Getting a SIM card in Spain
 

I'm starting to research the options for traveling with our phones for our 3-week trip to Spain in May. We both have the iPhone 5, which requires a Nano SIM card.

After looking at the international plan for Verizon, I think we're better off with a SIM card. Any recommendations for companies as well as where to buy the cards? We will be arriving on a Sunday morning and traveling directly to Toledo, so unless there are good options in the airport, we might be better off purchasing a SIM card in Toledo. Should we purchase the SIMs at the airport or Toledo? If we wait till we get to Toledo, are there recommended shops or businesses?
The trip will be in Toledo, Andalucia (2/3 of our traveling will be here), and then Madrid, so coverage should be good for a broad region.

Are needs are relatively simple: contacting owners of our rental apartments, a friend in Madrid, staying in touch with each other. We may have limited contact with home, but that's not a priority. We travel with an iPad, so trip research and other social contact we will do using WiFi at hotels & apartments.

I'm overwhelmed by reading the plans and the differences between each of the major companies, so any suggestions or advice is most welcome!

Thanks,
Paule

In the airport I can only find this shop selling SIM cards.
http://www.aena.es/csee/Satellite/Ae...=1200572052081
In Madrid try El Corte Inglés, on San Chinarro.
Calle Delicias No 70, near to the railway station there is a shop for Tuenti

Movistar has the best coverage in Spain. Tuenti is a cheaper sister company of Movistar.
It all comes down to the time you are in Madrid between landing and catching the train.

Thanks, ribeirasacra.

We will be ending our trip in Madrid, so I'll need to purchase a card in Toledo, where we will be for the first 2 days. We won't be spending any time in Madrid at the beginning.

Would El Corte Ingles be our best bet for buying a SIM then?

PS -- I can't believe I wrote "Are needs..."

That should read "Our needs..." !!!! Those kind of errors really irk me, so forgive my need to self-correct.

If your usage is voice only as described, it seems your limited usage needs can be easily and cheaply met by using the Verizon international voice plan, http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/...d-pricing.html.
Do you have other usages in mind to be "better off with a SIM card"?
By the way, your phone has a Verizon SIM card in it that remains dormant when you have access to the Verizon CDMA network. I am not sure if any phone stores outside the airport are open on Sunday, so you might have to wait until the next business day.

Thanks, greg. I

Forgive me, but my brain hurts and I have no idea what you're saying when you say, "our phone has a Verizon SIM card in it that remains dormant when you have access to the Verizon CDMA network".

I suppose I'm leaving us the option to use the phones for doing some internet searching while we're traveling -- a sort of, just in case. But I also am a bit confused about the plan -- I'm not sure how much data we actually will use, so I guess I'm a bit nervous about ending up with a huge bill at the end of our trip, especially with the 2 phones.

We used SIM cards last year when we went to SE Asia, so I thought this was the easier way to go.

Many thanks, though for taking the time here! I'm so tech-ignorant, and this is one of the areas that I have difficulty understanding.

"We won't be spending any time in Madrid at the beginning."
That has me confused. You land and catch a train in Madrid?
Toledo is a lot smaller and you will certainly have less opportunity to find a shop open. It is Sunday and special laws rule if shops can open that day in Spain.

If you're not tied to Verizon, then I drop them and switch to T-Moble. No need to purchase a sim card or do anything else. You can search the web all day long at no charge as data and messageing are free. Calls home or anywhere else in Europe are only $0.20/minute. if you had the iPhone 6, then We-Fi calling is free to anywhere.

If your iPhone 5, through Verizon is a CDMA, then it cannot be use outside of the States, except for Mexico.

ribeirasacra - We'll arrive in the airport in Madrid, then go straight to the train station to go to Toledo. If there is a store in or near the station, that might be an opportunity to get a SIM card, but we'll be transiting through Madrid and on to Toledo at the beginning of our trip. I did realize, however, that we arrive on Monday and not Sunday, so at least we will be able to find a store SOMEWHERE, I'm sure!

Robert, thanks for the suggestions. I've no idea whether our phone is CDMA - it's something I wasn't really aware of before. I'll have to look into this. As far as switching, it's definitely a consideration, although I suspect it's not something either of us are quite ready to do. I guess what scares me the most is that I've heard that the coverage is not as good as Verizon. But it's definitely something to think about.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

We've had no problems with coverage, in Spain, France or Portugal and here in Seattle, or in Dallas or Chicago. Most places in the states we get LTE coverage, 3G in Europe.

I guess it all depends on where you spend most of your time. One of the good deals is that if you switch, you are not committed to staying, at least not for now. For us, there is no other option. It's has saved a ton of cash in the last year and a half.

If you have a Verizon iPhone, you have CDMA coverage and it does not work in Europe. AT&T carries GSM phones which can be used in most European countries. I'm afraid you'll need to look for plan b.

If you still need a Spanish sim, there are several MoviStar and Vodafone shops in Madrid, but only two Vodafone shops in Toledo (no MoviStar shops).

PLAZA DE CASTILLA-LA MANCHA, 2
MEJICO, 1

I'm a little confused about the CDMA issue. I was able to get a SIM card in SE Asia, and we had no problems with our phones. But we wouldn't be able to use the phones overseas unless we did get SIMs. So I'm not sure what you're saying.

If we were to switch to T-mobile, of course, we'd have to get new phones.

I'm sorry if I'm just a little behind the curve with the technology.

Thanks Robert. I'm looking into the t-mobile option, too.

Verizon has a service where they will mail to you a phone that you can use in Europe with your regular number. They charge a fee for shipping and then just for minutes used.

We have used it twice now.

http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/...elprogram.html

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...omment-9076922
and if you read my pot the first one I pointed out tow opportunities for you to pick of a SIM One in the airport the other near the station.

There is a Movistar shop in Toledo but the opening times on Sundays are short.
http://www.movistar.es/particulares/...or-de-tiendas/
Add in Provincia = Toledo Dirección: = Toledo
The details I found say it is only open between 10:00 and 14:00 hrs on a Sunday.

Thanks, IMDhere, that's very interesting to know. I will look into that option.

ribeirasacra - many thanks for the link! I realized after my first post, that we arrive on Monday, so if we do decide to get a SIM, we'll be able to get one there.

Thanks, everyone. Many options now to think through!

Robert >>No need to purchase a sim card or do anything else. You can search the web all day long at no charge as data and messageing are free>>

I am not techno savy and plus haven't read all the posts, so I apologize for any mistakes I may make (in advance!!).

But I do think this is correct what Robert has posted and it is available if you have the new Verizon iphone.

Check with your carrier because there was a new law passed that prohibits cell phone companies from blocking use of cell phones while out of the country, and you don't really need a SIM card anymore.

nanabee, I'm not techno savvy, either!

Here's what I think I understand (!):

-With Verizon, I have an iPhone 5, which is unlocked. My current understanding is this allows us to buy the (nano) SIM cards anywhere they are available to access local service. We did this successfully in Thailand last year.

-Again, with Verizon, I have the option to get an international plan, as it allows us to keep our own number and not deal with the hassle of finding & buying a SIM. This might make it easier, but I have to research further to understand how much this will really cost us. We're looking for the most cost-effective approach. Whether they provide new phones (see IMDonehere's post above) or we use our current phones is not clear to me since we do have unlocked phones.

-The options for SIM cards are multiple, but not all companies in Spain offer Nano SIM cards, which I need for the iPhone 5. The plans vary, and I have to sort through them to see which is the best option AND which sells the card I need.

-Switching to T-Mobile is an interesting option as the plan doesn't distinguish between local (US) and international plans. As I research this option, I like it – one big negative is that one pays the full cost of the phone, and for an iPhone, that’s a big chunk of money. The Verizon phone is subsidized, even though the monthly rates are higher.

I’m sure I’m missing a lot of points, but these seem to be the main ones that come to mind. Please feel free to correct or add something that I missed or misunderstood.

Many thanks for the help!
Paule

Re your first point - yes the Verizon iPhone 5 CAN accept GSM SIM cards as you experienced in SE Asia. Comments to the contrary relate to earlier Verizon iPhones.

You do not need to purchase a new iPhone 5 or 6 from T-Mobile. You can make monthly payments (2 years at no interest) and they will buy out you current Verizon contract.

RE Spanish SIM cards.

As you are over here for a short while I personally would not worry about what plan you have. All you need is a prepago (prepaid) SIM.
Like this one from Yoigo (also uses Movistar's coverage).
https://tienda.yoigo.com/selforder/s...no-sim#prepaid
or this one from Movistar.
http://www.movistar.es/particulares/...rjeta-movistar
Do not purchase on line wait until you are here.
What will happen; if you do not top it up before the end of 6 months you loose the number and any money left on the SIM.
You have to have your passport with you when purchasing a SIM:

Robert, they would buy back my current iPhone with a rip roaring $30! But paying a monthly payment or buying it outright at full price still means one pays a full rate for the phone. It still think it's an interesting plan, but it does have some limitations.

Ribeiasacra, thank you. I'm inclined to get the SIM card. I think it is cheaper for the short period of time we'll be travelling.

Elizabeth,
Thank you! I was getting really confused about the conflicting points about Verizon & the iPhjone, and am glad you clarified that it is a GSM card.

Robrrt, I just reread your last comment. Does that mean that I could keep the phone which I received through Verizon if I switched to T-mobile? I

I will call them eventually to see what the options are.

Thanks for giving me much food for thought.

Paule

If the iPhone belongs to you, then you shouldn't have any problem switching to T-Mobile. I believe some of the iPone 5s were dual mode, GSM and CDMA.

For a Verizon phone to switch to T Mobile, you must have a Verizon SIM card in your current phone. You can check on TMobile site which phones will work on their network.

http://www.t-mobile.com/bring-your-own-phone.html

Thanks, Robert and DebitNM,

That's very helpful. I'll look into this a little more and may yet consider switching.

Paule