Unable to get cell carrier to unlock phone for travel in France and Spain, what are my options?

If you have wifi you can use Google hangouts for texting and Google voice for calling. We have used on our last 3 trips with our android phones. Keep phone in airplane mode and turn off data.

You could buy an inexpensive unlocked phone.

Just do a search for "unlocked phone" and you should have plenty to choose from. Then buy a sim card there

Does your iPad have cellular capabilities? If so then you maybe able to get a local SIM card and use voip services like Skype or google voice to make voice calls. Both require you buy some credit to call international phone numbers. These services work over wifi too but I'm not sure if you'll have it available when you need to call. If you go this route set it up at home and test it out so that you know how to use it.

Buy a inexpensive basic cellphone for voice calls. Get a local SIM and you're in business. Unless you know the exact specs required (GSM, frequencies) it maybe easier to buy one in Spain.

That's rather disappointing that your cell carrier won't unlock your phone, even for a small fee. I'd consider changing networks when the contract is up.

Given the fact that you're travelling alone, I would most definitely recommend having at least a basic phone, in case of any problems along the way. Although there will be many others on the trail, I wouldn't count on that. I know from experience that if something unfortunate happens, that phone will be the most valuable travel accessory you have! Waiting for Wi-Fi spots along the way is not a good option.

You should be able to find basic PAYG phones in the first country you visit. Be sure to clarify how to top the phone up once you've left the country where it was purchased.

FWIW, for the last few years I've just been using the international roaming plan with my home cell network and that has worked really well. It's not the cheapest option but since it also provides data, I'm wiling to pay for the convenience. Are you able to use roaming with your home network? For occasional calls, that might not be too expensive. Which network are you with at home?

Go to ebay and search for your phone model and "unlock code". For about $10, a vendor can email you instructions and an unlock code within a day.

This is correct. My son just went to Spain for 6 weeks with an iPhone. The ATT folks told him the phone had to be paid off, then they gave him a website to go to that walked him through how to unlock his phone. When he got to Spain, he bought a SIM card that worked in Spain. He did eventually run out of data, but by that time, he was familiar with his surroundings and didn't need it anymore. He had the option to reinstall the ATT sim card if he needed to use it on the way back home--there was a daily charge I think, if the phone was used while in Europe.

Wiki says ALL iPads are unlocked. Don't know the truth.

My understanding of Federal Regulations is that if you own your phone the Carrier MUST unlock it at your request. The Feds sued Verizon over this issue a few years back. Since then they all have been a bit more cooperative.

Your phone may not be unlocked. Last year I traveled to Spain. My phone was purchased outright: not through any carrier contract, thus I expected it to be unlocked. However, I had recently changed my AT&T plan. This caused the phone to be locked while I was in Spain. I ended up buying an inexpensive flip phone to go with my new SIM card. I wanted to be able to make phone calls to the US. My iPhone was still useful under wifi and the Maps2Go worked always.