Very Positive SIM Experience In Spain

Wes, Thanks for posting this. It's helpful.

Yup, did the same thing. First morning in Barcelona we found an Orange store on the same block as our hotel. Purchased a 2GB SIM for €20 for our unlocked iPhone. It was invaluable to have the phone for maps, directions, calling hotels and restaurants, web surfing for info. Used it for two weeks with no problems all over Spain.

Similar experience. Since we were only traveling in Spain, we picked up a cheap phone, charger, SIM, and ten euro worth of minutes for 25 euro. We only used it to call ahead to book rooms for the night, so didn't use data.

Instead of getting it at the airport, we picked ours up in the electronic section at El Corte Ingles store off Placa Catalunya. We also went with Vodaphone and have no complaints. I'd offer the same advice regarding finding a clerk who is fluent in English and having them set it up for you before you leave the store.

The biggest downside is you have to visit a store to add value to the SIM (at least we did in 2012). Stores are everywhere so finding one isn't an issue - it just seems like there should be a way to buy minutes using your phone/credit card.

There are lots of options, including various carriers each with multitudes of plans, however I can say the difference between our 2010 visit with a cheap 'throwaway' phone with prepaid minutes, no data, etc, and our visit in September with our full featured US smartphones and (cheap) Spanish SIM cards installed was night and day. Google Maps was stellar for both searching for places, things to do, attractions, and especially places that we'd previously bookmarked and for navigating - both on foot and via public transit (we didn't have a car but I'm sure it would have been equally brilliant). The real plus though was having access to web browser (highly recommend Google Chrome as it has a great built-in automatic Translate function), Trip Advisor, Yelp and other online searchable resources, as well as real time access to email, Facebook and other communication avenues, and the amazingly handy Google Translate app (including speech). Another perk of using your own phone + Spanish SIM is you keep your contacts information, making calling easy (setting up new contacts on Spanish phones is difficult unless you understand Spanish, as all the menus are in Spanish). Given that you can get voice + data plans for a little as 10E and aren't stuck with a phone that you need to pay to have recycled when you return (US cell phone companies wouldn't accept our Spanish phone for recycling when we got back), the choice was clear for us.

One other, more or less aside, comment: Resellers, such as Corte Ingles, Crystal Media, etc. can be more convenient (and may be more adept at dealing with foreigners) but generally cost more than going direct to the service vendor stores (Vodafone, Orange, Movistar, etc.). In my case, the Crystal Media store at El Prat added a 20E 'set-up charge' to the 20E Vodafone charge (60 minutes anywhere calling + 900 MB data under the "Vodafone In Spain" plan ('tarifa'). However, since I needed the connectivity immediately (to be able to contact our Airbnb host) and Crystal Media had a promo that doubled both the voice and data, the 40E was a good value to me. My wife, on the other hand, did not need the international calling, so went for the Vodafone Yu "Super Yuser" with 60 minutes of in country calling + 1.2 GB of data for 15E (with no set up or service charge at a Vodafone store). (They also have a "Yuser" package with 20 minutes + 600 MB for 10E and a "Mega Yuser" package with 100 minutes + 1.6 GB for 20E).

In addition to rates though you should also consider what type of data (1x, 3G, 3G H, 3G H+, 4G, etc.) and coverage. By several accounts, Orange's coverage and speed is relatively poor (both in metro areas and for sure in more rural areas) and Movistar is great (according to coverage maps I saw, the best pretty much throughout Spain). This, of course, will change as providers upgrade and expand services.

Thanks for your tips, Wes! I wish I had read this before my trip. I wanted to chime in here too. Didn't have any luck with my old iphone there (it wasn't unlocked) and so I just used WiFi when I could find it. However I found this site recently when I got back: http://www.ole-mobile.com/ and it looks like a good option for renting a pre-paid smart phone to use in Spain. I haven't used it myself but I hope to visit Spain again and then I can check it out. :)

Lots of options for sure, and renting a smartphone in Spain with a Spanish SIM already installed might work well for some, but I'd be - first and foremost - concerned about who the carrier was, as coverage areas and performance (speed, dropped calls, etc.) vary considerably from carrier to carrier (and from plan to plan). With your own phone - and prepaid Spanish SIM - you have a choice of carriers, and at 10E or so, for considerably less than renting a phone abroad (I believe the service mentioned runs about 3.5E/day). Another advantage - and to me personally a big one - is keeping your own phone brings the convenience of keeping your Contacts, browser bookmarks, login information, cloud storage access, etc. etc., as well as familiarity with how everything works.

I'd still advocate checking with your current US carrier about usability of your existing US smartphone abroad before leaving. The majority of current smartphones will indeed work overseas (most manufacturers are transitioning to dual CDMA and GSM bands in their phones since it makes them usable in either US or European markets right out of the box) and most carriers will "SIM Unlock" clients phones on request (and many - like most current Verizon phones) come SIM Unlocked when purchased. Given that most US carriers offer free phone upgrades (typically every two years) to their clients under the terms of their subscriptions, if your phone is not 'Euro ready', maybe it's time to upgrade. The cell phone market is moving very fast toward global coverage (in fact at least one US carrier already includes it in their standard US monthly plans) and both cell phone manufacturers and mobile service carriers recognize this and are trying to stay ahead of the game.

As long as you make absolutely sure your phone is working properly - before you leave the store - switching to a Spanish SIM card is easy and reliable and provides fantastic tools for enjoying your visit.

When I last used a SIM card for in a foreign country, I didn't retain access to my own contacts and bookmarks. Switching my card out for the local one seemed to lose that. Do I need to do something different to retain that access?

When I last used a SIM card for in a foreign country, I didn't retain access to my own contacts and bookmarks. Switching my card out for the local one seemed to lose that. Do I need to do something different to retain that access?

Not sure when this was or what phone you were using - or which cellular provider furnished the SIM (details like this can be very useful in identifying problems...) but your experience seems very unusual, simply because the SIM card has absolutely nothing to do with what's on the phone, only how it connects to the wireless network. All your stored information should remain the same and work the same when you connect to the new network that your new SIM card has enabled. It's actually very similar to when you switch from wifi to wireless (I.e. cellular) for your access.

It's possible that your phone was not SIM unlocked (though this would normally prevent any cellular traffic, voice or data). I would discuss this with your US cellular provider. I would also be a little concerned that your foreign SIM card may have had some virus or trojan programs installed that prevented you from accessing your data, while it had free use of the data. I've not heard of this problem, but I'd definitely do some due diligence (checking your accounts, etc.).

I would also strongly recommend only dealing with major overseas carriers (Orange, Vodafone, Movistar, etc.) and - for sure - verify that your phone is working properly before leaving the vendor's store (including that you can access your contacts and other data).

-Wes

Wes,

That's a very comprehensive report, which I'm sure will be helpful for others. One point of clarification.....

"Your cell phone must support Global Roaming - i.e. be capable of working on either CDMA (most US systems) AND GSM"

For use on European cell networks, there's absolutely no value in having "either CDMA", as it simply won't work in Europe. Also In addition to "AND GSM", the handset must have the specific frequency bands used by European networks (900/1800 for basic service, not data), and be SIM unlocked.

Ken,
Yes, thanks. I should have made it clear that GSM capability is the critical issue (though I suspect there are few, if any cell phones currently being sold in North America that don't have both GSM and CDMA compatibility). As far as band compatibility, I felt that this was just too complex an issue to bring up in this forum, especially since the specific bands used in Spain (and probably Europe in general) are numerous and vary according to the carrier (cell phone service provider) and specific service (3G, H, H+, 4G, etc.), and most (if not all) current GSM compatible cell phones cover at least a few of the bands, and therefore will likely provide at least some level of service while abroad.

I guess the bottom line - and this can't be over emphasized - is that anyone contemplating a trip to Europe and wants cell phone service while they're their should contact their current cell phone provider prior to leaving, and verify that their cell phone will - or will not - work at their intended destination using a SIM card purchased abroad. I know this may sound counter intuitive - I certainly was hesitant initially - given that your cell phone provider has no incentive to encourage you to use another carrier abroad (and lots of incentives to not do so - most will be glad to sell you their own 'roaming abroad' packages). But, at least in my experience (and based on reading various forum posts, etc.), it seems that most will give you an honest answer, if not detailed advice on how to use foreign carriers abroad (Verizon was absolutely stellar in this regard).

Again, whatever option you chose - foreign SIM, renting a smartphone abroad, or even a 'cheap throwaway voice only phone' - be sure it's working properly, with all functions fully enabled and demonstrated to you, BEFORE you leave the store where you purchased it.

Wes,

One other option that's open to those who have an unlocked and compatible phone, is to use a SIM from one of the "travel phone" firms such as Roam Simple, Cellular Abroad, Mobal, EuroBuzz, Telestial, One SIM or others. That's the method I've been using for the past few years, and it's worked really well. I was using a basic "flip" phone for many years, but now have an iPhone. My travel plan provides seamless service across all of Europe, so it doesn't matter where I go (however, the rates are grouped in "zones", so travel in some countries costs a bit more). Billing is post paid (charged to a credit card), so I never have to fuss with "topping up". I really like having a working phone as soon as I step off the plane, and don't have to waste valuable holiday time going to cell shops and getting a local plan.

I've found that for basic service (ie: voice & text), the costs are VERY reasonable. For example with the plan I use, voice calls are 69¢ a minute, sent texts are 69¢ each and received texts are FREE. On my most recent trip, I was able to minimize text costs by using Viber when I had Wi-Fi available, and could have used that for free voice or video calls as well. If data is added to my travel phone plan, the costs increase somewhat, however the carriers are always reviewing their rates, so this may be cheaper at some point.

"since the specific bands used in Spain (and probably Europe in general) are numerous and vary according to the carrier"

Actually, the basic frequency bands used by GSM operators are the same, regardless of countries in each region. Europe (and much of the rest of the world uses 900 / 1800 MHz, while North America uses 850 / 1900 MHz. Some new bands have been added in the ~450-700 MHz range after recent frequency spectrum auctions, but I'm not sure which networks are using those at the present time. The data frequency bands (1700 / 2100 / 2500) seem to be also grouped according to region, although the operators in some countries may use bands which are unique to them.

Smartphones sold in one region (N.A. or Europe) may not work seamlessly if used in another area as they may not be configured for the data bands that are being used. This may vary by carrier also, as Apple has different versions of iPhones based on which network they're going to be used on. The Apple (U.S.) website shows four different models for AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and a contract-free version for T-Mobile (which may be unlocked). Verizon or Sprint phones will have CDMA capability, while those sold for AT&T or T-Mobile may not have that enabled.

Interesting Thread......

Ken,

You're obviously vastly more experienced and informed than I. My experience (to date) has only been in Spain and my comments (hopefully) have been primarily to open the options for other who intend to travel in Spain. I'm not at all familiar with the SIM options you've mentioned as we were only visiting Spain. However, any service that can provide coverage throughout different countries could be a huge benefit to many travelers, as most 'in country' SIMS (in spite of the EU) only work (properly) in the country they were issued in.

However the other issue that was critical in my post(s) was the fantastic utility possible when one has a high speed data connection while out and about abroad. We used Google Maps (with a stellar navigation feature) nearly constantly and having access to TripAdvisor forums, reviews, etc. as well as other review and blog sites such as Yelp, was incredibly useful and really helped make the most of our time there. Having consistent on the go access to the internet was a huge boon to our time in Spain. Being able to duck into some wifi hotspot simply wouldn't have cut it in comparison. Wanting to get from Gracia to some restaurant in Barceloneta? Bam, Google Maps provided both the walking and subway info, right now (and correctly).

We didn't research the local phone options a lot, but from what I've seen - at least if your want high speed data (and I suspect most will) the 10-15E for ~ 2 GB of high speed data (plus voice, text or whatever else you want) is hard to beat - to say nothing of retaining your contacts lists, browser bookmarks and history, logins and passwords, etc.

BTW, your comment about T-Mobile is worth noting. While not a T-Mobile client here in the US, I understand that they do indeed provide the same coverage in Europe (at least most of Europe) as they do in the US - voice, data, texting included. I also suspect most other (major) carriers are not far behind. Sort of like when having to actually pay for long distance was standard, hopefully paying extra for using your phone (voice, data the the lot) in the EU will soon also be a thing of the past.

Yes, Ken... a very interesting thread. Pity it hasn't become both a 'sticky' and a subject of Rick Steves (wonderful) travel advice links and classes. Times they are a changing... People need to know.

Wes,

Thanks for the lengthy reply. If data is an important consideration, the method you used was undoubtedly cheaper than the method I used. My travel SIM did provide high speed data, but it wasn't cheap! I tried to keep data switched "off" most of the time and just use Wi-Fi, however I did access data via cellular when necessary.

My travel SIM (Roam Simple) uses a phone number provided by O2 Telefonica (UK) and it's always worked well in every country I've visited, as it's not locked to one network and can access the strongest network wherever I'm travelling. However, I had considerable trouble with it in Croatia this year, which is not the fault of O2 but rather the Croatian networks that I was roaming on. Apparently the prices and features are better when travelling in the U.K., as that's the 02 "home country".

"While not a T-Mobile client here in the US, I understand that they do indeed provide the same coverage in Europe (at least most of Europe) as they do in the US - voice, data, texting included."

One point to mention on the T-Mobile roaming is that I believe they only provide 2G data speeds when roaming internationally. If the customer wants 3G or faster speeds, there's an additional charge. Hopefully one of the U.S. members of the Forum can confirm that. 2G is often fast enough for most people, so in some ways it's still a good deal.

Sue Ann,

Your contacts can be stored on the SIM or on the phone itself. If they are stored on the SIM, you will lose them when you change SIM cards. If they are stored on the phone, you will not lose them.

There is usually a way on your phone to transfer all you contacts from the SIM to the phone. If there isn't, you have to transfer each one individually. While in your contact listing, look at the menu options for "transfer," and see what you have.

Hi all, enjoying this thread, particularly Wes and Ken's excellent commentary. Leaving in three months for a two-month journey to Europe, a good bit of it again in Spain, so I've been researching options for this trip. Yes, things are changing and reasonably-priced data access is the biggest shift in recent years.

As was indicated, buying data locally is the cheapest, vs. using a "Roaming SIM," where one either pays "a la carte" per MB, or rents a MiFi device with SIM enclosed, which comes with a bucket of data at a cheaper price, for a pre-determined number of days.

I wanted the best of all worlds: a local SIM with data, using my own smartphone with which I'm most comfortable, but having an activated SIM prior to departure so it would work immediately upon landing in Madrid. I believe I have found a good solution: a company called SIMCardSpain. They sell most all Spanish providers. I am having shipped a Vodafone nano-SIM for my iPhone 5S. I will be using Vodafone Spain's "Mega Yuser" plan, which gives 1.6GB data + unlimited domestic Spain SMS (texts) + 100 domestic Spain voice minutes. Good for 30 days. The site is in English, they take a scan of your passport (needed in Spain for all SIM holders, Spanish or foreign, under Spanish law) and they send out your SIM to you prior to your departure. Just plan ahead and allow some lead time.

For the times when I'll be travelling within Europe but not in Spain, Telestial, referenced earlier, just launched a new offering November, 2014: a "Europe SIM Card": (USD) 25c per MB, 25c per SMS in/out, and 25c per minute for voice calls, again, in and out. Also, no callback like many roaming SIMs; just normal, straight dial-through, using your existing contacts in your smartphone. (Be sure all your numbers in your Contacts list in your smartphone are in international format, even US or Canada numbers, starting with "+", for easy, seamless dialling.) Since the offer is new, some countries you might expect are not there yet. I was surprised Belgium, for example, is missing. The rep at Telestial customer service said it's because they could not come to terms with the local operator partners in that country, so no roaming agreement as yet there.

Disclaimer: I don't work or am agent for any of the companies referenced, but have used their services before.

Hope that's useful to add to this excellent thread.

Kind regards to all,
Frank

Extremely helpful, Frank and all others on this post. Thanks for taking the time to help out the rest of us less techno-savy!
Linda

Yes, this really is helpful info. Thanks to one and all.

One thing isn't clear to me. If I take my Verizon iPhone 5s with me to Madrid (assuming it's unlocked--I need to verify that) and purchase a Spanish SIM, I know I will then have a Spanish telephone number. This is good. But will my phone still ring when someone calls my Verizon number back home? I need to be quickly reachable in emergencies. Would I need to set up my Verizon cell number to forward all calls to the Spanish SIM number? How do you folks handle this type of situation?

Thanks to everyone for their contributions and for keeping this thread alive. Hopefully we'll see the kind and sage folks at Rick Steves travel take this information to heart and update their travel guides and classes. True, it's a rapidly changing environment (but changing, by and large, for the better), but would be (and current) travelers need to know that there are good options for staying connected now while abroad. I personally have learned a great deal from our discussions and I know others have as well.

Frank S - Congrats on your upcoming trip! I'm sure you'll enjoy it immensely. And thanks so much for the tips on getting a Spanish SIM prior to departure - as well as the service for (nearly) universal roaming in Europe. I was aware of the mail order option, but (in spite of a lot of research) hadn't understood what my options really were until just a few days before we left for Spain. And yes, there are lots of companies that will sell you an appropriate SIM (and they promise quick shipping) and there are certainly lots of benefits to having this connectivity when you set foot on Spanish soil. I would just point out a couple of things: 1) While compatibility is much less of an issue now than it was even just a few months ago, it's still possible that something won't work properly after your SIM is installed (and, BTW, there are settings you - or someone technically proficient - typically have to make, after the new SIM is installed) so buying from a reputable source is important, in case you need technical support once in Spain. 2) While many resellers offer a wide range of carriers and packages, you may end up paying a premium price and you may not be able to get support from the carrier's local support folks. If you're technically savvy, neither of these should be a deal breaker; but if you're not, I'd be cautious, keeping in mind that you can get the proper SIM card at most airports (and also most major bus, train, etc. stations) where the sales person will install the card, make any configurations necessary and demonstrate all the appropriate functions of the phone (and you might also want to get them to switch the voice mail menu to English while you're at it).

John G - No, your phone will not ring once you have the Spanish SIM and have a Spanish phone number. Check with Verizon, but typically your calls will go to your Verizon voice mail system, just as if your phone was off or you didn't answer. You will probably be able to check your voicemail messages via your data connectivity. Again check with Verizon and verify that this is working - before you leave (just put your phone in airplane mode, turn wifi back on and try to access the messages; this will be your link when in Spain. You should also be able to do this from your laptop or notebook, when you have a wifi connection). You may be able to arrange to have your messages forwarded to your Spanish phone number, but you will have to do this after arriving in Spain and getting your new phone number and you will have to pay the (steep) international calling fees (Verizon to your Spain phone is International Calling). Another possible option would to be one of the VoIP services (such as Skype) that apparently can forward your calls. But again, check with Skype (or whoever) and verify before you leave that this is working. A third possible option would be to go with the "Vodafone In Spain" package (they call them 'tarifa' s), which (at least when we were there in September) offered free international calling, which - while it would not automatically notify you of voicemails will let you periodically call your US voicemail number and check for messages (the Vodafone In Spain package provided 60 minutes of calling and 900 MB of data for 20E).

Linda - Glad I (and Wes and Ken) and others could help. Obtaining info like this, I've found, is only doable through actually experiencing the pitfalls during travel. :-)

Wes N - thanks for your good wishes. I definitely concur that, even with obtaining the SIM beforehand, there could be problems once landing in Spain. I know, for example, besides the APN settings for data I may need to input/change, I will also need to input a specific code BEFORE placing any calls or particularly, before using local data, in Spain. (At least with Vodafone España.) That specific code will apply the pricing plan to the money balance already placed on the SIM by SIMCardSpain, the vendor selling the SIM to me. (Without it, I'd be paying the default, standard pricing for calls/texts/data, sans plan.) Also, even though I'm buying the SIM from a 3rd party, once I have it, it can be topped-up and serviced, from what the vendor indicated, via the normal in-country channels, in my case, a Vodafone retail shop, etc. At that point, all future top-ups/settings help/etc., are business as usual. When outside of Spain, I can use a service like Babblebug.com to remotely top-up. I'll certainly know more after mid-February when I land. :-) Despite 13 previous trips to Spain over the years, technology changes, as we all know, so even from my trip this past April, there may be something new.

John G - some additional options to get your voice mails and calls. 1) If you set-up a FREE www.Google.com/voice number, you could, on your Verizon-compatible 5s (I have the very same handset - yes, it should already be unlocked), dial your normal *71 + the area code and number of the Google Voice number you obtain to forward all your calls to Google Voice. (You'll hear 5 short bursts of dial tone that confirms the forwarding is in effect after you dial.) When someone calls, you will then receive your voice mail as an email with an attached link to an audio file, plus a (bad but usually understandable) written transcript. Also, you can customise this outgoing Google Voice greeting so your callers hear what they usually hear, in terms of your greeting. This avoids calling back internationally to check/retrieve voice mail and pushes voice mails to your email, eliminating the need to check every so often. Google Voice, as I said, is free, and any calls forwarded to Google Voice will simply burn your normal Verizon cell domestic minutes. And of course, because you're forwarding, there will be no voice mail waiting for you on your Verizon line when you return. Verizon texts, unfortunately, would not be forwarded, but would be waiting for you on your Verizon SIM when you return. 2) Another option is to obtain a domestic US number from a company like TollFreeForwarding.com (TFF) for international forwarding. (TFF specialises in said.) You do the same *71 + area code + number to the number TFF assigns. Then, from TFF's control panel on the web, you can then have your calls forwarded from there to your +34 Spain SIM. This would address your need for being immediately reachable. But, since most folks are used to getting voice mail -- and there will be the time difference from the US -- the Google Voice option might serve you just as well without the expense and hoops of TFF. Skype, as Wes has indicated, would probably do the same thing as Google Voice, albeit for a charge.

Again, kind regards to all and Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate in the US,
Frank

Thanks Frank. Great, very detailed, info - and the voice of experience for sure!

I would just add one thing - a reminder that once you have the Spanish SIM installed all the menus, voice and text, will be in Spanish. If you're not reasonably fluent in Spanish you will likely have great difficulty negotiating these, and may even end up disabling various phone features. As I've mentioned before, most carriers (Vodafone for sure) have an option to convert the voice mail messaging to English (it's done through the voice mail options menus - which are, of course in Spanish). You will also have the ability to check your current 'tarifa' balances via text messages (free), and even though they're in Spanish, they're pretty easy to understand. Just have someone give you the code(s) necessary to have the text message(s) sent (they're similar to the way you would get this information in the US, i.e. " xxx# Send " type codes. Well worth having, as you can go through the data allotments pretty quickly at times (and, BTW, if you have automatic uploading to "the cloud" - Google Cloud, Dropbox, etc., be sure to turn these OFF or "upload only on wifi" or you *will use a lot of data).

Lastly, hopefully someone at Rick Steves Travel is following this thread. Hopefully they can make it a 'sticky' so others can benefit. And - hopefully - someone at Rick Steves Travel can take this information (and other similar sources) to heart and do an updated "Travel Tips" incorporating some of the gems of information accrued through this message thread.

-Wes

@John G,

" But will my phone still ring when someone calls my Verizon number back home? I need to be quickly reachable in emergencies."

As previous replies have indicated, that answer is "No", as you'll be on a different phone number. This is one reason I like using the "travel SIM" with Roam Simple as they have an optional Direct Connect service which allows users to receive calls from their home cell service. A local number is provided in the users community, which is "mapped" to the travel SIM. Before leaving the local area, forward the home number to the direct connect number. Anyone calling the user's home cell number won't notice any difference, as they will still be dialing a local call. There will be no long distance charges on the home cell plan, as the relay to the travel SIM is handled by the direct connect number. It may not be as cheap as some other methods, but it's easy to set-up and it works.

Of course, one disadvantage to this approach is that you'll receive ALL calls made to the home number, including trivial or nuisance calls. It's a good idea to tell all your contacts NOT to call you when travelling unless it's really urgent. That tends to minimize those very annoying calls in the wee hours of the morning from some inconsiderate moron that forgot to check the time difference (I've had that happen).

I normally call-forward just before departure from my home area, and then change to the travel SIM during the long flight to Europe (helps to pass the time during a boring flight). For those using an iPhone, DON'T forget to pack along the small SIM tool or at least a paper clip! As soon as the plane lands and I switch on the phone, I have immediate service. If any calls were made to my either my home number or travel number during the time I'm incommunicado on the flight, they go to the Voice Mail attached to my travel SIM. Usually voice and text works right way, but I found on my trip this year, that the data didn't start working immediately. I sent the provider an E-mail (using my Netbook in the hotel) and they "reset" my number (the process only took a few hours). After that I switched the phone "Off" and then "On" and data started working immediately.

There are lots of travel SIM providers, and in addition to Roam Simple and Telestial mentioned here, there's also Mobal, EuroBuzz, Cellular Abroad, One SIM, Max Roam and KeepGo (and more). These are classed as "MVNO's" and don't actually operate a cellular network, but contract with established networks. I believe they review pricing on at least a semi-annual basis, in order to be as competitive as possible.

I have a related question. My current phone is a company issued and locked iPhone. While I know I could take it and use it with WiFi only, I am wanting to have cellular data as well. Am I better off buying a inexpensive unlocked GSM phone (like an older Galaxy or LG for ~130.00) and get a SIM in Spain, or should I just wait until I get there and get a complete phone there?

@Wes N - Exactly so, Wes, on those voice prompts in-language. Actually, since I have Google Voice as my voice mailbox to handle all voice mail (per normal) coming to me from callers dialling my US number, I go low-tech and simply disable my in-country voice mail upon initial set-up. (A wireless retail shop can help if any difficulties.) What I've found is many abroad never enable their voice mail. Sometimes it's because the mobile provider charges not only for message retrievals, but also for message deposits - the double-whammy. Plus, since texting seems to have gotten started much earlier in Europe than in North America (and it's usually cheaper than voice calls), many simply text, so it seems it is both financial and cultural. Getting an actionable text sure beats a voice mail that simply says "Call me." And, as someone whose first language is not the target country's, it's easier to decipher a written text, vs. an audio recording. For the various shortcodes, I've already recorded the frequently-used ones in my smartphone (I've had Vodafone Spain before): check balance, etc. As you say, while the text confirmations are in Spanish, it's easy to figure what you're remaining balance/etc. is. You also provided excellent counsel on disabling various cloud services that burn through data, restricting them to WiFi. Since I have a limited mobile data plan in the US, but on cable WiFi most of the time, I've already done those restrictions, so the configuration is "Europe ready."

@Ken - I'm with you on global roaming SIMs. Despite my two months, which will be mostly in Spain, I go by way of Scandinavia, and may again be in Germany, both for short periods (3 or so days). So, I will be using a roaming SIM as the "bridge" service, to be used after I leave the US and first arrive in Europe, but prior to arrival in Spain. As with my Spain SIM, I will have the voice mail disabled to avoid the retrieval charges, since I have my US-dialled number covered. And, honestly, I only want one voice mail box. I'm into simplicity. Many of the roaming SIM services, as you've indicated, also offer a North American number that allows one to forward calls from one's North American number to the roaming SIM. Incoming calls to these North American numbers are usually surcharged, I've noticed (USD 15c-25c range, per minute), but can still be a good deal if you don't receive a lot of calls or talk for hours at a time.

@John G - A roaming SIM could work for you, as Ken indicates, but if you want data, a local SIM is best, from a pricing standpoint. The TollFreeForwarding.com (TFF) suggestion would still get your US voice calls to you, while allowing you to still take advantage of more generous and cheaper data buckets only obtainable with a local SIM. TFF also has voice mail service included that you can enable, that will kick-in when your local in-country SIM doesn't pick up. You can set the number of seconds - 30, 45, 60, or 75 seconds, for example - when that should happen. And it will email the voice mail to you, similar to Google Voice. It's all configurable on the web and on the fly - and in English.

@itcsburnett - For your locked iPhone, you might consider an unlocked MiFi, compatible for Europe. (Google "Amazon MiFi Europe," without the quotes, for example. $60-$120 range.) I also use one of these. You can then obtain a local SIM upon arrival in-country at a wireless retail shop. Get them to activate the data plan for you before you leave the store. The SIM - often a standard-sized SIM, vs. a micro- or nano-SIM - gets inserted in the MiFi. This small device will give you a WiFi signal via the cellular network. It will allow you to use the phone you already know, including the apps already resident on your device - including Google Maps. And, it's usually a one-button toggle-on, toggle-off. This is particularly good to immediately cut the data when you're no longer using it, thus being more efficient in when you use your data and maximising your spend for communications.

One final note. If you need international outbound voice calls, another trick is to download and set-up Vonage Mobile (note, Vonage Mobile) from Google Play or the iOS App Store prior to departing the US. This will allow you to place voice calls over WiFi. Calls to the US/Canada are nominal - or even free. The nice thing is, when you first set it up, it sends a verification text to your US cell. Once you confirm, this causes the caller ID to be your normal US cell number, so the folks back home are more likely to pick up, since they know it's you. And it uses your existing contacts with the Vonage dial pad, so you can one-touch dial from your contacts, just like you do at home.

Kind regards to all.

Great stuff Frank! You're clearly not only light-years beyond many (most) of us dilitant travelers, but your technical writing skills are excellent! The MiFi recommendation is one I hadn't considered - and is excellent - particularly as it provides both a link to your smartphone and to any other wifi enabled devices. Would just emphasize the point that it is not a smartphone, only a data link - one that connects your other devices (smartphone, tablet, laptops, etc.) by 'converting' the cellular data connection to a local (very short range) wifi connection (actually lots of smartphones and other devices do this under the common term 'tethering').

Seriously Frank, Rick Steves Travel should hire you to do a detailed guide. This stuff is gold!

Enjoy your travels and keep us posted!

@Wes - Thanks, Wes, for your kind words. This stuff is complicated, to be sure. Many of us keep waiting for the EU to finally eliminate intra-EU roaming charges, including for data - it's been rumoured for end of 2014, but has been pushed back more than once. If and when that finally happens, the only thing US and/or Canadian citizens will need is a PAYG (Pay-As-You-Go) local SIM from any English-speaking EU country (UK, Ireland) and a way of remotely topping-up when not travelling to keep the SIM alive. I hold out hope.

Kind regards to all.

WOW! I may need to read this 2 or 3 times to digest it all.

Thanks for the info, gentlemen!

Great info here, thank you all.

My husband and I purchased SIMs for our iphone5's in BCN in October, for our month in Spain. We had to visit four stores (Moviestar and Vodafone) before we found one that had the correct size SIM in stock. I agree with other posters who have suggested going with Vodafone, or one of the major players. One day we walked out of our apartment and I couldn't get on the 'net. It was a Sunday, and we first had to figure out where to find a Vodafone store that was open on Sunday, then waited in line there for an hour. They had to call tech support, and spent 20 minutes on the phone getting it sorted out - definitely not a quick and easy fix. We also purchased SIMs through Vodafone at the Lisbon airport, which was very quick and easy. For us, it is well-worth the time and effort to have the convenience of calling and data on our own phones, while walking around and while driving.

As an aside, we had difficulties with Google maps for driving navigation in some areas. So we simultaneously used the TomTom for Western Europe that we had purchased (I think around $60 via itunes). We found TomTom to be spot-on, in the situations where Google was confused. We also used the app WAZE, which was good. Additionally, we brought our large-format Garmin, as we had purchased Euro maps for driving in Puglia last year. But the Garmin couldn't even figure out that we were in Europe. So the bottom line is that we always travel with a few different options "just in case". And if we're driving, we always have a large-scale Michelin map - old school - but hard to beat. We'll spend a month in Scotland this fall, and are already researching SIM options.

Hi all, it's Frank S, here again. In about a week I shall conclude my two-month sojourn in Europe, having visited five countries, but, most of the time, "based" here in Spain.

I thought I would share my wireless connectivity experiences, a follow-on to my comments above, and something Wes had suggested as I progressed in my trip.

Overall, here's where I netted-out as the best solution for me, someone who is more data-, vs. voice-centric --

1. For voice calls. I am using a Roaming SIM, with a +44 UK number and also a +1 US number, which allows me to forward calls from my US number, seamlessly to my iPhone 5s. There are a ton of providers, but I had a few requirements: a) no "weird" dialling schemes; that is, numbers in my contact list, when dialling with the roaming SIM, remain in the standard international format, so I can do one-touch dialling from my contacts, like always, that is, "+" country code + city code + number (such as +1 555 555 5555 for a US/Canada number); b) "just in case," I wanted the roaming SIM to have data capability, as a back-up, understanding I would hardly be using it at all - more about my data solution below; c) that the rates didn't have to be the cheapest, but reasonable, for the few voice calls I would be making; and, d) that top-up (recharge) was easily done online, and in my language, English. The provider I selected pre-departure and am using: Roamsure.com.

2. For data. I elected to split providers, voice vs. data, to have reachability via my normal US number, as indicated above, for the folks back home. But I also wanted cost-effective data rates so I could use my smartphone (and laptop, in the absence of WiFi) as I normally do. For the data component, which I carry with my smartphone, I have a 3G modem, a Huawei Mobile WiFi E5331, compatible with Europe. Only a local SIM gives one truly cost-effective data, understanding that you may have a bit more 3G/4G usage being a traveller, such as using Google Maps to find your way around, and the like. Now, some very good news: obtainable in and for Spain, there is a wonderful option THAT ALSO ALLOWS YOU TO DATA ROAM in other EU-EEA countries, should you make side trips: Orange.es's Mundo plans with the "Go Europe" option added, allowing you 100 MB / day / for 1 EUR, only on days one uses it. This Wiki explains it better than I can: http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/European_Union. Scroll down to "Mundo SIM by Orange Spain with Go Europe option." So, really, the best of both worlds: a local data SIM but with a cost-effective data-roaming add-on in most of Europe. And, with Topup.Orange.com, one can, every 12 months, from the US, recharge the SIM with 5 EUR to keep it alive and rollover your existing balance, There are a few nuances like changing your plan (you can do it via online access to an en.Orange.es online account once your return to the US) to Mundo voice-only, to avoid monthly data fees when you're back in the US and not deplete your money (credit) balance.

3. Other/final thoughts. For my normal texts from US folks, since I use a Google.com/voice number and as it is my "published" number, I get my US texts (and can reply) via email, since Google Voice uses a data connection. So, there was no change for my contacts back home. For those (most people, I'm suspecting) who use a US carrier's standard texting carrier number, the texts will be waiting for you when you re-insert your US SIM into your phone. Of note, In Europe, WhatsApp seems to be all the rage, and since I have an account, can easily message folks when in Europe - including US folks who have WhatsApp.

Disclaimers: The above is accurate, to the best of my knowledge, at presstime. Also, I have no connection with the providers listed; I simply, through trial and error, have found what seems to work best for me, not just in Spain, but most of Europe - while being Spain-centric. Hope the above info helps. Kind regards, Frank

This is a great forum; thanks to all for useful advice. My question is related to unlocking my phone so I can replace the SIM card with a temporary local Spanish SIM. I have a Sprint iPhone 5s and I called Sprint International for instructions on unlocking it. They said they could unlock it by a software patch generating a signal that is received by my phone. But in order to complete the process the phone had to have a "master reset" which would revert it back to its factory setting. In order not to lose all my personal data, apps, etc I would have to have a complete iCloud backup, then do the master reset, and then do an iCloud restore. This will restore all my data. This seems like way overkill to unlock the phone. Do you agree or have any thoughts on this. Thanks, Joel

If that is what Sprint told you, then it's something that has to be done. However, I'd go to a local Sprint store and have a clerk walk you through it. If you have an Apple store nearby, they could probably do it for you too (make an appointment online). No need to try to do this at home by yourself.