Trains and sims

[1BreathAtATime]

I arrived yesterday at the Madrid airport to begin my first Camino in Leon. I was able to use a commuter train between the airport to very close to the Renfe station. True there is construction, so there was some extra walking. However stopping to ask anyone in a yellow vest I was able to find my way allowing extra time to catch my train.

I have also discovered that the international calling provided by mint mobile is not working in Spain! I spent hours on the phone with them last night trying to get it fixed. Nothing worked. They are giving me my money back but today I sit in Leon waiting for a store to open for me to get a SIM card. I'm planning on hitting a main Orange store unless someone else has a different suggestion. It is already almost 9:00 a.m. and the store should open at 10:00.
Buen camino

 

[Bedspring]

I arrived yesterday at the Madrid airport to begin my first Camino in Leon. I was able to use a commuter train between the airport to very close to the Renfe station. True there is construction, so there was some extra walking. However stopping to ask anyone in a yellow vest I was able to find my way allowing extra time to catch my train.

I have also discovered that the international calling provided by mint mobile is not working in Spain! I spent hours on the phone with them last night trying to get it fixed. Nothing worked. They are giving me my money back but today I sit in Leon waiting for a store to open for me to get a SIM card. I'm planning on hitting a main Orange store unless someone else has a different suggestion. It is already almost 9:00 a.m. and the store should open at 10:00.
Buen camino

Did you try, either putting phone into airplane mode, then back out, and if that fails, try turn on turn off.

 

[David]

Consensus seems to be that Movistar is best for coverage and value. Rolling at 10€ a month. Available in large supermarkets

Edited - the comparison website said Movistar (I wrote Movil!)

 

[naplesdon]

Orange, oui!

 

[t2andreo]

IIRC Mint Mobile does not own its own transmission towers, etc, but leases bulk capacity from the providers that build and maintain these towers and switching capabilities. Because of this subordinate relationship, they do not have foreign coverage. Other similar service, like Consumer Cellular, are in the same position.

To have access to International services when you are out of the US, you might necessarily have to subscribe to one of the major cellular provider firms, such as ATT, t-Mobil or Verizon.

I use t-Mobile for my provider in the US. They allow unlimited free data and text in over 150 countries, including all of Europe. My phone simply connects to a roaming partner when I turn it on upon landing.

t-Mobile is a German corporation with many international roaming partners. I have never had an issue, in more than a decade of using their international services.

Voice calls are USD .25 per minute, regardless of the origin point. So, I do not answer calls placed from the US, while I am overseas.

Absent this, if you have to buy a SIM in Europe, Orange is a good choice.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[lt56ny]

I like Vodafone. It has plans that work for me at a good price and since I am always on the Camino for at least 6 weeks it is really easy to recharge.

 

[naplesdon]

IIRC Mint Mobile does not own its own transmission towers, etc, but leases bulk capacity from the providers that build and maintain these towers and switching capabilities. Because of this subordinate relationship, they do not have foreign coverage. Other similar service, like Consumer Cellular, are in the same position.

To have access to International services when you are out of the US, you might necessarily have to subscribe to one of the major cellular provider firms, such as ATT, t-Mobil or Verizon.

I use t-Mobile for my provider in the US. They allow unlimited free data and text in over 150 countries, including all of Europe. My phone simply connects to a roaming partner when I turn it on upon landing.

t-Mobile is a German corporation with many international roaming partners. I have never had an issue, in more than a decade of using their international services.

Voice calls are USD .25 per minute, regardless of the origin point. So, I do not answer calls placed from the US, while I am overseas.

Absent this, if you have to buy a SIM in Europe, Orange is a good choice.

Hope this helps,

Tom

If you are a T-Mobile subscriber it is important to tell them before you travel, like maybe a month in advance, that you will be out of the US, they will make some adjustments to your services and insure coverage but it comes at some cost.

 

[AidaYYC]

I arrived yesterday at the Madrid airport to begin my first Camino in Leon. I was able to use a commuter train between the airport to very close to the Renfe station. True there is construction, so there was some extra walking. However stopping to ask anyone in a yellow vest I was able to find my way allowing extra time to catch my train.

I have also discovered that the international calling provided by mint mobile is not working in Spain! I spent hours on the phone with them last night trying to get it fixed. Nothing worked. They are giving me my money back but today I sit in Leon waiting for a store to open for me to get a SIM card. I'm planning on hitting a main Orange store unless someone else has a different suggestion. It is already almost 9:00 a.m. and the store should open at 10:00.
Buen camino

You cannot go wrong with either SIM card carriers, Orange or Vodafone

 

[AidaYYC]

I like Vodafone. It has plans that work for me at a good price and since I am always on the Camino for at least 6 weeks it is really easy to recharge.

Yes, I agree. I was able to recharge it at lonely service station midway through the Meseta in 2022

 

[1BreathAtATime]

IIRC Mint Mobile does not own its own transmission towers, etc, but leases bulk capacity from the providers that build and maintain these towers and switching capabilities. Because of this subordinate relationship, they do not have foreign coverage. Other similar service, like Consumer Cellular, are in the same position.

To have access to International services when you are out of the US, you might necessarily have to subscribe to one of the major cellular provider firms, such as ATT, t-Mobil or Verizon.

I use t-Mobile for my provider in the US. They allow unlimited free data and text in over 150 countries, including all of Europe. My phone simply connects to a roaming partner when I turn it on upon landing.

t-Mobile is a German corporation with many international roaming partners. I have never had an issue, in more than a decade of using their international services.

Voice calls are USD .25 per minute, regardless of the origin point. So, I do not answer calls placed from the US, while I am overseas.

Absent this, if you have to buy a SIM in Europe, Orange is a good choice.

Hope this helps,

Tom

I ended up with Orange sim 20 euros for 28 days and well over 100 gb.
Since TMobile bought Mint, they started offering an international plan that I hoped would work similar to their TMobile customers. Not so....

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Consensus seems to be that Movil is best for coverage and value. Rolling at 10€ a month. Available in large supermarkets

Wow, I guess that you talk to different people than I do.

I don't recollect anyone else recommending Móvil.

But each to their own opinion.

 

[David]

Wow, I guess that you talk to different people than I do.

I don't recollect anyone else recommending Móvil.

But each to their own opinion.

My error - I meant Movistar (will edit post). I did research recently with the idea of having a Spanish number for my first aid mission - this was the best website I could find and they recommend Movistar

How To Buy a Prepaid Sim Card for Spain in 2024 - Traveltomtom.net

Buying a sim card in Spain? Here are the prices and the 4G coverage maps. A comparison of all the internet providers to find the best prepaid sim card for touri

www.traveltomtom.net

 

[ginniek]

IIRC Mint Mobile does not own its own transmission towers, etc, but leases bulk capacity from the providers that build and maintain these towers and switching capabilities. Because of this subordinate relationship, they do not have foreign coverage. Other similar service, like Consumer Cellular, are in the same position.

To have access to International services when you are out of the US, you might necessarily have to subscribe to one of the major cellular provider firms, such as ATT, t-Mobil or Verizon.

I use t-Mobile for my provider in the US. They allow unlimited free data and text in over 150 countries, including all of Europe. My phone simply connects to a roaming partner when I turn it on upon landing.

t-Mobile is a German corporation with many international roaming partners. I have never had an issue, in more than a decade of using their international services.

Voice calls are USD .25 per minute, regardless of the origin point. So, I do not answer calls placed from the US, while I am overseas.

Absent this, if you have to buy a SIM in Europe, Orange is a good choice.

Hope this helps,

Tom

T-Mobile bought Mint Mobile several months ago.

 

[t2andreo]

I did not know that. But, you would have to check what international services Mint Mobile offers. I do not know.

 

[Stephan the Painter]

I assume the OP has long moved on, but I think it's worth noting that you can buy SIM cards at the luggage storage facility at the Madrid airport. They sell multiple Sim cards from various companies. I think there was a €10 convenience fee, but I walked out of the airport with a 15 Euro a month orange SIM and it worked great.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

My error - I meant Movistar (will edit post). I did research recently with the idea of having a Spanish number for my first aid mission - this was the best website I could find and they recommend Movistar

How To Buy a Prepaid Sim Card for Spain in 2024 - Traveltomtom.net

Buying a sim card in Spain? Here are the prices and the 4G coverage maps. A comparison of all the internet providers to find the best prepaid sim card for touri

www.traveltomtom.net

Unfortunately that website does not provide unbiased information. They are paid according to the number of people who follow their links.

In my experience Movistar have quite good coverage across Spain but no better than Vodafone. The downside with Movistar is that they have awful customer service.