I have travelled to Spain almost every October or November since 2000, but this year I am doing something different - I am taking along my fairly recently purchased IPhone. Over the years I have glanced at the posts/threads asking about telephone usage (locked vs unlocked phones, roaming charges, Spanish sim cards, etc...) but I never really paid them much attention because I didn't have a smart phone. Well now I do have one and I am planning to taking it with me on October 3rd.
My IPhone 6 is unlocked. I intend to purchase and install a Spanish sim card when I arrive there - if you think this is the best way to go. What is a reasonable price for one of these cards? What does having it allow enable me to do? Do I then have a Spanish telephone number? Do I pay for some predetermined (rechargeable?) number of minutes of use? How much do these minutes cost? Can I call the US using these minutes? Can I text the US using these minutes?
As you can see, I am very confused by these issues. Please provide as much info as you can to answer these questions ...
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33820 posts
Lets divide that up into the constituent parts so others can play in the parts they know:=
q1 purchase and install a Spanish sim card when I arrive there - if you think this is the best way to go.
q2 What is a reasonable price for one of these cards?
q3 What does having it allow enable me to do?
q4 Do I then have a Spanish telephone number?
q5 Do I pay for some predetermined (rechargeable?) number of minutes of use?
q6 How much do these minutes cost?
q7 Can I call the US using these minutes?
q8 Can I text the US using these minutes?
I can help with a couple of them.
Before you can decide if q1 is the best answer you need to decide how much you will use your phone, for calls, for data, for texts. Then you need to decide who your current carrier is at home and what sort of packages they offer, then compare what you can get and for what cost and inconvenience. Some carriers offer good deals, from what I hear and some pretty poor ones.
q2 dunno
q3 Depending on what sort of sim you get and from whom, you will have so many call minutes (probably only domestic within Spain but you can add add-ons for extra money to roam within Europe, maybe into non-Europe but unlikely to be included), so many SMS texts domestic, and so many MB or GB of data. There are many permutations of calls, texts, data and international that it will take plenty of research to find exactly which fits you best.
q4 yes. Anybody calling or texting you will have to know that number, and if calling you from a different country they will have to pay the international rates of whatever plan they are on.
q5 generally yes, but depends on the choice you made in q3
q6 depends on the plan you choose
q7 depends on the plan you choose
q8 depends on the plan you choose
A big question you need to ask yourself is what is your situation. If you will have easy access to wifi, probably free at coffee shops, hotels, apartments, etc. If you have easy access to wifi you may not need any of this at all. You have apps on your phone, or can easily install and test them before you leave home which will allow to call, video call, message, video message, SMS or send video for free or nearly free. You can call for free to another smartphone on wifi or a computer or tablet, even video call for free, or using SKYPE or one of the other VOIP apps you can call any home or business number in (most of) the world for just a few pennies.
Are you aware of any of these apps:=
Facetime
Skype
Whatsapp
Facebook
Hangouts
A lot of mapping apps allow you to work in wifi and then when you leave wifi you can work off-line.
I'll let others get their toe in the door....