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Spanish SIM card?

Chriswalker

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances (2005), Platta (partial 2013)
Greetings,

I will be landing in Madrid and will walk a section of the Plata. Can't wait! Question: Which SIM card offers a reasonable deal for one month of service? I'm in Morocco now and apparently my Orange card would be blocked in Spain. What company should I look for and is there an office in the airport. I saw the thread for Portugal/vodaphone is there something similar for Spain?

Thanks in advance for suggestions!
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 16-19

There are a few different options of providers to choose in Spain. I used Vodafone, Moviestar, Orange in my previous Caminos. and personally i favor Orange best because it has really good coverage while I was on VDLP, 4G most of the times, and it has probably the best data packages, and they have a call center (900906121 from Spain) dedicated to English speakers where you can top-up, check balance and ask any questions. I hope this helps.
 
Thanks Dennisying! Any idea the cost of the initial purchase? I'm spoiled, In Morocco Orange has a five dollar SIM that's good for a month phone and data. I forget the amount minutes/data because I don't use much. I'm in for "sticker shock".
 
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 have also researched the SIM cards. I'll be coming in from California and Verizon is very, very expensive for an international plan. My friend who lived in Europe said the Vodaphone has the largest coverage in Spain. I put together some notes that I will share with you. Good luck on your decision and please let us know how it's working out when you get there!
Spain
Spain has four network operators, Movistar, Vodafone, Orange, and Yoigo. As of 2016, Vodafone had 95% 4G coverage, followed by Orange with 89%, and Movistar and Yoigo each cover 86% of the population. Movistar is known to have better coverage overall, but check the areas you specifically plan to visit. Spain has a healthy resellers market, but most don’t offer 4G on prepaid SIM cards.
Your Options
Both Vodafone and Orange offer a tourist SIM card. With Vodafone, you can get 2GB of 4G data and 50 minutes of international calls for about $16, and Orange offers 3GB of 4G data and 30 minutes of international calls for about $37. Movistar charges you about $11 for a SIM card, and you can get another 1gb of 4G data for about $10. Yoigo charges you about $21 for SIM card but you get that amount in credit.
Other Tips
Spain requires you to register your SIM card, so you must bring a photo ID. There are no branded SIM card provider stores in the major airports in Spain and the available SIM card stands are overpriced, so wait to buy a SIM card if possible (there’s free wifi at the Madrid airport). See here for more details on SIM cards in Spain.
 

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I've seen my local Galician friends complain strenuously about Yoigo's service. Personally, I've had good luck with Orange, the only company I've used over there.
 
Orange for sure. I tried Vodaphone in 2017 and had issues with coverage. When I tried to reload the account I found out that using my French CC, the account was never launched and that was after using it for a month.
 
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->> Olivia Covarrubias

GREAT write-up!!!

One more thing to consider is what bands (frequencies) your phone supports vs what bands the carrier is using. (I have run into this problem many times in Europe... even though my phone is unlocked & I'm using a local sim)

Here is a great site to make sure your phone will work in Spain... Just search for your phone and then look for the country and select details.

https://www.frequencycheck.com/

Cheers,
 
Last edited:
THANK YOU!
 
I have never traveled with a cell and am considering buying an inexpensive phone in Spain for emergencies and reservations what would you consider am in Madrid for two days before going Camino de la Plata.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
I love Vodafone and use it every year in Spain with no problems.
 
Thank you. This is very helpful. I think we'll go for Orange and will certainly report back!
 
We gust bought one for a month from Vodafone for 20€ for 30 days 5gb data. They can be reserved for pick up at the airport in advance if you arrive during their working hours.
 
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.
Woah! This is interesting... How does one go about reserving one? I would definitely do that.
 
Carolynm, I just went to the Vodafone site and didn't see that offer. Are you picking it up at the Madrid airport?
 
Camino Jewellery
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Where should I get my Sim on the Camino Frances for Spain?We are starting at SJPDP. Roncesvalles? Pamplona?can I get it ahead of time online in the US?
 
For those of you in the USA and are looking for a DATA ONLY sim (for a tablet/iPad), I found this offer on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013EBUPDI/?tag=casaivar02-20

A couple of notes:
  • EE is the carrier, which is owned by Orange & T-Mobile, so coverage/speed should be good.
  • This plan is for 6GB of DATA ONLY!
  • This plan lasts for 90 days! Nice
  • Yes, there are 2 negative reviews, but I think they didn't follow the instructions and/or did not have an unlocked device and/or did not realize it was for data only.
  • You are allowed to tether (set-up a local hotspot to share)
  • Seems like you have to activate in Europe and THEN go to their website to turn it on.
  • I guess you could use this on a phone but understand you won't be able to make calls/texts... since it is only data.
For $30, I took the chance and will use this in my iPad to upload photos to my blog. I will report on my experience. (FYI I leave May 19 and plan to start walking May 22.)

Cheers,

-jj
 
Sounds like a fair price and I hope it works out!!!
 
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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 used Vodafone and had no problems, it was pretty reasonably priced too. I initially tried for Orange but for some strange reason they said my passport was invalid. They had pretty good deals as well and I think coverage was about the same.
 
Chriswalker said:
Carolynm, I just went to the Vodafone site and didn't see that offer. Are you picking it up at the Madrid airport?
Click to expand...
We arrived too late in Porto so picked it up on the city. Maybe the deal was only for last month.
 
I'm currently walking the Camino del Norte and I got a SIM card with Orange in the town of Zarautz. I had to pay 10€ for the SIM card and the cheapest plan for one month was 8.95 € and that has 2 GB data but no call time. I got a plan that was 14.95€ for the month with 40 minutes of call time and a little more data.
 
Let us pick up your suitcase once you arrive in Europe....
...and ship it to Santiago for storage. You pick it up once in Santiago. Service offered by Casa Ivar (we use DHL for transportation).
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