We've slacked off on our planning, and now it's only 7 days before we leave, and we have no idea what the plan is for our cell phones. We have a burner iPhone and generally use it as a hotspot. We are in the Azores for 7 days, Sao Miguel and Horta. Don't care about local calls or texts, but need data, and need hotspot capability. Any advice for good options we have? Cost isn't super important, but ease of getting it set up is. We are staying in Old Town Ponta Delgada for the first few days so that should make it easy to go to any cell phone shop. Thanks for any tips! I've been to prepaidgsm.com but I'd like someone who actually knows the situation on the ground to chime in - getting a hotspot up and running always seems to be a challenge. Thanks!
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
I have always found this blog helpful for prepaid SIM info in individual countries:
http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Portugal
Of the main providers in Portugal, MEO and Vodafone are listed as allowing tethering (maybe the others too but I didn't see any indication). You need tethering for hotspot.
I've never had any problems setting up a hotspot with my Android phone, if the provider allows it; if they don't, it's more difficult (you would need a jailbroken/rooted phone). If you go into say a Vodafone or MEO store when you arrive, explain to the salesperson that you want to use the hotspot and test it before you leave the store; if it doesn't work, go elsewhere.
Posted by
Rhode Island, USA
472 posts
Go to the Parque Atlantico mall in Ponta Delgada. Inside there is a MEO store and VODAFONE store. The street is Rua da Juventude. All of the associates at both stores speak English. Visit each store, tell them what you want to do, then get a price. It could be a difference of 5-10 Euros, more or less.
You can walk to the mall from almost anywhere in Ponta Delgada, or park the car in the underground parking garage.
Let me know if you want the link to my Azores guide. It has detailed info for both islands you will be visiting.
Carl