WiFi or data

[Margaret of Jordan]

Is everyone getting SIM cards and data for the walk? If so, where? I’ve paid far too much in the past in MAD airport. Flying into MAD, buding to Pamplona or Burgos to start. I thought to use my phone to book each nights’ accommodation the night before.

 

[Waka]

If you're going to Pamplona then that's a good place to get a sim, I agree airports are a rip off.
Most places along the Way have very good wifi coverage and if you're pre booking then Booking.com is a good option to use for this.

 

[Bradypus]

You do not say which country you are travelling from. That might help others from your home country to answer your question more specifically. Those of us who live within the EU should not face any additional roaming charges these days for mobile calls and data while in another EU country. It is therefore no big deal to use our normal SIM while in France and Spain.

 

[evanlow]

If you are landing in Madrid and have to go to Pamplona/Burgos to start your camino then you have to take either the train or bus there. A good place to get the data sim will be either the train or bus station. In the past few years I've gotten mine from Atocha station (Madrid), Avenida de America Bus station (Madrid), Estacion Sants (Barcelona), literally anywhere in the city other than the airport.

 

[martin1ws]

You do not say which country you are travelling from. That might help others from your home country to answer your question more specifically. Those of us who live within the EU should not face any additional roaming charges these days for mobile calls and data while in another EU country. It is therefore no big deal to use our normal SIM while in France and Spain.

This is correct most of the time.

But sometimes the no-EU-roaming-cost does not work:
* A friend got the old, expensive roaming info-SMS at arriving in Italy (from Germany) two weeks ago. Because of this he almost never used his smartphone... so I do not know what the roaming costs would have been.
* My wife had a new SIM with a new (relatively cheap) contract. With this contract she had a 6-week-timeframe where she could not use the SIM in a foreign-EU-country at all. The hotline did not mention this "funny" detail as she asked for EU-usage while ordering the SIM... after the 6 weeks everything is as it should be: a working SIM with no EU-roaming-costs.

So it maybe be good to read the current details for foreign EU-countries in your contract.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I agree airports are a rip off.

I finally bought a SIM card at the Madrid airport, and it was the same price I had been paying in Pamplona.

 

[t2andreo]

I use t-Mobile for my carrier here in the US. They permit me to use my contracted data plan in 140 foreign countries, including all of the EU for free. There are no roaming charges.

Plus, they give me free unlimited text capability. The only extra charge is that voice calls to an from anywhere are USD 20 cents per minute.

Using this is transparent. When the plans lands at Paris or Madrid, when I start up the phone, it automatically attaches to any available Euro network, usually Orange or Vodaphone.

Hope this helps.

 

[redbackpack]

You do not say which country you are travelling from. That might help others from your home country to answer your question more specifically. Those of us who live within the EU should not face any additional roaming charges these days for mobile calls and data while in another EU country. It is therefore no big deal to use our normal SIM while in France and Spain.

I was told to switch from 4G to 3G because 4G can get additional charges, don't know why.

 

[mishlove]

Maybe???
https://www.vodafone.es/c/particulares/es/productos-y-servicios/movil/tourist-in-spain-vf/

 

[Chris Gi]

Is everyone getting SIM cards and data for the walk? If so, where? I’ve paid far too much in the past in MAD airport. Flying into MAD, buding to Pamplona or Burgos to start. I thought to use my phone to book each nights’ accommodation the night before.

We picked up a SIM card at a Vodafone store. It cost 25 euros for 6 months unlimited use and is working really well so far. Able to do all I need with/without internet. Great GPS.

 

[Macznelson]

I have Verizon iphone, same question ... we are traveling first in France .... where to buy sim card, not being techie, how easily will it work? Can I purchase in in states before I leave?

 

[Chris Gi]

I have Verizon iphone, same question ... we are traveling first in France .... where to buy sim card, not being techie, how easily will it work? Can I purchase in in states before I leave?

We bought ours in Barcelona a few days ago before coming to Pamplona today. It works throughout Europe but info etc is in Spanish. We had to have a new # and I cannot text out of Europe such as back to USA. But it picks up internet quickly. No problems so far.

 

[Vacajoe]

We used free WiFi 100% of the time with no issues (bars, albergues, etc). NOT being connected all the time made it much easier to not worry about all the things back home that would have distracted us via emails, texts, alerts, etc. it may not be for everyone, but it worked for us just fine.

 

[Macznelson]

Of course I do not want to depend on phone, hubby is going to need to talk/email with office from time to time, I need to work out details

 

[C clearly]

Is everyone getting SIM cards and data for the walk?

Not everyone, by any means, but many do.

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

I was told to switch from 4G to 3G because 4G can get additional charges, don't know why.

I’m coming from Jordan! I live in Jordan with an unlocked iPhone. I think I still have a SIM from Spain last year. I do recall getting ripped off in the airport once. I like this Vodafone idea. Where are the stores? In the airport? I use my phone, right? You’re not getting a different phone, are you?

 

[Margaret of Jordan]

So yes, because my husband and children are going to other countries, and we’re meeting later, I’d like to have a way to be reached. But otherwise, I hear ya, UNPLUG!

 

[C clearly]

We picked up a SIM card at a Vodafone store. It cost 25 euros for 6 months unlimited use and is working really well so far. Able to do all I need with/without internet. Great GPS.

That wasn't available to me in April. Can you tell us the name of the plan that you have?

 

[Ted Stek]

The best plan and company I have found is Lebara! I almost made the mistake of buying a sims card at the airport for €60! That was with limited data and call time. I had used Lebara on my privious Camino and found it adequate in most places. I found the Lebara person standing outside the door at the Vodaphone store.

It cost me €20 for “10 gig” if days and “2,000 minutes” call time in Spain and 51 other countries, including the USA and it’s good for 30 days. I went past the 30 days and added an additional 4 gig of data and 400 minutes of call time, and when I did that all the data and time from the first 30 rolled over into the new 30 days! I now have over 1,000 minutes call time and about 7 gig of data!

The only thing is that your service is 3g instead of 4g, but that doesn’t matter unless you are a gamer or want super fast speed. I found the service worked great from Madrid to Santiago. I am currently two days from Santiago and finishing the Camino de Madrid/Camino Francis and have never been without service.

Why would you use anything else for €20!!!!!!!!

Ted

 

[arch]

Is everyone getting SIM cards and data for the walk? If so, where? I’ve paid far too much in the past in MAD airport. Flying into MAD, buding to Pamplona or Burgos to start. I thought to use my phone to book each nights’ accommodation the night before.

I have had good luck with https://www.mobal.com/europe-sim-ca...TlNU2Um7RbF2j_opM4GsGAD-7dZXTSPhoCwOcQAvD_BwE
Trekking in the Alps and 2016 Camino

 

[s38marsh]

I downloaded off-line maps from Google via WIFI for use with GPS on my iPhone. This worked very well. Also bought a SIM card so that I could call ahead to Albergues to check bed availability.

 

[t2andreo]

I was told to switch from 4G to 3G because 4G can get additional charges, don't know why.

The data level capability whether 5G (newly emerging), LTE, 4G, 3G, or 2G (voice and text only - old school) is meaningless. Do not buy a limited speed data package.

The local network you are trying to access will determine your data speed. Your phone and service provider should automatically select the best possible data available. You want to use the fastest data available. Across Spain, LTE and 4G are ubiquitous. Occasionally, I have encountered data speed drops to 3G, but this is rare.

Hope this helps.

 

[YoCo]

If you're going to Pamplona then that's a good place to get a sim, I agree airports are a rip off.
Most places along the Way have very good wifi coverage and if you're pre booking then Booking.com is a good option to use for this.

But isn't a SIM card necessary to connect to wifi? I'm with Verizon, unlocked Samsung and I thought I needed a SIM to connect to wifi without charges. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 39850]

But isn't a SIM card necessary to connect to wifi? I'm with Verizon, unlocked Samsung and I thought I needed a SIM to connect to wifi without charges. Correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks!

To connect tot WIFI? No. But if you want data on the trails, then yes, you need a SIM card.
Those using the Wise Pilgrim apps may want to use data on the road for the live maps that locate where you are on GPS, and direct you to your next villages, albergues, etc.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use t-Mobile for my carrier here in the US. They permit me to use my contracted data plan in 140 foreign countries, including all of the EU for free. There are no roaming charges.

Plus, they give me free unlimited text capability. The only extra charge is that voice calls to an from anywhere are USD 20 cents per minute.

Using this is transparent. When the plans lands at Paris or Madrid, when I start up the phone, it automatically attaches to any available Euro network, usually Orange or Vodaphone.

Hope this helps.

Tom, my Sprint plan works exactly like yours does and it recently served me quite well in France. No extra fees, just the 20 cents a minute for an actual phone call.

 

[YoCo]

To connect tot WIFI? No. But if you want data on the trails, then yes, you need a SIM card.
Those using the Wise Pilgrim apps may want to use data on the road for the live maps that locate where you are on GPS, and direct you to your next villages, albergues, etc.

Thanks! I'm planning on just wifi once I stop. Not using it for maps or booking, while walking between albergues. Downloaded music wouldn't need wifi so I can't think of any other reasons to buy a SIM.

 

[t2andreo]

Tom, my Sprint plan works exactly like yours does and it recently served me quite well in France. No extra fees, just the 20 cents a minute for an actual phone call.

I do recall reading that t-Mobile recently purchased Sprint. This may be one of the collateral benefits. Glad it worked well for you.

I am inSantiago now, working at the office until 12 August. Yippee!!!.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I do recall reading that t-Mobile recently purchased Sprint. This may be one of the collateral benefits. Glad it worked well for you.

I am inSantiago now, working at the office until 12 August. Yippee!!!.

I don't know how hot it is in Santiago right now, but I'll bet you are happy to NOT be in Florida for a few weeks in July! Enjoy your time in that special city helping in the Pilgrim's office.... Lucky you, twice in one year!

 

[Marbe2]

I have Verizon iphone, same question ... we are traveling first in France .... where to buy sim card, not being techie, how easily will it work? Can I purchase in in states before I leave?

Caution if you have a contract with Verizon the phone is likely locked! If your contract is up them then you can ask them to unlock it. If you want to purchase a SIM card phone needs to be unlock!

If Verizon will not release you from locked phone consider buying a cheap phone. We got one for abt 20 euros and added 10 euros of calling time. It was plenty of time for calling ahead!

 

[t2andreo]

I don't know how hot it is in Santiago right now, but I'll bet you are happy to NOT be in Florida for a few weeks in July! Enjoy your time in that special city helping in the Pilgrim's office.... Lucky you, twice in one year!

Well, it was in the low 90s here on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Today, the weather is back to normal for Galicia. So all ends well.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Of course there's a lot of open wifi sources in Spain. You might, for instance, be wandering past the Parador in SdC and pick up their wifi signal and you might find that the password is Parador (or it was in 2016 and it still worked in May this year because I hadn't deleted it from my phone) even quite some distance away from the building.