Reviving a dormant Orange cellular plan

[hfenton]

The last time I was in Spain to walk the Camino (2023) I got an Orange cellular plan so I could call, text, and access data during my time there. When I returned to the US I simply turned off that cellular SIM and turned on the cellular SIM for my US plan.

Now I'm wondering whether I can re-activate the Orange plan when I return to Spain next year by turning on that cellular SIM and paying the charge for a new round of call/text/data service.

Or do I have to start from scratch with a new plan?

Thanks for your insights.

 

[Robo]

I think most ‘pre paid’ SIM accounts expire if not topped up within a certain period, like 3 months. That’s why I get a new one each time. Same with other countries I regularly visit this side of the World. Could be wrong of course!

 

[DoughnutANZ]

The last time I was in Spain to walk the Camino (2023) I got an Orange cellular plan so I could call, text, and access data during my time there. When I returned to the US I simply turned off that cellular SIM and turned on the cellular SIM for my US plan.

Now I'm wondering whether I can re-activate the Orange plan when I return to Spain next year by turning on that cellular SIM and paying the charge for a new round of call/text/data service.

Or do I have to start from scratch with a new plan?

Thanks for your insights.

I don't know with Orange, check their website. I did just check the Vodafone website about this a couple of days ago and with Vodafone they will keep your account active for 6 months since your last recharge (depositing money into your account).

Of course, Orange isn't Vodafone and so will have their own rules.

It looks like I am doing an annual trip to Spain for my foreseeable future and so I plan to re-use my next Vodafone Spain SIM by making two €5 deposits at four month intervals using my diary to remind me. This then takes the pressure off finding a Vodafone store on my first day. This also will give me free roaming anywhere in the EU, the UK and the USA which is handy if I am transiting one of these areas prior to Spain.

One thing to watch if you go back to Orange is that they correctly assign your new SIM to your account. Your existing contact details are undoubtedly still in their system and they will be able to associate those details with you through your passport id.

Usually I don't have any issues with Vodafone Spain but in 2023 I had a really strange problem that no one seemed to be able to diagnose and correct where I had data but I couldn't make outbound phone calls and people could phone me but the call was cut as soon as I answered the phone.

The problem turned out to be that I struck a new Vodafone employee and when they found my contact details on their system they took a shortcut because they were really busy that day and didn't finish off assigning the details of my new SIM to my account and so when I recharged my account I could see that there was money in the account but it was being associated with my old SIM and so with my new SIM it didn't think that there was money in my account and so would not allow me to make or receive calls.

I now test for this before I leave the Vodafone store by asking a staff member to phone me and then allowing me to answer the call.

In 2023 the staff member phoned me in the store but hung up as soon as they heard my phone ring and before I answered the call.

Buen Camino

 

[AJGuillaume]

I am currently in Spain and Portugal, and I have an Orange prepaid account (Go Run).
Your old SIM card will have expired, so you will need to get a new one. After that, pay a minimum of 5€ every 3 months when you're not in Spain, and your number stays alive for an extra 3 months (it used to be 6 months until October 13, 2024. What you pay, of course, will go towards your first month's usage, if you have enough.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

As an aside has anybody here experience with an Airalo eSIM?

My younger daughter is off on a trip to Japan and it's been suggested as a "good bet".

 

[canyonhiker]

As an aside has anybody here experience with an Airalo eSIM?

My younger daughter is off on a trip to Japan and it's been suggested as a "good bet".

I've used Airalo in France, Greece and Spain and I really like it. It is data only though, no calls. Use WhatsApp for calls. On the Camino I use a SIM card with a Spanish number to call albergues when I am not on wifi. So it will depend on how long she is in Japan to determine which is better for her.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I've used Airalo in France, Greece and Spain and I really like it. It is data only though, no calls. Use WhatsApp for calls. On the Camino I use a SIM card with a Spanish number to call albergues when I am not on wifi. So it will depend on how long she is in Japan to determine which is better for her.

Thank you. Yes, she just needs it for data over a two week trip.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

As an aside has anybody here experience with an Airalo eSIM?

My younger daughter is off on a trip to Japan and it's been suggested as a "good bet".

I used it last year in the UK and Ireland. I liked it and thought the app was easy to use. Through the app you can buy, install, review and recharge. I posted links to three videos describing it and the app here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/esim-for-spain.84326/#post-1205342

If your daughter wants LOTS of data the other big name is Holafly and may be the better bet though more expensive. I've seen reviews where their customer service is top notch.

If your daughter will want data in several countries Airalo does have multi-country packages but I vaguely recall that there may be better services for that.

Well, now that I've written the above I decided to see if I could find one of the videos that I liked comparing the various services for the various types of travelers and I found it. This guy breaks the travelers up into normies, data hogs and global nomads and gives a couple of choices for each. His first choice for normies was Airalo, for data hogs it was Holafly, for first choice for digital nomads it was Google Fi but that is for US residents only, I think second choice, US Mobile, is also; check. Third choice was Airalo.

YouTube video id: 8HxWyjIRSVo

 

[dougfitz]

I have been able to re-activate a SIM elsewhere in Europe after a couple of years of inactivity. It clearly will depend on whether the number is merely dormant, or has been re-assigned after the earlier SIM became inactive. I think it is worth asking.

 

[krystianw]

Honestly I think it will be easier to just get a new one. It's not a big hassle in Europe, more like 15 minutes at the store. And the SIM itself costs only a few EUR, so you're not saving a lot of money by re-using the old one.

As others have said, you've probably lost the phone # associated with it anyway, if you weren't doing anything to actively maintain it.

 

[hfenton]

Thanks to everyone for your responses to my post. Looks like I can return to Spain with the slim hope of reactivating my existing eSIM, but with the expectation of having to get a new one.

Buen Camino