM. What I found was that the SIM then only worked in the country where it was purchased. Moreover, if you don't register it at the time of purchase, there is no guarantee that it will be easy or even possible to do so later. The company that I used required a national bank account as proof of identity for their on-line registration, something I didn't have, and had no bricks and mortar presence in the area I was walking.This is 100% correct - must bring your passport to buy a SIM card.
When we bought ours originally in Spain with a passport, we were able to enjoy continued use thru: UK, France, and Italy.It is possible to buy a SIM card in many places without a passport, but my experience is that it becomes very difficult to 'register' the SIM. What I found was that the SIM then only worked in the country where it was purchased. Moreover, if you don't register it at the time of purchase, there is no guarantee that it will be easy or even possible to do so later. The company that I used required a national bank account as proof of identity for their on-line registration, something I didn't have, and had no bricks and mortar presence in the area I was walking.
And I would recommend this approach if you want to roam through the EC countries. I haven't kept abreast of how the UK will be treated in future, but at present it is possible in Australia to pre-purchase a SIM that will work across the UK and EC.When we bought ours originally in Spain with a passport, we were able to enjoy continued use thru: UK, France, and Italy.
This is addressed in the new EC policy on roaming. It appears that you should be able to get the same level of data service that you have in your 'home' country - which for us would be the home country of the SIM! As I read the policy statement, carriers shouldn't bump you onto a lower bandwidth data service when you are roaming. How well this will be implemented is clearly still untested, but it does seem like a positive move for those of us who are a bit data hungry!The only issue was data speeds varied depending on which country we were in.
Okay. Orange has a big store near the Parallel Metro station. I mention this because after you are done there you can walk just a couple blocks to Sant Pau del Camp, a Romanesque monastery. A few euros will get you admittance and for a few more you can buy a credencial.What I will do in Barcelona when I arrive is most likely get an ORANGE SIM, and be sure to indicate that I am traveling to France and Switzerland and will need a more comprehensive plan. I will make sure my Roaming Feature is turned on, and I will ask how I can top off minutes . Keep the comments coming, please.
Not only have you furnished my with the Orange location but TAPAs as well. I just love this forum!Okay. Orange has a big store near the Parallel Metro station. I mention this because after you are done there you can walk just a couple blocks to Sant Pau del Camp, a Romanesque monastery. A few euros will get you admittance and for a few more you can buy a credencial.
And if you are still in the area in the evening the Barcelona tapas street is Carrer Blai, a short walk away.
For lodging see the rent thread
Sant Pau del Camp · C/ de Sant Pau, 99, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
âââââ · Churchmaps.app.goo.gl
Orange Partener
Botiga Orange · C/ de Sant Pau, 119, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
âââââ · Cell phone storemaps.app.goo.gl
Bombay Bill will you send the link to which card you purchased? Seems like there are many choices.@Suzanne A , I purchased my Spanish Orange SIM from Amazon delivered in advance to Canada. I was careful to purchase the full featured one and one that could be topped up. It was slightly more expensive but saved me a lot of hassle as I was pre and post Caminoing in France but wanted a Spanish number. I was then able to prepare the account with passport registration etc prior to arrival. Roamed flawlessly with data and voice.
You have to also massage your locally stored contacts and WhatsApp contacts so they have a full number. When you pop in the Spanish sim it won’t like a number like 403-555-1212 , it will want to see a country code so 1-403-555-1212 if you intend to contact someone back home. Best to check essential numbers before leaving.
Here is the list of country codes. Note that some codes are single digits (like 1 for Canada and the US) to four digits for other places (such as Puerto Rico).You have to also massage your locally stored contacts and WhatsApp contacts so they have a full number. When you pop in the Spanish sim it won’t like a number like 403-555-1212 , it will want to see a country code so 1-403-555-1212 if you intend to contact someone back home. Best to check essential numbers before leaving.
Oh shoot it’s unavailableThis one seems to be a good for all around usage. It’s critical to register your passport to enable all features.
Absolutely correct and very frustrating! The Orange sim I had purchased in France needed topping up after 3 weeks in Spain and that was impossible to do (outside French territory). I ended up purchasing a Spanish Orange sim for the last 5 days walking into Santiago de Compostella.I don't have direct experience, but I have read that people have had problems "topping off" their sim cards when they are in a different country than where they purchased the card.
They are a third of this price in Spain.This one seems to be a good for all around usage. It’s critical to register your passport to enable all features.
My experience is that it has become easier. You had to purchase the top up from a Tabac or such. It was an error prone experience in 2019. Last year in 2021, it was all done online and in English and very easy.Absolutely correct and very frustrating! The Orange sim I had purchased in France needed topping up after 3 weeks in Spain and that was impossible to do (outside French territory). I ended up purchasing a Spanish Orange sim for the last 5 days walking into Santiago de Compostella.
I topped up my Vodafone SIM online in Spain in May 2019.My experience is that it has become easier. You had to purchase the top up from a Tabac or such. It was an error prone experience in 2019. Last year in 2021, it was all done online and in English and very easy.
Warning:Thank you Rick, that is helpful, when I purchase it in Spain I will inform them I need to use data throughout EU (just Switzerland and France)
Was your phone paid in full? Sprint is telling me my iphone is locked and I would not be allow to add a new SIM card.The first thing I do when I arrive in Spain is buy a sim - in 2019 I bought a package for 20 Euro. The young man did the whole thing for me - I used my same number and was able to whats up my family and friends and could be in contact with my other pilgrims. I thought it was fabulous and I think I had to buy extra data some time later in the camino. I have been doing this now since 2017 and what a pleasure!!!
Unfortunately for you, if your phone is locked and Sprint refuses to unlock it, you won't be able to put a Spanish sim card in it. Canadian cell phones cannot be locked anymore. You need to check the laws in the USA and check your contract with Sprint. I dont know the US laws.Was your phone paid in full? Sprint is telling me my iphone is locked and I would not be allow to add a new SIM card.
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