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Best roaming sim to buy for the camino

trevorcc

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
SJPD to Santiago 2013,2014, Camino de Levante Sept. 2016, Frances March 2018, planning 2020
Hi I am looking to buy a sim card for emergencies for the camino can I purchase it in SJDP or do I have to wait till I am in Spain and which is the best. Leaving in 6 days.

Trevor
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Thanks for the info, I am also using the wifi. It's just for quicker contact from home.
Trevor
 
I have always used Vodafone. It has a reputation for the best coverage. A Vodafone chip purchased in France will have large roaming charges when used in Spain.
 
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I'm an Orange user in France and never had any issues in Spain or Portugal but then the only thing I did was send the rare SMS and called ahead for a reservations in SdC.
 
I use Orange in France, but they are fairly new to Spain. An Orange SIM from France does not work in Spain except on roaming, which is quite expensive.
 
Thanks to all those that replied, I am a Vodafone user in Australia but our roaming rates are out of this world, thats why I am looking at alternative sim for emergencies.

Thanks
Trevor
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
The municipal albergue in Roncevalles has SIM cards for sale, ask at the front desk.
 
We bought a vodaphone card upon arrival in Madrid for 10 Euros good for one month with 20 minutes talk, 20 SMS and 500mb. Went to airplane mode for 2 days in SJPdP. Good coverage so far on the Camino in Spain. See if you can download "what's app". It makes instant messaging go fast without draining the data allowance. Hope this helps. Buen Camino!
 
Is there a SIM card I can buy in Spain that will also work in France without roaming charges?
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Glad I stumbled onto this thread as I am leaving Thursday the 19th.
Here is my info: iPhone 4, Family Plan through AT&T, landing in Bilbao and busing to Logroño. I need to text home daily letting the family know I am alive and in what city.
I should buy my SIM card in Spain?
I should buy a calling plan in Spain?
Many thanks for any advice you send my way.
Blessings,
Deborah
 
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€46,-
Spanish SIM cards are for Spain and French ones are for France. Down with roaming!!!

Buen Camino!
 
Hi Dmantony

get to a place that has free WIFI and use WhatsApp

Buen Camino!
 
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trevorcc said:
Hi I am looking to b
Click to expand...

First, have AT&T unlock your iPhone, https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/
Second, get a Spanish SIM card http://tiendamoviles.tuenti.com/tarjeta-sim-prepago they have a store in Logrono.
http://www.tuenti.com/movil/puntos-de-venta for 12 euros you can use your iPhone like you would at home with data included.
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
So true, if you´re going to use a Spanish SIM card on your US phone get it unlocked first .

Buen Camino!
 
SWEEEET! Thank you all so much. There is only so much unconnectedness my family will allow.
The Forum has come through once again.
Blessings,
Deborah
 
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This may be of interest to any fellow AT&T users. If you bought your iPhone from AT&T and have one of their plans, the SIM code is locked. I am on a Family Plan and simply added a European travel package: $30 for 30 mins of talk and $10 for 50 send/receive texts. A bit pricey but the best I could do with the plan available. As I intend to do most of my limited phone use in Wi-Fi areas (with Viber) I should have all the connectedness I need. The package is just for any situations where I MUST have phone use and no Wi-Fi is close at hand.
 

AT&T wouldn't unlock your iPhone?
 
trevorcc said:
Hi I am looking to buy a sim card for emergencies for the camino can I purchase it in SJDP or do I have to wait till I am in Spain and which is the best. Leaving in 6 days.

Trevor
Click to expand...
Hi Trevor

Whatever you do don't use a Sim card bought outside of Spain you will be ripped off with roaming charges etc.

I bought a Vodafone sim in Pamplona, Spain and had no issues. I believe the package cost about €25.00 but that gave me a lot of usage. WiFi is available practically everywhere. I installed and used Viber (a free App for both iPhone or Android) for all my SMS and phone calls home using the WiFi. That way you don't use any of your money up on the phone and save that for when you have no WiFi connection. Viber is fantastic if you have a reasonable WiFi connection. You will need to get your family and friends to install Viber on their phones as well though.

Remember to get your phone unlocked by your service provider before you go. There will be a small fee to unlock your phone ±$25.00.

Hope this Helps.
Buen Camino

Hedley Amos
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
First of all, make sure your phone is unlocked. There are plenty of shops in pamplona selling spanish sim cards. The best for connection and coverage are movistar and vodaphone. Coverage with orange is ok but not the best. Ask for prepago tarjeta sim. Bring your passport, you will need to register the sim card. You can reload your sim cards in practically anywhere - tabacco shop, book stores, tiendas, locutorios, etc, for from €5 up.

I would not recommend using viber app. My experience with this is connection is very poor. And when you calls are disconnected, it will reconnect and revert into your own wifi contract. You will ended up with a huge bill.

Buen camino and good luck.
 
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What about Skype? Is is similarly unreliable?
 
I just had my iPhone 4 unlocked - had to wait 2 years for my initial contract with At&T contract to expire to be able to do that in the US. Phones companies in Europe are a lot more flexible and cost efficient than in the US.
 
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There is free WiFi in most albergues. Use imessage to text back and forth for free.
 
We bought Vodaphone cards when we landed in Madrid - 1 with data for 15E and one without for 10E - and they are working perfectly with our unlocked (previously AT&T) iPhone4's. We are in O Cebreiro now and on to Triacastala tomorrow. The Vodaphone coverage is very good and Vodaphone has supported charities for the handicapped in Spain for many years.
 
I on the other hand have good connectivity using skype on my ipad 2 while doing the via de la plata this past winter.
 
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Chris.2013 said:
I just had my iPhone 4 unlocked - had to wait 2 years for my initial contract with At&T contract to expire to be able to do that in the US. Phones companies in Europe are a lot more flexible and cost efficient than in the US.
Click to expand...


Phone companies in Spain NEVER unlock them, even after your contract has ended they won´t unblock them . People end up going to one of those Chinese shops and for a small fee they will do it in no time.

Buen Camino!
 
MendiWalker said:
Phone companies in Spain NEVER unlock them, even after your contract has ended they won´t unblock them . People end up going to one of those Chinese shops and for a small fee they will do it in no time.

Buen Camino!
Click to expand...
Before I left for my Camino last May I had my iPhone 4 unlocked for $40 because AT&T won't unlock them anymore but they sure recommended a place to go to to get my phone unlocked. Makes me wonder ???
 
As you walk into Pamplona following the Camino arrows, you will see a very small Vodaphone store on your right hand side - it's on the main street heading into Pamplona, about 2-3kms from the old stone walls. It's a very small place so you have to look out for it. That's where I got a Spanish SIM for my iPhone, and one also for my iPad.

Falcon is right in that Vodaphone coverage is fantastic pretty much all over Spain. The only black spots I had were around Foncebadon, high up in the mountains near Cruz de Ferro.

The Vodaphone plans are as good as any of the others - and whilst you can use wifi in many places, there were other times when I was really pleased I had a data plan for internet.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I know this is out of date as far as a response to the original original question, but for those planning future Caminos here's what I did for our recently-completed (September 2013) Camino Frances. While my wife and I both have Android-based smartphones, I also have an older unlocked basic phone which uses the GSM protocol, the same as used in the US by AT&T and Sprint, as well as the standard for Europe. I purchased a SIM card here in the States before we left from a company called Sims for Spain <http://www.simsforspain.com/>. They offer SIMs for the Movil, Orange, and Vodaphone networks, the major networks in Spain. Their website explains the different plans available on each network. I chose the Orange network, and coverage on that network was excellent -- I can only recall one occasion where I didn't have coverage, and that was along one of those remote stretches in the mountains of eastern Galicia where we far away from a sizable city and away from a highway. Note that the Spanish SIM does not work in France, but since we were in France only a couple of days (SJPP to the border), it wasn't a concern for us.

This is not an endorsement of the company I purchased the SIM card from. For those outside of North America it may not be a viable solution. If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can walk into any Movil, Orange, or Vodaphone store once you're in Spain and purchase a SIM there. You can also purchase an inexpensive phone there as well if you don't also have one. And there are other independent stores in the larger cities that are not tied to any particular network. The disadvantage of buying a SIM card after you arrive in Spain is that unless you spend a day or so in Madrid, Barcelona, or whatever your arrival city is, you'll have to wait until you get to Pamplona to get the card.

For internet and email, we used wifi on our smartphones. We were somewhat disappointed in the availability and reliability of wifi in most areas. I suspect the issue is range and bandwidth; i.e., too many people trying to use the system at once.

Jim
 
I bought Vodafone SIM card in Logrono - worked like a charm. Cost only 10 euro plus you get 5 euro worth of minutes. I think Orange or MovieStar works well too.

Not all Vodafone is same, as if you get free inbound calls, still uses some money, which was quite strange as my Vodafone SIM Card in Germany costs 0 for incoming calls.
 
Just to add my experience: no Spanish SIM cards seemed to work with my iPhone (yes, it's unlocked). No idea why. My other option was to buy a Spanish phone but I decided to walk phone-free.
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
I made sure my Android was unlocked.
In Spain, I bought a Spanish SIM card and stashed the one that came with my phone for the remainder of my stay in Spain. I used my phone very occasionally to make reservations towards the end of my journey from SJPdP to SdC, when the route started to get crowded.
I had my iPad and used Skype to connect with family back in the States and in Europe. I had surprisingly little trouble connecting.
The only problem was, upon installing a new SIM card, the phone company saw me as a brand new customer, with all the special deals, discounts, etc., but all in Spanish! LOL!! I had no idea what they were offering, sure it was good.
When I ran into problems, I could go to the local phone store (hospitaleros were great at finding the nearest one) and get advice. The phone people almost always spoke English and were helpful, although usually amused by my communication incompetence.
In an emergency, there will always be a pilgrim around who speaks Spanish and has a phone.
Don't worry.
 
I have an android phone - an Alcatel one touch idol (ironic name). At present I am a 2 degrees customer and they use the vodaphone network in NZ and assure me that my phone is unlocked. I need to know whether Orange or Movistar would be the most compatible SIM.
After that I'm assuming I head into the first Orange or Movistar outlet I find - maybe even at Barcelona airport - buy a compatible SIM with sufficient prepay for a month, swap it out with my own SIM, turn the phone on, off and on again. If it works, success, if not buy a cheapie European phone and insert the SIM.
And that would have the advantage of being able to use a phone when necessary and limit the number of incoming communications.
 
Vodafone will do all the work for you; swap SIMs, register the service, check the operation. Orange is a newcomer to Spain, so does not have the network of Movistar and Vodafone. I do not know if they are at the Barcelona airport, but they have several stores in town (including El Cortes Ingles, a department store in the middle of town).
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.


With non EU phones you need to check what frequencies they support. If you only want voice then I guess you need to look for 800 and 1800Mhz. Somebody will correct me. If your phone offers that and is unlocked you're fine. There is no such thing as most compatible. They all are made by basically one company to one standard.
 
trevorcc said:
Hi I am looking to buy a sim card for emergencies for the camino can I purchase it in SJDP or do I have to wait till I am in Spain and which is the best. Leaving in 6 days.

Trevor
Click to expand...
Is it possible to leave my iphone at home and buy a disposable phone just for emergencies in Spain? I plan to carry a tablet, and an additional smart phone seems over-kill.
 
Sure. Expect to pay around €15-30 depending on the offer or shop
 
Camino Way markers in Bronze
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.
Just in case you are not part of the iPhone crowd and have "dinosaur" phone (mine is a Pantech Breeze III) my Vodafone chip worked perfectly. However in Najera I thought I lost it and purchased a Spanish PHONE AND SIM for 40 Euros which gave me 100 minutes of talk and 400 text messages per month. It was an Alcatel phone with a DIGI Mobil chip and worked fine. I eventually found my Pantech but used the Alcatel to send text back to the US!
 

Try swapping SIM cards with another carrier in NZ to verify it is unlocked first, if it works, you know it is unlocked, no sense in wasting money to find out it if its locked when you get to Spain. Movistar has better coverage than Orange with better deals as well. Tuenti is the prepaid arm of Movistar, cheaper than you would pay at home with data as well. Once installed and set up, you can use your android phone like you would at home and not get price shock when you get home.
https://www.movistar.es/particulare...-ql7e&filter=tarjeta-1gb_1_5gb&paginaSsl=true
 
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On the Camino I used a Spanish SIM card which I bought here in the US from http://www.simsforspain.com/ . I chose the Orange Mundo plan on their website and had excellent coverage for the entire Camino Frances. I would buy top-off minutes from the Orange stores in the major cities along the way.

As for a true "international" SIM card, they can be purchase from http://www.cellularabroad.com/ or http://www.telestial.com/. I had one for another European trip a few years back, and they give you a UK phone number with what I thought were fairly reasonable roaming rates in other countries.
 
Bajaracer said:
Try swapping SIM cards with another carrier in to verify it is unlocked first, if it works, you know it is unlocked, no sense in wasting money to find out it if its locked when you get to Spain.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. For those in the US, there are CDMA phones (Verizon) & GSM phones (AT&T, Sprint & others). CDMA phones will NOT work in Spain. Make sure your phone is a GSM phone capable of handling 900/1800Mhz and UNLOCKED by the carrier before you buy a SIM card.
 
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liz- said:
Is it possible to leave my iphone at home and buy a disposable phone just for emergencies in Spain? I plan to carry a tablet, and an additional smart phone seems over-kill.
Click to expand...
I carry ipad to use viber on a day to day basis the phone is pure emergencies as I found out last year
 

Not true, all Verizon 4G/LTE phones are UNLOCKED to use with foreign GSM SIM cards, you'll only get 3G/4G speeds only, no LTE. I have tested several Verizon iPhones, two iPhone 5's, an iPhone 5C, and a iPhone 5S with Telcel Mexico SIM cards with no issues. So if they work with a Telcel Mexico SIM card, they'll work with Spanish SIM cards.
Sprint CDMA iPhone 4S and above can be made to work as well, you just have to jump through hoops to get Sprint to unlock them for international SIM card use, it's like pulling teeth to get them to do it.
 
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I have ordered and received a spanish sim for my iphone from Mobipass online.... havnt intsalled it yet.. better get to ... leave in a few weeks... mostly will use wiifii but think it a good idea in case of an accident ( which I dont anticipate) but .. I am a planner ..... am sure Camino will kick that out of me as in present me with situations no plan can account for
 
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What wasn't true? I said CDMA phones won't work in Spain. Have you gotten a CDMA phone to operate in Europe?

If you have a dual-band phone (CDMA & GSM) and it's unlocked, then you can use the GSM band with a sim card. Verizon's iPhone 4 & 5 are dual-band phones.
 

You are right about the CDMA only Verizon phones, they won't work in Europe. The Verizon iPhone 4 is a CDMA only, the Verizon iPhone 4S is
SIM locked and can be unlocked.
I got several friends' Verizon iPhone 5, 5C and a 5S to work on Telcel Mexico, which is a GSM only network. Verizon stops working 60 miles after you cross into Mexico, Since the Telcel LTE network is not compatible with the Verizon LTE bands, we were only able to get 3G which is fine.
I also had a pilgrim with her Verizon iPhone 5C to work when she went on the Camino.
 
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