Hi there,
would like to seek your advise , can I buy a prepaid SIM card with data plans easily while I am in Madrid or Barcelona ? If yes, which telco have the more coverage would you recommend please/
I have also read some tips online. they claimed if I hold a smartphone. the phone got to be 'unlock" to insert the SIM card, is that true?
anyone here can help please ? thanks
We have purchased prepaid sim cards from a variety of companies during our travels with no noticeable difference between them.
Your phone does need to be unlocked in order to allow acceptance of the card.
Appears this is your first experience with this process so suggest you purchase the sim card from a phone store located in the heart of a tourist area where you are more likely to find employees used to helping tourist.
Question: why do you need the phone? Our daughter just returned from spending the summer in spain and we used wifi apps to communicate for free.
We would like to buy a data sim for my mi-fi. This way my wife can surf with her iPad as well. We also have an unlocked LG we will get a voice sim. As to why have a phone? emergencies, local calls,
Yes your phone has to be unlocked so it can accept SIMs from other companies.
The most used companies by visitors for short stays are probably Tuenti (group Telefonica), Orange (group France Telecom) and Yoigo. You'll find plenty of stores in the more central districts. For example, in Barcelona, in Plaça Catalunya -considered to be the centre of the city- you'll find stores of the three brands within a few hundred yards from each other.
In Madrid, the major companies all have stores in the Puerta del Sol. There is also a large El Corte Ingles department store on the same plaza where you can buy SIMs.
We had to show our passport when we bought our SIM cards. Bring yours with you, just in case.
On our Madrid trip last November, we got a Movistar SIM in Toledo, but there were also locations in Madrid and a huge one in downtown Barcelona. We had the guy behind the counter install it for us, and set it up so it would provide prompts in English - faster and easier than figuring all that out ourselves.
Cyn,
I'm interested in knowing where in Toledo you bought the SIM card, as we will be starting a 3-week trip in Toledo in May.
Thanks!
Paule
I used Vodaphone, drove all over the country, and never had a coverage problem.
Coverage is usually really good in Europe.
Hi Paule - sorry, just now saw you message from earlier. We actually went to a Movistar company store, just off of the Plaza de Zocodover, recommended by the helpful Tourist Info office there. Movistar is one of the big wireless providers in Spain, and their logo is a green, balloon-like "M" in a dark blue background. They sponsor a pro bicycling team that races in the Tour de France, the Giro de Espana, and other big bike races.
I asked at this forum about the same =) and at some others too. And I need at least Germany, Spain, Portugal, France to be in coverage zone.
So people recommend me to take a mtxconnect data-only sim card. I've just ordered it via their website and now I'm just waiting to get it by post-mail. And looks being easy to use - €10 per day with no traffic limits or €0.1 per Mb
