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Using a Cell Phone in Portugal: Tips for Traveling Canadians

Thanks for posting the video. My iphone does have dual SIM support. The QR code - is that something that I would get in Spain (Orange/Vodafone)? Is it considered an eSIM? Can I set it up with data only and then use my existing phone number for calls and texts when I have wifi (WhatsApp)? I'll be on my own and want to have access to GPS maps, etc while I am walking, but don't really need the phone call part. I appreciate any light you can shed. Thanks so much.
 
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SparkyW said:
Thanks for posting the video. My iphone does have dual SIM support. The QR code - is that something that I would get in Spain (Orange/Vodafone)?
Click to expand...
There are ways to get Spanish SIM cards before you leave so I expect you can get a QR code for your eSIM too. But really what you want to do is go to a genius bar or to a store for your network and have them transfer the SIM for your US number to the phone's eSIM. It is really easy to do. Take the SIM card out and save it someplace. Then at home or in Spain get a physical SIM card to go where your US SIM was.

SparkyW said:
Is it [a QR code] considered an eSIM?
Click to expand...
An eSIM is a computer chip that is part of your phone that does what the computer chip on a SIM card does. It takes up nearly no space though. The phone has software that will take the data that a QR has (most importantly your phone number) and insert it into the eSIM. You may soon see the term iSIM. What happens here is the chip that was on a card and then turned into a chip built into the phone will be part of (integrated into) one of the phone's other chips, thus saving even more space.

SparkyW said:
I'll be on my own and want to have access to GPS maps, etc while I am walking, but don't really need the phone call part.
Click to expand...
It actually is possible to download maps using wifi onto your phone in advance, say for what you expect to walk in three days. Then you won't need cellular data for maps. How this is done doesn't belong in this thread.

For what you want to do you want to use your phone's settings to set these defaults: use the SIM card (Spanish number) for cellular data and the eSIM (US number for calls, at least for incoming calls). That way emergency calls from home should ring your phone. For calls out your phone's manufacturer may use the default or it may ask you to specify which number to use before connecting to a tower.

I hope this helps.
 
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C clearly said:
Why would I need to save the old SIM card?
Click to expand...
You shouldn't have to but I've been using computers for decades and I don't trust them.

Edit: If you lose or damage your phone and buy a new one the quickest way to recover your number is probably inserting your SIM card into it.


An example of things going wrong that is SIM related: After switching my US number from SIM to eSIM for my camino when I got home I figured that I would put my SIM card back into my phone too in case the eSIM code ever got buggy I could still make and get calls. Everything worked fine for months. Then I brought my car in for servicing and took a long walk while the mechanics looked at it. I got a call (that I couldn't pick up in time) saying what the problem was and expected cost to fix. They asked if I wanted to have them fix it. I couldn't make outgoing calls or texts anymore. I had to walk back an hour before being able to tell them to continue with an hour's worth of work.

The pandemic had started and I couldn't get in touch with support. There was no help online. Finally I figured that some server change for cellular networks messed with the two SIMs I had. I took out the physical SIM card and rebooted. That was the fix.
 
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Also, much rarer these days but some people were in the habit of storing contact information on their SIM cards (they have their own memory) and once on there they can be time consuming to replicate and so keeping the card can save replication time.
 
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.
Slightly more information on eSIMs.

A system backup does NOT backup the eSIM settings and so you should preserve your eSIM QR code if possible.

When doing a factory reset on your phone there is an option that allows you to retain your eSIM settings.
 
Your phone number and the various technical settings that allow your phone to correctly identify itself to the network for each of the communication protocols that run in the background.
 
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First, thanks for this detailed and super informative thread. I learned a lot from reading it! I thought I would add a couple bits of info that others might find helpful.

This relates to US AT&T service and Apple iPhones:

1. In the US, AT&T will unlock your phone if it has been on the AT&T service for at least 60 days AND it is fully paid. I thought I could buy a dual sim phone (my phone needs to be upgraded), pay in full (rather than use AT&T's payment plan) and AT&T would unlock the dual SIM. I didn't know about the requirement that the phone must have been activated on the AT&T system for at least 60 days also. Of course I could buy a new unlocked iPhone 13, but I would have to pay a small premium for this and I would lose the advantage of discount programs offered by AT&T.

If you are an AT&T customer planning far enough in advance and upgrading to an iPhone 13 (or other phone brand with a dual SIM) is in your cards -- the dual SIM seems like a great deal. Just make sure to pay in full for your phone more than 60 days before you leave the US!

2. It appears to me that the only iPhones in the US that have dual SIMs are IPhone 13 models. Apple made older models (going back to iPhone 11) with dual SIM capabilities, but only in China, Hong Kong and a couple other places in Asia. I suppose you could have an iPhone in the US that originally came from one of these locations and has a dual SIM, but I have the impression from my research that they are not common here.

3. I am going to be in Spain for over two months and then plan to travel to the Netherlands and the UK. I think from my research that the best pre-paid SIM card deal for use throughout Europe and in the UK, for such a long period of time is Vodafone (at the moment -- April 2022).

LizB
 
Can I add my two pennies worth to this topic ...it may not be relevant but hey how what do I know ..I have android phone on a contract with a UK provider I have free unlimited calls and texts plus 12Gb a month of data ..I come to do the Camino Frances and pay no extra as using the phone abroad is the same as using it at home , but I only use it for WhatsApp or the Camino Ninja app ..so my question to you is . Can you not use your own phone and keep the same sim card ???
 
It really depends on what your plan covers.
 
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Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 30 to April 2
cardifflad52 said:
Can you not use your own phone and keep the same sim card ???
Click to expand...
If you are from the US and do not have a phone provider that offers decent international calling support, you can only use wifi. And, in that case you can definitely use your own phone with no charges. In the US T Mobile offers great international calling. But the best deal from my provider, AT&T could cost up to $100 / month!

You only need to do the phone hijinks if you want to have cell service and/cellular data. I have never thought I needed cell service or cellular data and maybe I don’t now. But I am concerned about the possible need to make reservations in advance, having to isolate b/c COVID and needing to make attendant arrangements. Also we are walking a couple of more obscure routes (the Vasco and the Invierno) that do not have as man services (with attendant wifi). So this time around we decided to do the phone dance. Maybe it will be an investment we will not use. But things seem different enough and we will be in Spain for over 60 days between hospitalero service and walking, that it seemed needed.
 
I don’t want to come across as privileged but $100/month seems well worth it to me. You don’t have to mess with a second phone number, or SIM card. You can receive texts for banking transactions. You can use data to book rooms, record your track, view maps, post to social media if that’s your thing. Your phone works just like it does at home. All this for less than the price of a nice dinner. I don’t work for AT&T or any other phone company but this seems a lot more reasonable than how the cell companies jacked us around in the past. I want to shed complications when I walk the Camino and this seems like an easy one to shed.
 
I was the originator of the post, so will report back. I ended up taking my old iPhone which was unlocked. In Portugal for 20 Euro I purchased a SIM card/ phone plan good for 30 days, 10 G data, 500 minutes Portugal calls, 30 minutes international calls. We use to call taxis, confirm restaurant hours, etc. At times, people want a number to call me back so it’s handy to have a Portuguese phone number. My texts to iPhones work OK, but have had trouble to android phones, although I receive them.
From Canada it would have cost $10 per day -$300.
 
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@auburnfive thanks for reporting back.

@Viva Terlingua in my world $100/month so I can make a few phone calls is a lot. I can do most of what you mention using wifi. Generally we don’t take a phone at all preferring to unplug as much as possible. I put an away message on my email. I don’t want to get all those texts and calls from home. A Spanish sim is cheap and does the trick.
 
Thank you for the update. I was wondering about buying SIM card from Portugal (Porto airport) and use it in both Portugal and Spain. So, everything worked perfectly fine at the end? I have both Android phone and iPhone that I can use. May I know which provider to use? Is it Vodafone? Thank you. Cheers from Canada.
 
Back home now. It was so helpful
We were so happy to have the phone, and it worked perfectly. One of our group had family issues and was able to get the international minutes topped up very inexpensively. I will now keep my old iPhone as a travel phone. The 20 € plan I bought was good for 30 days.
 
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Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 30 to April 2
auburnfive said:
I will now keep my old iPhone as a travel phone.
Click to expand...
Please read my post # 24, above, to see what can happen when you take an iphone too old to work with the current phone system where you are travelling. This was unbelievable stressful, and expensive, for me on my camino last fall (2021). If your iphone will work with the Portuguese system and you are only going to travel in Portugal, fine. My iphone5s would not work with the Orange phone system, so I had to buy a more recent phone. I was not familiar with it had difficulty managing it throughout my time in Spain.
 
We really liked Vodafone, but unless it has changed, we found that the SIM we bought in Portugal stopped working when we crossed the border into Spain. We then had to buy a Spanish Vodafone SIM. If you buy it in the UK, it will work in multiple European countries.
 
I hope that Portugal Vodafone has updated its roaming capabilities to Spain. It seems so from what @auburnfive has updated in this forum. We will spend 3 days in Porto before leaving for Lugo to start the Camino. I'd like to avoid buying a new SIM in Spain if possible. Thanks for the heads-up.
 
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Perhaps because we were only in Portugal, were lucky to avoid any other issues.. although I have travelled easily without a phone in the past, it was good to have that availability
 
My Spanish phone company give me free roaming when I travel to USA.
In USA there isn't the same service?
 
Mikel Olivares said:
My Spanish phone company give me free roaming when I travel to USA.
In USA there isn't the same service?
Click to expand...
Depends on the plans subscribed. In Canada, the phone plans are not as generous as the ones in Europe or USA. I cannot roam free even when I travel to USA. My Canada phone company charges $12/day or $15/day to roam in USA and international respectively. So, it's wise to buy a local SIM whenever I travel outside Canada.
 
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Thank you! I now have my US number on the eSIM. I had to call Verizon and they sent me the QR code to scan. I really appreciate such a thorough response. It really helped get me started. I purchased a Orange Holiday SIM on Amazon and I will need to replace my original SIM with the European one. Just not sure if I can do this in the US or if I need to wait until I'm in Europe. Thanks again.
 

I understand completely. However with aging parents, I can not cut myself off from the outside world.

If you're content with relying on wifi, there is another option. If you have an iPhone and are on AT&T, you can turn on wifi calling and turnoff roaming on your phone. You can then make calls using wifi and won't be charged.
 
Good day, everyone:

Can someone please tell me if a phone with the following specification is compatible with the Spanish mobile phone systems.

Thank you.

-----

Sourced from Alcatel a392CC manual:

Connectivity

GSM

1900/850/1800 (tel:1900/850/1800)/900 UMTS 850, 1700,

1900, 2100

HSPA (HSDPA)

7.2 Mbps downlink

RSS Feeds

Micro USB 2.0

GPS with A-GPS Standard SIM
 
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,-

How to Buy a Cell Phone in Europe and Avoid Roaming Fees

If you plan to travel to Europe and want to use your cell phone, you'll need to "unlock" your phone and get a tri or quad-band SIM card.
www.tripsavvy.com

GSM frequency bands - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org
 
In other words, your phone is tri band GSM.

If it's unlocked ( can accept a new SIM card), you should be OK. That's not dependent on your phone type, but on the carrier you're currently using.
 
dbier said:
In other words, your phone is tri band GSM.

If it's unlocked ( can accept a new SIM card), you should be OK. That's not dependent on your phone type, but on the carrier you're currently using.
Click to expand...
Thank you, dbier. It can accept new SIMs. It had never occurred to me that it might be locked. It is just a flip phone but I guess they might be locked too. You have got me thinking now.

Edit: It was in fact locked. Now it is unlocked. Thank you again, dbier, and DoughnutANZ too, for alerting me to this issue. You both helped me avoid a problem.
 
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Thought I would share my new-found phone/usage/plan knowledge gained over several hours today. T-Mobile is a company based in Germany. They are currently offering a 55+ Magenta Max plan for $90/mo for 2 lines. This includes a generous trade-in plan where I could exchange my iPhone 7 for an iPhone 13 for $400. (My husband's iPhone X could be traded even-up.) The plan provides for free international texting and unlimited 2G data at 2X speeds in Spain and France. The low flat-rate calling amounts to $.25 per minute but the gentleman suggested using What'sApp (or similar) for phone calls when Wi-Fi is available. For $18/mo one could buy the insurance plan which would cover loss or damage and a replacement phone which could be sent by the next day. (Thus the benefit of a German- based company.) For those flights across the pond, T-Mobile provides unlimited Gogo Wi-Fi and unlimited in-flight texting.

My husband and I have been considering changing providers for some time now and this seems to check most of our boxes. I'm not sure if the 2G data will be sufficient for using the map programs, etc., and am wondering if anyone has suggestions for this. I am also wondering about the reference to the 2 sim-card capability for the iPhone 13 and the advantages of such. Thanks for any input!
 
Kobe said:
Thought I would share my new-found phone/usage/plan knowledge gained over several hours today. T-Mobile is a company based in Germany. They are currently offering a 55+ Magenta Max plan for $90/mo for 2 lines.
Click to expand...
I don't know your age, but if either you or your husband is over 55 they have a discounted rate.
Kobe said:
I'm not sure if the 2G data will be sufficient for using the map programs, etc., and am wondering if anyone has suggestions for this.
Click to expand...
It's always been sufficient for everything that I need to do, and I use my phone a lot while I'm on the Camino. Also, you can download the maps on Camino apps for offline use, and you can also download Google Maps for the areas that you will be in to use offline.

I use WhatsApp when I can to make free calls, but if I need to call a landline or a phone that doesn't use WhatsApp I use the Viber app. I buy "Viber Out" credit which enables me to make calls for only 2 cents a minute using either my cellular data or wifi. $5 worth of credit is usually enough to last me for at least 2 Caminos.
 
Kobe said:
2G data will be sufficient for using the map programs
Click to expand...
Once the program and maps are downloaded to the phone, they don't use much data at all.

Kobe said:
I am also wondering about the reference to the 2 sim-card capability and the advantages of such.
Click to expand...
The advantage relates to the situation where you want 2 different phone plans - i.e. one with your home number, and one with your Spanish number. It looks like you are opting for a single plan.

At 0.25/minute, an hour would cost $15. You can get a Spanish SIM card for that price and have unlimited local calling and several GB data, but SMS messages might not be included, and you'd have a different number. The matter of cost may not be as important as your own comfort level, convenience, and longer term considerations.

I assume that the T-Mobile plan and purchase you are talking about are unique to the US, and wouldn't be available elsewhere. Phone purchases and cost/benefit analyses can get very complicated, so at some point you just need to jump in! If it meets your needs and you can understand it, go for it!
 
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Great tips, Trecile.
And who'd think $5 in this day and age could be such a bargain and go so far!
 
Each to their own.
Kobe said:
Magenta Max plan for $90/m
Click to expand...
My everyday plan costs me $19/m and so this would be very expensive for me.

Kobe said:
The plan provides for free international texting and unlimited 2G data at 2X speeds in Spain and France.
Click to expand...

I would go crazy if I had to go back to 2G data! I would consider my phone unusable.

I doubt very much if it is possible to do a VOIP call using 2G data.
 
DoughnutANZ said:
I would go crazy if I had to go back to 2G data! I would consider my phone unusable.

I doubt very much if it is possible to do a VOIP call using 2G data.
Click to expand...
While I'm in Spain/Portugal, my phone actually always says 3G or 4G - T-Mobile only guarantees 2G speed. I have always been able to make VOIP calls, upload pictures, and do anything that I need to do with the data that my T-Mobile plan provides while I'm abroad.

DoughnutANZ said:
My everyday plan costs me $19/m and so this would be very expensive for me.
Click to expand...
The 55+ plan that my husband and I have costs us $70 for 2 lines of unlimited everything.
 
Train on the 4-day Catalina Camino
Train for your next Camino on California's Santa Catalina Island March 30 to April 2
Molly Cassidy said:
I have never come across a European phone plan that didn't include SMS
Click to expand...
I don't understand what the problem was, but twice I had difficulty with it - for making international messages. I simply changed over to using other internet-based messaging such as WhatsApp, and didn't bother to figure it out.
 
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We just last week switched over to T-Mobile, specifically because of their seamless coverage in Europe. In the past (Cons. Cellular) we either paid the international surcharges and tried to use wifi as much as possible, or got a local SIM card and dealt with the hassle of a different phone number. We'll be in Europe for 3 months this time, so TM's coverage became very attractive. We also got the 55+ Magenta plan on 2 lines for $70.

We do almost all calling with WhatsApp, so the $0.25/min charge for regular calls doesn't bother us, but thanks for the tip about Viber. If things get out of hand, we'll try it.

But here's a tip if you're a Costco customer: sign up with TM at the in-store kiosk, and you get a $300 Costco gift card per line, so for us $600 total! They make you wait about 3 months for it, but we're in no hurry. This is probably a limited time offer, but Costco typically always has special deals.
 
Kobe said:
I'm not sure if the 2G data will be sufficient for using the map programs, etc., and am wondering if anyone has suggestions for this.
Click to expand...
I think you will find that any of the map apps or camino specific apps that you are likely to use have a way to download maps ahead of time when wifi is available so that you do not need an internet connection when you walk. Exceptions may be if you try to plot a route or lookup a point of interest. Still, downloading the map over wifi will save you cellular data usage.
Kobe said:
I am also wondering about the reference to the 2 sim-card capability for the iPhone 13 and the advantages of such.
Click to expand...
If you use WhatsApp you are probably covered well for your trip except for calls home. Viber should handle that cheaper than your T-Mobile plan. You probably do not NEED to use the second SIM but I suggest you test WhatsApp by calling each other or someone else over the 2G T-Mobile cellular internet while disconnected from WiFi. If the connection is bad then at least one of your phones should get a local SIM installed on the phone's second SIM.

For more information on dual sims for camino use see this search:

Edit: A lot (most?) dual SIM phones use an eSIM for the second SIM so this search may also be useful:
 
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So, to be clear (in my mind) when making calls abroad, you use WhatsApp or Viber. Does this mean that you do NOT have a local phone number via SIM or eSIM?

I just got a Samsung s22+ with dual SIM capacity (using T-Mobile Magenta 55+) and I've been trying to figure out whether I needed a local phone number - particularly for calling ahead for bed reservations thru the Wise Pilgrim app.

Thank you for your help!
 
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).
Andrea Mayfield said:
So, to be clear (in my mind) when making calls abroad, you use WhatsApp or Viber. Does this mean that you do NOT have a local phone number via SIM or eSIM?
Click to expand...
Correct. I just have my home (US) number.
If the albergue's phone is on WhatsApp I will normally use that to send a text message. Otherwise I make the call with Viber.

I now have a phone that will accept an eSIM, so on my next trip I may try putting my home number on eSIM and purchasing a local SIM just to see how it works.
 
Thank you so much. I have now seen a few others on the thread who have opted to move their home phone number to the eSIM making the physical SIM slot available for a Spanish SIM. I will follow suit. And will download Viber

I love this forum!!!
 
Yes. I’m in Almeria Spain and brought an old iPhone 4 into which I had a Spanish SIM card I stalked for 20€. My new iPhone X connects to the wifi in the old phone into hotspot in settings.
Unfortunately, all my credit cards got cancelled here when entered the PIN three times. I used up my 200 phone minutes trying to call the credit card companies. So now I have to wait to start my Camino until Vodafone opens on Monday.

Bring lots of cash ! It’s how I survived here without access to my credit cards from which I was planning to extract cash.
 
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.
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