BeachGirl247

I will be in Spain for 11 days and want a cell phone for usage to Spain, UK and US.

Does anyone know how to rent/purchase a cell phone for usage in these areas?

I would like to have it before I go but can take care of it in Madrid upon arrival if it helps.

We leave Wed 11 June.

Thanks for any help!
Sheila

Maribel

Hi Sheila,
See www.onspanishtime.com for a rental.

AmyH

I have rented phones from autoeurope (yes, even without a car) and planetfone. Both will send the phone to you before you leave the U.S. so you have the number to give out to people before you leave. The cell phone rental companies are fairly competitive, so do your homework. Some will waive the activation fees, making the actual phone rental fairly inexpensive -- it's the talking that you have to be careful of! Beware of any agency that charges you a minimum in usage.
Amy

WanderingTexan

Nextel worked great in Barcelona and Mallorca.

xyz123

Go back and read through the many threads on cell phones in Europe on the board. If you're going to be in Spain for 11 days, and intend to use the cell pone, you are probably 1000% better off buying a dual or tri band GSM phone through an internt merchan in the US. You can buy perfectly usable phones for as little as $70....then when you get to Spain you buy a pre paid cell plan. I am not familiar with Spain but in European ountries, receiving calls is free (like in free) as compared to outrageous prices from the rental agencies starting from about $1 minute and ranging upwards from there and calls to the US cost the same and local calls might be just as outrageously high.

OTOH by using a call back servic, no mtter what the Spanish cell phone povider charges, calls to the US are 30 cents/minute and callswithin Spain to make dinner reservations are dirt cheap.

The comparisons aren't even close. And the nice thing is you own the phone so if you go back to Europe, you have a phone and can buy another prepaid plan in any other country or loan the phone to friends travelling to Europe.

Oh yes...you do have the problem of notifying your friends of your Spanish cell phone number. You can use e-mail for that or send them text messages or whatever.

Too many people, unfortunately, are too lazy to do their homework and look for what is perceived as the easy way out. Yes it is "easier" to rent but you pay a very stiff price whereas when you own the phone, you just waltz into any phone store and I am sure the merchant will help you set the phone up...takes about 2 or 3 minutes...just read through the other threads...do your homework and most importantly have a great great trip.

BeachGirl247

Thanks for all the imput, everyone.

I'm glad to know I can get a phone here to use in Spain (and other countries overseas) for a reasonable price. Since we travel more and more, my husband wants to buy a gsm/gps phone (I can't keep them straight)to use for future travel. We are checking into the different providers now.

Thanks for the new imput as the old threads didn't quite answer my questions.

Thanks again,
Sheila

Lesli

Just saw this info re Travelcell offering *free* cell phone rental if you book before June 30 and use the promotion code NR512:

http://www.frommers.com/book_a_trip/...destid=TIPSRES

xyz123

But check out the obscenely hgh prices you are charged to make andreceive calls on these rental deals and compare that with the cost of making (remember in Europe receiving calls on a mobile are free) calls with a pre paid SIM plan. And do remember, if you buy the phone, the phone is yours to keep forever and forever and to use on subsequent trips or give to your friends or family to use.

Also check out, if you live in the US, the rates you can get from T-mobile without any monthly charges but again you will need a dual band or tri band GSM phone.