Buying a Spanish SIM Card

[Travel Diva]

I like to use a phone for emergency - does anyone know that I could buy a Spanish SIM card and use it pay as you go to charge it up? I am a diabetic and just want a phone for emergencies.
Will there be a phone shop in Logrono, Rioja as I am starting from there Sept 3.
I have a German Vodafone SIM card and it accepts free inbound calls from my home, does Spanish cell companies provide similar service? I don't want to stat my walk without a phone.
thank you.

 

[piogaw]

I like to use a phone for emergency - does anyone know that I could buy a Spanish SIM card and use it pay as you go to charge it up? I am a diabetic and just want a phone for emergencies.
Will there be a phone shop in Logrono, Rioja as I am starting from there Sept 3.
I have a German Vodafone SIM card and it accepts free inbound calls from my home, does Spanish cell companies provide similar service? I don't want to stat my walk without a phone.
thank you.

 

[piogaw]

Hello, there are plenty of phone shop in logrono. You can also try el corte ingles, a big department store. Bring your passport.

Good luck and buen camino.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

I had that idea once and bought a Spanish sim card but the girl in the shop could not get it to fit into my phone.
So I bought a Spanish phone €29 and it had €30 credit.
This might be a possibility for you

 

[nreyn12]

Travel Diva, the answer is yes, definitely. There are several main carriers in Spain, with Orange, Vodafone, and Movistar being the most abundant; at least one of those will have a shop in Logrono. As long as your phone is 'unlocked', you should have no trouble getting a Spanish SIM. Rate plans change regularly, so it's not possible to say exactly how much calls will cost you, but this spring I saw two offers - 1 cent a minute/text and 9 cents a minute/text - both with a 15 cent connection fee. That was with Orange, which I've heard are more likely to have English-speakers on hand.

I think you can get started for as little as 10 euros, but certainly not more than 20. Your hotel or albergue host can direct you to a local shop, or at the very least, to the very helpful Tourist Information office. And if you haven't already been to Logrono, be sure to plan some time to enjoy the tapas culture. This city has three whole streets dedicated to tapas bars!

Enjoy and good luck,

 

[Al the optimist]

I'm no great techie, but here is my tupence worth. As I understand it a spanish sim will work in any inlocked phone. Whether it needs to be unlocked if the two sims are from the same supplier (ie UK Orange and Spanish Orange), though I will know this next week as I will be in Spain purchasing a PAYG sim. My girlfriend called in an Orange shop for me the other day and says that Orange are doing a 10 euro sim with 1 centimo a minute/text but no data. This needs to be used at least once ever six months to remain usable, after which it would need to be re registered (I guess that would be 10 euros again).
This suits me as I could use my UK chip and WiFi when available, which it is at her home and many places on the camino. I will explore the other options. I will post here when I have to more info.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Internity Vodafone
Camino De La Tejera, s/n
C.C. Alcampo Parque Rioja
26006 Logroño, Spain
internity.es
+34 607 51 26 05

 

[NH pilgrim]

I don't own a smartphone. I'm thinking on buying (through the apple web store) an unlocked i phone 5. I'm assuming I can buy a SIM card at the airport in Madrid and get the phone to work in Spain (?). If I want to try it at home (USA) prior to my Camino trip next month, do I have to "sign up" with some carrier or is it possible to do the same thing here (buy a SIM card) and get service here? I don't want to "sign up" if I don't have to. Help!

 

[Bajaracer]

I don't own a smartphone. I'm thinking on buying (through the apple web store) an unlocked i phone 5. I'm assuming I can buy a SIM card at the airport in Madrid and get the phone to work in Spain (?). If I want to try it at home (USA) prior to my Camino trip next month, do I have to "sign up" with some carrier or is it possible to do the same thing here (buy a SIM card) and get service here? I don't want to "sign up" if I don't have to. Help!

I brought my factory unlocked iPhone 5 with me and bought an Orange prepaid SIM card in Madrid airport, all they needed to see was my passport, costs 15 euros with 1GB of data for a month, I had to add an additional 5 euros for voice/text credit. You don't have to "sign up" for any carrier if you buy the unlocked version directly from the Apple store, I use T-Mobile in the US with a no contract SIM card, I am able to switch from my US SIM card to my prepaid TELCEL (Mexico) SIM card when I travel down there as well, I have used 3 different SIM cards since I bought my iPhone 5 and all have worked with no problems and no crazy data bills when I get home. PM me if you have any questions.

 

[NH pilgrim]

I brought my factory unlocked iPhone 5 with me and bought an Orange prepaid SIM card in Madrid airport, all they needed to see was my passport, costs 15 euros with 1GB of data for a month, I had to add an additional 5 euros for voice/text credit. You don't have to "sign up" for any carrier if you buy the unlocked version directly from the Apple store, I use T-Mobile in the US with a no contract SIM card, I am able to switch from my US SIM card to my prepaid TELCEL (Mexico) SIM card when I travel down there as well, I have used 3 different SIM cards since I bought my iPhone 5 and all have worked with no problems and no crazy data bills when I get home. PM me if you have any questions.

I brought my factory unlocked iPhone 5 with me and bought an Orange prepaid SIM card in Madrid airport, all they needed to see was my passport, costs 15 euros with 1GB of data for a month, I had to add an additional 5 euros for voice/text credit. You don't have to "sign up" for any carrier if you buy the unlocked version directly from the Apple store, I use T-Mobile in the US with a no contract SIM card, I am able to switch from my US SIM card to my prepaid TELCEL (Mexico) SIM card when I travel down there as well, I have used 3 different SIM cards since I bought my iPhone 5 and all have worked with no problems and no crazy data bills when I get home. PM me if you have any questions.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. This is VERY Helpful. How do you go about buying the US SIM card?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I'm assuming I can buy a SIM card at the airport in Madrid

I have always used Vodafone, which seems to have a better network than Orange, but they do not have SIM cards in the airport, at least by my search. Movistar also has a reputation for good network coverage. Orange in Spain seems to have the most complaints. Orange in France gets the best reviews, but the French SIM chip does not work in Spain except with huge roaming charges. Vodafone in England does not work in Spain, except, again, with huge roaming charges. Vodafone from Spain does work in Portugal, I am told.

 

[Bajaracer]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. This is VERY Helpful. How do you go about buying the US SIM card?

Go to any local T-Mobile store and buy a nano SIM card from them, http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card and install http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5163 and turn on the phone and go through the set up. After your phone is set up to your liking, all you have to do when you travel outside the US is buy a local prepaid SIM card with data and install and turn it on, you'll get a local number and you can use it like you would at home http://tiendamoviles.tuenti.com/tarjeta-sim-prepago?d=1 this is the best deal for a Spanish prepaid SIM card that I have seen, 12 euros for the SIM card.

 

[NH pilgrim]

Go to any local T-Mobile store and buy a nano SIM card from them, http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card and install http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5163 and turn on the phone and go through the set up. After your phone is set up to your liking, all you have to do when you travel outside the US is buy a local prepaid SIM card with data and install and turn it on, you'll get a local number and you can use it like you would at home http://tiendamoviles.tuenti.com/tarjeta-sim-prepago?d=1 this is the best deal for a Spanish prepaid SIM card that I have seen, 12 euros for the SIM card.

Thank you! This is the most helpful reply I have received on this subject. Thank you again for taking the time of looking up the sites and posting.