GypsyHeart

Hello,

I am renting an apartment in Seville. I have to call them upon my arrival to meet up for the keys. I am a bit intimidated by needing to use the phones in a foreign country. Are there public phones at the train station? Where are they? Do they take coins or will I need some type of card? It is a local call. Anyone have specific instructions?

yorkshire

This isn't exactly what you were looking for, but I had to do the same thing, so instead of trying to make a phone call I picked a time that I knew I could make it and picked a place near the apartment to meet (a cafe or something).
If you know what train you are arriving on this may work for you.
If you don't speak Spanish, note that who you call may not speak English!
I had translated all my emails so I was surprised when I could not effectively communicate with the staff.
It's been a couple years so I won't venture a guess on the pay phone situation.

Robert2533

There are "public" phones which take coins, but since I haven't used one in a number of years, I can't offer you anything more. Everyone I know carries a cell phone when they travel, sometime more than one.

GypsyHeart

I don't think my cell phone will work overseas, and anyway I don't want to bring it. Anyone else successfully made a call from the train station in Seville?

joe4212

GypsyHeart

Last April I needed to use the station public telephones when we arrived at Seville from Granada.

My memory is a little sketchy as I was unwell at the time and needed to call the hotel as soon as we arrived.

If I recall correctly, as we left the platform the telehones were straight ahead and a little to the right against the main outer wall, where folks exit from the station.

They were not enclosed in booths but arranged in a small line along the wall, with small partitions stretching from about waist level level to head level.

I mostly used my card when using phones in Spain and I am convinced that's what i did. My wife disagrees and says at Seville it was coins. I am sorry for the confusion but I can't be exactly sure. All I wanted to do at that time was lay down and rest!

What I do remember though is being relieved that I didnt have any difficulty in connecting to the hotel. I simply dialled the number they gave us and was connected in an instant.

Maybe regular poster kenderina can help here. That wonderful person was a life saver for us last year!

joe

NEDSIRELAND

I bought a Telefonica phone card at the Newspaper kiosk in Santa Justa Renfe station in Sevilla. At the time, the least expensive Tarjeta Telefonica was about 6 Euro. As I recall, there are banks of Public telephones inside the Station near the Avda. Kansas City exit and at the opposite end of the Station. The telefonica phones accept coins but I think you're better off with a phone card.

Your first words when you connect should probably be: "Inglés por favor." Identify yourself and why you are calling. You may have to continue with: "Estoy en la estación Santa Justa y necesito ayuda."

ĄSuerté!

kenderina

I have no idea about telephones on sevilla train station, I've never been there (in the train station, I mean) !!
Anyway, most Spanish public phones get both phone cards and coins. For a local call I think you can make it with just 1 euro
Do they know you don't speak Spanish ? Maybe you can agree with them by mail what words are you going to say for them to know it is you the one who's calling. Something like "I am (your name) and I'm at the AVE station".

ComfyShoes

GypsyHeart, Don't be intimidated. I have never used the phones in that specific train station but elsewhere in Spain and a phone card worked easily (follow instructions in english on the card itself).

Kend, The password has to be a bit more original. How about "the fat cat likes paella" or some such thing?

kenderina

Comfy, you are trying that poor GypsyHeart celebrates Christmas at the Sevilla station, aren't you ?

ComfyShoes

Gosh, no. Don't scare GypsyHeart even more!

yk

GypsyHeart- I´m on my way back to the US from Spain. I was in Seville and had some extra time to kill at the Santa Justa train station there, so i checked out the telephone situation for you.

There are plenty of public phones, located just before the exits to the station (there are at least 3 exits that I could see). The phones take coins and telephone card. I think you can buy the card from the train station, or you can just put coins in.

Hope this helps.

GypsyHeart

yk, you rock! Thanks for checking that out for me. Got any more Seville tips?

yk

I will write a full trip report eventually, hopefully within the next week or so. When are you going?

I went to see a flamenco show at Casa de la Memoria (c/Ximenez de Encisco, 28). It has a revolving schedule of performers - each perform once a week, so it's a bit less rigid than other places (such as Los Gallos) where the dancers perform up to twice a night. The night I went it was amazing, I couldn't believe the footwork of the dancer! It's only a 1-hr show and cost €14, whereas the other venues offer 2-hr shows and more expensive.

GypsyHeart

I am leaving on March 27 -- returning on April 6. Pretty please write that trip report soon! Great tip about the flamenco. I want to see a show but I am not jazzed about paying so much for the Los Gallos type of performance. I also read good things about some flamenco bars in Triana. Did you see any of these: La Taberna, Casa Anselma, Simpecao.