Advice on phone carriers and banking options for Australians on the VdlP

[Glade]

Hi everyone, i was wondering if anybody from Australia had any tips on what carrier to use for my phone, and also what i should take for credit cards/debit cards on the Camino? I have read that i should take 2 forms of credit cards/debit cards just in case one doesn't work.

Any help would be awesome.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Glade , I'm a Kiwi not an Aussie but I'll answer anyway. Debit card Wise. Used as my main card, for roughly 80% of my purchases and cash withdrawal etc. (I only spent roughly 200 Euros cash every two weeks).Topped up when needed either directly from my bank - but that takes several days - or directly from my credit card. Takes seconds.
MasterCard and Visa are both widely accepted, carry whichever you have. Can't help with the phone. Buen Camino!

 

[Glade]

@Glade , I'm a Kiwi not an Aussie but I'll answer anyway. Debit card Wise. Used as my main card, for roughly 80% of my purchases and cash withdrawal etc. (I only spent roughly 200 Euros cash every two weeks).Topped up when needed either directly from my bank - but that takes several days - or directly from my credit card. Takes seconds.
MasterCard and Visa are both widely accepted, carry whichever you have. Can't help with the phone. Buen Camino!

Thanks mate, i appreciate the quick reply.
Buen Camino.

 

[camino07]

I have used Orange on many Caminos, no problems apart from no network in a couple of isolated places on the VDLP. This year I changed to Vodaphone from Lisbon and will probably go with them next year also.

 

[Corned Beef]

Try this site which shows coverage for the 4 main networks. Also bare in mind that some networks sit on one of the 4 main ones. For example, I used Lebara which runs over the Vodaphone system. So check your own carrier first (and their terms while in Spain) before you consider anything else.

3G / 4G / 5G coverage in Spain - nPerf.com

Compare the network coverage of mobile operators and check their performance at home !

www.nperf.com

As regards cards, widespread acceptance of Mastercard/Visa both debit and credit. Get cash for small purchases or for the rare cases they don't accept cards. Even in the remoter parts of the Sanabres last month they accepted cards.

ATM's widespread when you need to get more cash. Had 3 cards as I always have 3 cards but only needed to use 1.

 

[Robo]

I used Vodafone this year on the VdlP, good coverage all the way. I ordered 3 different SIMS prior to leaving Australia, with a view to trying them out to see which was best. But the Vodafone was the easiest to set up so I just stuck with it.

for cards I carry a CBA travel card. Debit card euro account. I have a visa and Mastercard as backup but never needed them.

 

[Nomaddeb]

Last year I used Orange eSim which worked well, I plan on utilising this again when I start the del Norte next week. I take 2 debit cards and a Mastercard as a backup. Always carried cash for daily purchase, I found some smaller cafes preferred cash only.

 

[Sandra Wolf]

Hi everyone, i was wondering if anybody from Australia had any tips on what carrier to use for my phone, and also what i should take for credit cards/debit cards on the Camino? I have read that i should take 2 forms of credit cards/debit cards just in case one doesn't work.

Any help would be awesome.

Hi I used Vodaphone on the last two Camino's the Primitivo and Norte with mixed results due to add hoc support. I am willing to try https://www.amaysim.com.au/ on the next Camino next year on the VdIP for the simple reason that getting 2 step verification can be a nightmare if trying to book online while overseas. WiFi with Whats App will get you by in most locations. I use Commbank travel cards and will be using https://wise.com/au/card/ as a backup along with cash. Hope that helps.

 

[TashH]

My phone is with Boost and they have an International pack, $40 for 14 days. Not the cheapest option around but I didn’t have to worry about swapping sims, changing phone numbers and had way more data than I ever needed. I just used my phone exactly as I would at home, except maintained contact with my family using WhatsApp rather than messages. Wifi is available just about everywhere.
I took €cash and a travel debit card from my bank (Bank SA) which I loaded Australian dollars on to, then changed to € as needed. Exceptionally easy to add more $ when required and change to €. No fees etc. I would imagine most banks should have one for their customers. I took a Visa credit card for ‘just in case’ but never used it.

 

[yogaflowjo]

Hi just back from latest Camino. I used Latitude Mastercard (no foreign exchange charges). Backup Amex which I rarely used. Also loaded some euros onto Commonwealth bank travel card. (Good idea to store a spare (locked) card somewhere safe in case of loss). If you use preloaded travelcards always remember to choose euros rather than Aussie $ at point of payment as you have already paid the conversion fees. ATM cash withdrawals are exxy each withdrawal costing up to $20 in bank fees so use credit card whenever possible. Re phone. Have used esim last 2 trips which has its benefits but on reflection more economical to buy a local SIM card on arrival and bang it into phone. My friend used a vodaphone sim purchased in Portugal for 20 euro (covered all of Europe) and it seemed to go on forever with absolutely no connectivity issues! We used it for data while walking (Camino ninja app and maps) along the Camino Portuguese central and spiritual variante. Use WiFi where ever possible and FaceTime or WhatsApp for free phone calls home. Have a wonderful Camino.

 

[Glade]

Try this site which shows coverage for the 4 main networks. Also bare in mind that some networks sit on one of the 4 main ones. For example, I used Lebara which runs over the Vodaphone system. So check your own carrier first (and their terms while in Spain) before you consider anything else.

3G / 4G / 5G coverage in Spain - nPerf.com

Compare the network coverage of mobile operators and check their performance at home !

www.nperf.com

As regards cards, widespread acceptance of Mastercard/Visa both debit and credit. Get cash for small purchases or for the rare cases they don't accept cards. Even in the remoter parts of the Sanabres last month they accepted cards.

ATM's widespread when you need to get more cash. Had 3 cards as I always have 3 cards but only needed to use 1.

Thanks for the info

 

[Glade]

Thankyou everyone for your advice, lots to learn.

 

[jungleboy]

For banking I also highly recommend Wise. You can open a Wise account and have balances in multiple currencies with low conversion fees. So you can transfer money in AUD from your regular account to your Wise account, then convert it into euros. Then when you use a Wise card in the euro zone it will pay from your euro balance and you won’t pay more expensive currency conversion fees on every transaction.

 

[Rita Flower]

Another Aussie here. I used a Cash Passport Mastercard, loaded it with Euros before leaving and topped up along the way. You can use it for regular purchases (except online) and withdraw cash from ATMs - there are ones with minimal or no fees - and use it contactless so no chance of it disappearing down the hole. ATMs in most places.
I took my credit card as a backup.
I took out €200 three times I think.
I used an e-sim from Airalo. - you can get just data or data and calls. Easy to top up once you set it up. Otherwise a SIM card from Vodaphone seems to be the most popular. They usually have outlets at the airport.
Buen Camino

 

[Rita Flower]

ATM cash withdrawals are exxy each withdrawal costing up to $20 in bank fees so use credit card whenever possible.

There are some banks in Spain that charge no or minimal fees but you need to plan ahead - not run out of cash and be too tired to look for the fee-free bank.

 

[dougfitz]

I don't use roaming on my Australian domestic mobile, preferring to either purchase suitable SIMs before I leave or purchase one in country. For the camino, where WiFi is almost ubiquitously available at bars, albergues, etc, I don't think you need a large amount of data, so I choose a low to mid range option for that, and not a high end data plan.

On banking, I use a combination of three credit card vendors that I already use at home, and a debit based travel cash card that can be loaded with several currencies. The cash card is linked to my Qantas Frequent Flyer card, which reduces the number of physical cards that I need to carry, albeit that isn't a big issue most of the time. There were only one or two times that I had any issues with it in over three months in Portugal, Spain and the UK this year.

I still carry cash when on the camino. This year, I think it was only around 200 euros, and I would top it up when it got below 100 euros. A lot depends on the route, and for routes that might be through areas with fewer major towns, I would expect to increase those amounts.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I use a Wise card, best conversion rate to Euro's, an app that allows me to control my balance and ability to turn the debit card on and off. Also if you choose correctly then zero fees from ATM's. Able to use the card contactless.

I always purchase a Vodafone SIM card in Spain and use that in my dual SIM phone. Previously I have had no problems with Vodafone but this year I did have some hassle initially. My issue turned out to be that my Vodafone account from 2019 was still hanging around and Vodafone initially enabled the old account. This shouldn't be a problem for most other people.

I am a Kiwi but that shouldn't make too much difference.

 

[yogaflowjo]

There are some banks in Spain that charge no or minimal fees but you need to plan ahead - not run out of cash and be too tired to look for the fee-free bank.

Sounds good. Are you able to advise which banks they are for future caminos. I cringe when I check my bank statements at the charges I have paid over 6 caminos so far

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@jogaflowjo , you might find this useful:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/attachments/spanish-atm-fees-jpg.64427/

 

[David37]

Hi everyone, i was wondering if anybody from Australia had any tips on what carrier to use for my phone, and also what i should take for credit cards/debit cards on the Camino? I have read that i should take 2 forms of credit cards/debit cards just in case one doesn't work.

Any help would be awesome.

I used Vodafone earlier this year on the Via de la Plata. I had good coverage with only a few spots with no coverage. You can get a SIM in Madrid and probably Sevilla (20 Euro). You can set it up to pay automatically online.
The debit card I used is no longer available in Australia but as back up I used a CommBank Travel Card (poor exchange rate and probable ATM withdrawal fees but it worked fine when I tested it in Spain). I would recommend a debit card that has the ability to set up an A$ account and Euro account. You can then transfer your expected total expenses to the A$ account before you leave and as needed to the Euro account while on the trip. For security on the Camino I did this using data from my Spanish SIM (turned off WiFi). This gets around the problem with 2 factor Verification as it is with the one Bank. Obviously, it would also be good if this Bank had a no fee agreement. On the Via de la Plata you regularly pass through major towns and cities so I had no problem withdrawing cash every 7 to 10 days as needed. Santander was fee free with the no longer offered card that I used. When commencing the withdrawal process at the ATM it said that a fee would be charged but this was never charged, presumably due to a no fee agreement.

Hi everyone, i was wondering if anybody from Australia had any tips on what carrier to use for my phone, and also what i should take for credit cards/debit cards on the Camino? I have read that i should take 2 forms of credit cards/debit cards just in case one doesn't work.

Any help would be awesome.