Camino phone SIM

[Big Paul]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

 

[thepacman]

Hi @Big Paul

Greetings from a fellow Aussie. Last year when we walked the VDLP we had sims from Orange. The coverage was fine (even though the VDLP is a bit remote in places), and the service from the Orange stores in the bigger cities was good. You can get a 28-day plan at a reasonable price.

Buen Camino ...

 

[Big Paul]

Hi @Big Paul

Greetings from a fellow Aussie. Last year when we walked the VDLP we had sims from Orange. The coverage was fine (even though the VDLP is a bit remote in places), and the service from the Orange stores in the bigger cities was good. You can get a 28-day plan at a reasonable price.

Buen Camino ...

Thanks mate

 

[duncanwhyte]

Also, go to the phone shop and they will get you sorted out easily. I have used orange and vodaphone.

 

[David]

Hi Paul! A shy Aussie? Unicorns ain't in it!
Traveltomtom recommends a Movistar prepaid sim card for Spain. They have the best 4G/5G network in Spain and have a prepaid sim card deal with 40 GB data for just €10 EUR ($11 USD) and you can use the 5G network. A Vodafone sim card would be a second best.

See here - https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/europe/spain/best-spain-sim-card-for-tourists

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Big Paul , there are multiple threads on this topic just this year alone. A very simple search using just the word SIM and ticking 'titles only' will bring them up.
There are also some on e Sims.

Incidentally your title is slightly misleading - it suggests you wish to buy a phone not just a sim. No biggie.

Three of the most recent examples for you:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sim-cards-again-i-know.87783/

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sim-card-and-atm-fees.87598/

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/e-sim-for-both-portugal-and-spain.86799/

Buen Camino!

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

Movistar, and companies that use their network (Eg. O2), is still the provider with the best coverage in Spain. That said, most companies will provide good coverage anywhere along the Camino.

 

[Michael Mattalo]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

Good morning. I’ve used Holafly e-sims for 2 caminos as well as general travel in Europe (I am from Canada). I found the service very good (5G) and good value with unlimited data and even an assigned European phone number with generous number of minutes included.

 

[canyonhiker]

There is an Orange store close the running of the bulls sculpture. I got a SIM card there in June 100gb of data and plenty of minutes. They installed it and set it up for me. I had great service on both the French and Primitivo.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

Big Paul, welcome.

How do you plan to use your device? If you plan to make traditional phone calls I’d probably choose a local SIM/eSIM. If you plan to use it for maps, Google search or apps like WhatsApp I’d consider an eSIM from Holafly which provides some call time but more or unlimited data. I spent 2 months on the Camino in April/May using Holafly. Most albergues use WhatsApp and I communicated with my family and friends in the US and on the Camino via WhatsApp. I had very good connections in most places, on the Aragónes there were a few dead zones but that would have happened with any sim. So, how do you plan to use your device?

 

[BiggPapa]

Movistar, and companies that use their network (Eg. O2), is still the provider with the best coverage in Spain. That said, most companies will provide good coverage anywhere along the Camino.

I have a question for you. We will be doing the Portuguese Camino in October & spending at least 4 weeks in Spain after we finish. Will Movistar work in both countries & how hard is it to add extra data, texts & phone calls, because we will be in those countries more than 30 days total? Thank you for your help.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.

This guy has all sorts of information on eSIMs, SIM cards, plans, prices, the airport and where in the airport the shops are at.

Buying a Sim Card at Madrid Airport in 2024 - Traveltomtom.net

Can I buy a sim card at Madrid Airport? Where? How much? Read it all in this complete guide about Spain sim cards on arrival.

www.traveltomtom.net

 

[David Tallan]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

I've been using Vodafone, but I can't say that I've done exhaustive research to determine how they compare to Orange or Movistar.

But I would not buy one in the Madrid airport! The touts there will sell you them at many times the price that you can get them in town. Earlier this year, I asked at the info booth in Madrid airport where to get a SIM card and was pointed to these touts. I didn't buy it because it was so obviously over-priced. On the way into town, I bought a couple of SIMs from a booth in the Metro (still overcharged a bit, but not nearly as much). I later found out that one of the cards wasn't assigned to anyone, which made it a real challenge to recharge. I would advise buying your card directly from a Vodafone (or Orange or Movistar) store.

 

[Getwood]

I have a question for you. We will be doing the Portuguese Camino in October & spending at least 4 weeks in Spain after we finish. Will Movistar work in both countries & how hard is it to add extra data, texts & phone calls, because we will be in those countries more than 30 days total? Thank you for your help.

The Holafly website allows you to specify the exact number of days you're traveling, and offers regional plans (e.g., Europe-wide). I just checked and as of today, you can get (for example) 40 days unlimited Internet (so they claim) for €79.00. That would cover both Spain and Portugal, and apparently works with any provider. That appears to be a "data-only" price, but I didn't do a deep-dive.

I'd spelunk around on the various eSIM provider sites to see what's best for you.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

I have a question for you. We will be doing the Portuguese Camino in October & spending at least 4 weeks in Spain after we finish. Will Movistar work in both countries & how hard is it to add extra data, texts & phone calls, because we will be in those countries more than 30 days total? Thank you for your help.

it will work as long as the roaming is one. in theory, there shouldn't be any extra costs as portugal as EU countries have 'free roaming'. that said, ask the the shop if this applies to prepaid cards or your plan. likewise, unless online, you will probably not be able to add credit to your spanish number in portugal.

in any case, most businesses in spain and portugal are whatsapp friendly, and may even suggest using their whatsapp as the initial contact - whatsapp uses very little data. i do not think anyone texts anymore (sms).

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I just checked and as of today, you can get (for example) 40 days unlimited Internet (so they claim) for €79.00.

They throttle the speed at some point.

whatsapp uses very little data

I looked into this and most sites that appear to know about this give various figures but they seem to agree that it is a bit above or below the easily remembered 1 MB per minute of a voice call.

 

[Dean Morgenthal]

Orange €20 100gb Data 28 days.
On the Vdlp great coverage

Dispositivos Prepago | Orange

Contrata con Orange las mejores tarifas prepago. Habla y navega desde 10€ a máxima velocidad. ¡Ahora tarifas prepago con llamadas ilimitadas!

www.orange.es

 

[Juspassinthru]

They throttle the speed at some point.


I looked into this and most sites that appear to know about this give various figures but they seem to agree that it is a bit above or below the easily remembered 1 MB per minute of a voice call.

I had a 90 day unlimited data/60 minutes in and 60 minutes out phone Holafly plan for $99. I never experienced any slow data or none that I noticed anyway and the mobile connection was often faster than the albergue Wi-Fi. It was a regional (EU primarily) plan with an Austrian number. When I landed at CDG, I turned on my phone and it activated within a minute. No need to find a shop or plan and no rip offs. If you use WhatsApp now, the new number will automatically be linked. I liked the ease and that I had a number to provide my family before I left home.

Hope this helps. I’m sure Airalo is similar but don’t know. As all EU numbers roam, it doesn’t matter which country code the number has.

Your device must support an eSIM.

 

[JamesG]

I've used Orange e-sim over the years and am quite pleased. I've never been in any store, all online. I top up my account at home in Canada and once on the plane I flip it over to my number in France and when I land it activates. The only issue I've had was in northern Italy last year during the Via Francigena service was not good at all. I've been in most European countries including hiking in Madeira and its fantastic.

Buen Camino!

 

[dougfitz]

They throttle the speed at some point.

I thought that this practice had been stopped under the latest EC policies.

 

[Jeff Mayor]

Big Paul, welcome.

How do you plan to use your device? If you plan to make traditional phone calls I’d probably choose a local SIM/eSIM. If you plan to use it for maps, Google search or apps like WhatsApp I’d consider an eSIM from Holafly which provides some call time but more or unlimited data. I spent 2 months on the Camino in April/May using Holafly. Most albergues use WhatsApp and I communicated with my family and friends in the US and on the Camino via WhatsApp. I had very good connections in most places, on the Aragónes there were a few dead zones but that would have happened with any sim. So, how do you plan to use your device?

Dear Justpassingthrough, Did you install and set-up the Holafly eSIM when you arrived in Spain or back home before you landed? I'm new to the eSIM game and I'm unsure what is the best way to go about it.

 

[Rhysmike]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

When we walked the Frances in April/May this year I used an ESim in my iPhone that I organised before we left. 50 euros per month with coverage in any European Union country.

 

[Juspassinthru]

Dear Justpassingthrough, Did you install and set-up the Holafly eSIM when you arrived in Spain or back home before you landed? I'm new to the eSIM game and I'm unsure what is the best way to go about it.

With Holafly you download their app, scan a QR code to install the eSIM and activate when you get to the country or region you plan to use it. Because I was going to be in France, Spain, Italy and Austria I got a regional eSIM so I activated when I arrived at CDG, activation means I turned on my phone using that eSIM. I’d turned off my US sim while in flight. The process is simple and their instructions were good.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

They [Holafly] throttle the speed at some point.

I looked into this more. The word I got is that Holafly doesn't do this but the network they have a contract with might. However, it is a temporary thing that may last just a day or less. This information came from a test Monito.com ran and from a Holafly quote that they printed. Monito is a website set up for migrants and expats to compare financial services they may need. It looks like from that they expanded to insurance and other services including telecommunications. Here is their page on Holafly which includes the comments on throttling:

https://www.monito.com/en/review/holafly

I’m sure Airalo is similar but don’t know.

I have to say that Holafly is designed for those who need a lot of cellular data. If you don't need it so much (perhaps because you have access to wifi) then you may prefer Airalo to save some money.

This YouTube video by Monito compares many aspects of Airalo and Holafly. It is really packed with information and is just a few months old.

YouTube video id: xcvj6JxdyPU

 

[mattythedog]

Thanks mate

The Tech and Fly at Madrid airport was closed forever last April. That is where I always got my Orange SIM. I was able to get a French SIM at SJPP, but it cost more, did not give as much data, and ate all the data within a week. I topped up the card, and it ate all data and plain stopped working after 3 days. I ended up buying an Orange SIM in Leon. I am sure you can get an Orange SIM in Pamplona, which works well in France, Spain and Portugal.

 

[NicolaWyke]

Hi @Big Paul

Greetings from a fellow Aussie. Last year when we walked the VDLP we had sims from Orange. The coverage was fine (even though the VDLP is a bit remote in places), and the service from the Orange stores in the bigger cities was good. You can get a 28-day plan at a reasonable price.

Buen Camino ...

I also am fellow Aussie and I got an Orange e-sim in a kiosk shop in Madrid. I think it was 20 euro for 28 days with over 100 gig of data - which you really don’t need as all albergues have free wifi.

I got an e-sim so I could keep my Australian physical sim at the same time. I used my roaming on my Australian phone in St Jean as that is in France and the budget Orange mobile plan does not work there.

I was trying to get a Vodafone e-sim in Spain which they advertise as possible to buy in store - but I was told in Vodafone stores in Madrid that it was not possible.

 

[NicolaWyke]

Buen Camino

 

[TheLaw14]

When I walked the Norte last year I ordered a Vodaphone sim to my home in Canada and put it into my phone on landing in Spain... It worked great, and I was easily able to add additional time after the initial 28 days passed...

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I am a Kiwi and I have worked for several Telcos.

I use a Google Pixel 8 which allows multiple eSIMs and one physical SIM.

I usually operate two SIMs at home for personal and business use.

I have travelled to Spain multiple times over the past 5 years.

I have recently arrived in Spain and I purchased a Vodafone physical SIM while keeping my Kiwi eSIM (for emergencies and access to my bank).

My Vodafone prepay account costs €20 for 28 days with 140Gb of data, unlimited local calls and txts and 300 international calling minutes.

The account is simple to recharge over the internet and gives me zero cost roaming in Europe and even works in the UK.

The nice Vodafone customer service rep in Zaragoza installed and tested everything for me and total time taken from walking into the store and walking out with a working phone was 12 minutes.

This set up gives me what I want as I have data virtually everywhere I go without worrying about switching anything on or off.

Works for me.

 

[hikingcat]

I also am fellow Aussie and I got an Orange e-sim in a kiosk shop in Madrid. I think it was 20 euro for 28 days with over 100 gig of data - which you really don’t need as all albergues have free wifi.

I got an e-sim so I could keep my Australian physical sim at the same time. I used my roaming on my Australian phone in St Jean as that is in France and the budget Orange mobile plan does not work there.

I was trying to get a Vodafone e-sim in Spain which they advertise as possible to buy in store - but I was told in Vodafone stores in Madrid that it was not possible.

I am also from Aus and used an Orange e-sim, as similar to the above post, I wanted to have access to my Australian number.

The only difference is that I bought mine online from the Orange store and set it up before I left. It worked perfectly for my entire trip.

 

[Canche]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

Orange is good

 

[PadreFer]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

Yo estoy usando Orange Holafly en el Camino Inglés y funciona muy bien.

 

[LesR]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

And if you get it from a phone shop, they will generally instal it for you and you will know that it works before you leave the shop...

 

[Robertorocha]

In my last camino i bought an movistar sim card in a " generic" store in Pamplona downtown and i hated it. Simply it didn´t work in the rural area when i got a flat tire( I was on a bike ). In the next city i througth it away and bougth a vodafone and i worked perfectly until the end of my journey. I do recomend vodafone.

 

[TassietoVP]

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been looking at the forum for ages and never posted anything!! (I’m a bit shy!!)
I’m starting my on my 3rd Camino adventure on 9th August from Pamplona.
I’m an Aussie and am interested in which phone sim people are using, I intend getting one in Madrid Airport.
Any suggestions???

I am just back from doing half the Le Puy en Velay route (=GR65, =Via Podiensis) and I strongly suggest an online purchase of an (eg. Orange) e-SIM at 20 Euros per fortnight. If you go to an Orange shop they'll gladly sell you one of their SIM cards at 40Euros per fortnight.... from fellow Aussie.