Euros and Sim card near Madrid airport.

Sr Don Dinero

Roger Lopez
Sep 20, 2022
2
6
Chicago
Time of past OR future Camino
October 2022
Hello everyone, I will be going on my first Camino. It will be the popular Frances route and I will start in Leon on or close to Oct. 6. My question is: Is there a good bank or other place to exchange my dollars for Euros at a fair price near the Madrid airport? And I want to know where I can go to get a Sim card for my phone near the airport as well. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.

C clearly

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 28, 2007
12,137
1
42,373
BC, Canada
Time of past OR future Camino
Most years since 2012
Hi @Sr Don Dinero . You might want to read this thread about changing dollars cash to Euros.

I always get about €300 before traveling and then withdraw from an ATM, using my bank card, when I am down to €100. There is no reason to carry dollars over.

How are you getting to Leon? It would be easier to find a phone store or kiosk in the city (either Madrid or Leon) near the bus and train stations, than "near" the airport.
 

trecile

Moderator
Staff member
Feb 19, 2016
20,030
3
62,629
Southern Oregon
Time of past OR future Camino
Francés, Norte, Salvador, Primitivo, Portuguese
I agree with @C clearly. There is no need to bring US dollars, other than what you will need on your way over and on your return to the US.

You will get the best exchange rate by using your debit card at a bank ATM.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

Susan Peacock

Active Member
Jun 1, 2015
499
1,355
Jacksonville,FL
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances/SJPP '15,'16,'18,'19,('20)
Way of St. Francis, Italy 2017
Portuguese/Finisterre 2018, 2019
Easy to get a SIM card at the Madrid airport. I usually get one at the Tech n Fly store. You can look online for the location at your arriving terminal. I believe last time, after getting my luggage I had to go upstairs to the stores before security. Even the luggage store had SIM cards.
 

Wfhd

New Member
May 22, 2019
4
2
Spain
Time of past OR future Camino
1 (2019)
Hello everyone, I will be going on my first Camino. It will be the popular Frances route and I will start in Leon on or close to Oct. 6. My question is: Is there a good bank or other place to exchange my dollars for Euros at a fair price near the Madrid airport? And I want to know where I can go to get a Sim card for my phone near the airport as well. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
If you take the metro into Madrid from the airport there is a kiosk right at the metro, before you take the stairs down to the platform, that sells SIM cards. An Orange SIM card with a huge amount of data and 800 minutes of talk time costs 20€.
 

Tavo18

New Member
Jan 17, 2018
3
6
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2016)
Hello everyone, I will be going on my first Camino. It will be the popular Frances route and I will start in Leon on or close to Oct. 6. My question is: Is there a good bank or other place to exchange my dollars for Euros at a fair price near the Madrid airport? And I want to know where I can go to get a Sim card for my phone near the airport as well. Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
When I made the Camino Francés, I exchanged my Canadian dollars for euros at my bank before traveling. But now I would compare prices from the ATM withdrawals abroad.
 
Ideal pocket guides for during & after your Camino. Each weighs only 1.4 oz (40g)!
Jan 19, 2016
8,495
26,834
Suburb of Boston, Mass., USA
Time of past OR future Camino
Us:Camino Frances, 2015 Me:Catalan/Aragonese, 2019
Check out this webpage. It tells who sells SIM cards, where they are (and has a picture of the shop), what the network is, what the plan and price is.
 
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Jul 2, 2019
15
18
Kansas City
Time of past OR future Camino
CF Sept 2019
CF Sept 2022
Costa Sept 2023
Search google maps for atms when you get to Leon. There are many, we used 1 in the main post office yesterday.
We bought an Orange sim at the Tienda Orange store on Plaza Santo Domingo. 20 Euro with enough capacity for us. Many options. Our choices were driven by our errands on Friday.
 
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tlandry

New Member
Mar 11, 2020
15
32
Canada
Time of past OR future Camino
Portuguese 2019
French 2022
Easy to get a SIM card at the Madrid airport. I usually get one at the Tech n Fly store. You can look online for the location at your arriving terminal. I believe last time, after getting my luggage I had to go upstairs to the stores before security. Even the luggage store had SIM cards.
SIM cards at airport are expensive, go to a Movistar store in Leon and they had a 10 Euro card with 20gb data and 30 days in June
 
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€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.

Susan Peacock

Active Member
Jun 1, 2015
499
1,355
Jacksonville,FL
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances/SJPP '15,'16,'18,'19,('20)
Way of St. Francis, Italy 2017
Portuguese/Finisterre 2018, 2019
SIM cards at airport are expensive, go to a Movistar store in Leon and they had a 10 Euro card with 20gb data and 30 days in June
I didn't find the SIM card to be expensive at the airport. This is what I paid recently
 

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