a phone while in Spain

I don't know what you mean by a "burner phone", but if it is a pay-as-you-go phone, why can't you use that in Spain?
Or, why can't the owner send you a map?, maps are easy enough to print off from the internet.

We got phones from Eurobuzz -- ordered online, mailed to our home address within a few days, $50 for 2 or $30 for one. UK-based number works all over Europe for $0.79 per minute, billed after call to credit card. (We got 2 in case we needed to split up, but didn't have to use that on this trip.) Made less than $5.00 in calls and the phones are now sitting quietly with our travel gear, ready to be charged for the next trip -- NO prepaid call time to expire and the instruction books are in English. We do have cell phones which we had on "vacation hold" from AT&T so there was no chance of running up bills, just used them for free wifi connections and as cameras.

I suspect that if you have a phone in Spain, you will use it for more than one call in 3 weeks.

We got our first mobile phone in 2005 and our first smartphone almost a year ago. We definitely came late to the party.

We both have health issues and started using our phones to stay in contact with each other and for emergency purposes. Now with the smartphone, I use it for almost everything. It really cuts down on the weight I carry on our trips.

Last trip, it was all I took. I used the camera and loaded books on it to read. I used it with Wi-Fi for access to email and the internet. I did not use data due to the high price.

It is a steep learning curve at first, but well worth the climb, especially when we are traveling.

Thank you all for your thoughts. The phones from Eurobuzz sound like they may be what we need. I will check them out online. Getting them in advance and reading the directions, etc. before we leave home would be great. Again, thank you. The help is really appreciated. Velda

I picked up a phone from Vodaphone, but Orange and several other companies sell cheap phones, with a SIM card, charger (I think a car charger) and some minutes for around 20 - 25 euro. As I recall Vodaphone gave me a choice between 60 free minutes, then 20 euro cents per minute or 8 cents a minute and five euros credit to start (something along that line anyway). I went with cheaper minutes.

We picked up our phone at a department store in downtown Barcelona, but there are phone kiosks everywhere including the airport. If the price is significantly higher than what we got, I'd check the next place.

The one bad thing about Vodaphone was you had to stop in a store to add value to your SIM card (probably the same for Orange). Stores are everywhere, however, so it isn't difficult.

If you pick this option, it's much better to have the sales clerk set up your phone and make sure it works before you leave the store.

I travel fairly frequently to Spain. On the last trip I purchased an Orange Phone at one of its stores in Madrid. Small cost, with "free" minutes which made the cost almost nothing. I can take the phone back and use it again. Have recharged it so that I will keep the same number. The way to go. Recharge is available on line from the states even.

Thank you for the orange phone suggestion. I'll check it out. We have looked online at the eurobuzz option and have thought it might be an easy to use possibility. Again, thanks for the help. Velda