Mobile calls in Spain

gallygirl

Will be spending a bit of time in Spain in future and need to know best way to make calls.

Will be making local calls, some local texts plus calls and texts to UK. Local calls will probably be the most.

Can anyone suggest my best options? Don't have own mobile, use company one which is on Tmobile and not cheap for overseas. Would probably prefer different phone to save swapping SIM cards (sometimes need to make/take work calls while away),so prefer to be available on that number).

Thanks peeps!

redux

Take an unlocked phone (or maybe two) and you might have Spanish and UK SIMs ...

one of the global roaming SIM cards - they are useful when travelling in several countries, but wouldn't be favourite here

Info on Spanish networks and tariffs http://www.prepaidgsm.net/en/spain.html

The Spanish payg SIMs haven't had good rates, though with interesting favourite number options. Vodafone Spain has a useful 60 for 1 minutes option, which you could use with a calling card to reach UK

A new firm Yoigo has recently started up, prepaid but with a minimum monthly spend so not useful for only occasional visits, and there are some new virtual operations appearing.


Vodafone UK - sign up for Passport, then calls have a 75 pence connect fee, incoming calls free, outgoing calls are the same as UK tariffs

O2 UK - sign up for single country Spain, costs £5 per month, then incoming calls free, outgoing 25 pence a minute. You could also use a callback service to make cheaper outgoing calls - keep an eye on https://www.returncall.co.uk but look for one or two more

I think I'd go for Vodafone Spain or maybe Yoigo, and O2 UK, in two phones

medic1978

you just beat me to it redux!

Was just about to post that your link only gives info for yoigo!

For spain i have found vodafone ES 60minutes for 1 useful for local, vodafone and UK calls (via calling card).

For calls to other spanish mobiles (non-vodafone) then some of the virtual operators are the best. e.g carrefour movil: 15cents any net/anytime.
and https://www.happymovil.es which is the same 15cent rate for spanish calls but calls to UK are 5.8c/min with 30c connection charge.

redux

hence the edit!

those other mvno ones look about the same local tariff as Yoigo, but without the minimum monthly spend

I've just been trying to read, but in Spanish, about the "Pack internacional" from Orange which includes a calling card as well. Amena had this before, but I thought it was discontinued; the tariffs were fairly good before, but can't find any yet

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.vnunet.es/Actualidad/Noticias/Inform%25C3%25A1tica_personal/Mundo_digital/20070123034&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Pack%2Binternacional%2522%2Bde%2BOrange%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:2006-49,GGLJ:en

medic1978

redux wrote:

I've just been trying to read, but in Spanish, about the "Pack internacional" from Orange which includes a calling card as well. Amena had this before, but I thought it was discontinued; the tariffs were fairly good before, but can't find any yet

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.vnunet.es/Actualidad/Noticias/Inform%25C3%25A1tica_personal/Mundo_digital/20070123034&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Pack%2Binternacional%2522%2Bde%2BOrange%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLJ,GGLJ:2006-49,GGLJ:en

The rates are actually pretty good, 150 minutes for 5 Euros. Approx 3.3 cents/min (PLUS 20 cent connection charge)
Just found them on orange.es Click here

Basically, pay 7 Euros and get 3 Euros national calls, 6 euros welcome top-up and 5 Euros international calling credit/card.

I prefer the vodafone ES/calling card option because it is also EXCELLENT for national spanish calls (and i already have one with 30 Euros credit left!)

benjus

A few points about Yoigo (from experience):

On the plus side:

* It offers Internet access (GPRS and I think 3G where coverage allows, although I don't have a 3G phone) at a capped rate of €1.20 per day. So if you have BlueTooth or a USB cable for your phone you can use it as a cheap travelling internet connection for a laptop.

On the negative side:

* Buying a Yoigo SIM card is a pain as they only seem to sell them at The Phone House (continental version of The Carphone Warehouse) or from the Yoigo website, and The Phone House asks for a residency card when you buy a SIM card.

* Buying credit is also a pain as they don't seem to have organized their supply network yet. As far as I can tell buying credit at an ATM only works with a debit card from a Spanish bank. The Phone House seems to be the only place that sells credit vouchers, although it probably depends where you are in Spain.

* It has recently become almost impossible to call a Yoigo mobile from the UK using a cheap rate number (i.e. those provided by this site's callchecker). Calling direct with BT or using the cheap rate numbers to call the same phone with a Vodafone Spain SIM card inserted both work.

gallygirl

Thanks for all your advice which has confused me even more than I was before!!!!!

Have been looking at all websites mentioned, which further confused me!!!!!

Vodafone ES may be the way I'll go, will need to suss out in May when I'm over there.

Also had a look at http://www.idtcalls.com/ and ES Bonus Hotshot comes out good for all - but am confused (again.....). These are all phone cards - I have no idea how these work????? Do they just give you a code which you type in? Presumably you would need a diffeent provider as well to provide network access? Haven't got a clue about all of this.....

Finally, elo-calls was recommended to me but can only find details of their UK operation......

redux

On a calling card, when you dial the access number, some will recognise the caller ID of your phone if it's been set up on the account (like 18185 would here), others will ask you for your account or PIN number, then you get a dial tone or message to enter the destination number, sometimes followed by #.

Some have both options, and the US-based ones tend to only have the caller ID facility for US numbers.

And on quite a few, you can stay connected on the network and follow-on calls by pressing # to end one and get dialling access again, thus saving network connection fees if you can plan consecutive calls.

gallygirl

Great, just typed out a load of stuff & connection crashed!!!!

So, Redux, I can use these cards without another contract?

On a related subject, how can I tell if a phone has been unlocked for overseas use? Am depending on friends old handset and she doesn't think has been used overseas.

Thanks again all.

alba37

ali007 wrote:

Great, just typed out a load of stuff & connection crashed!!!!

So, Redux, I can use these cards without another contract?

On a related subject, how can I tell if a phone has been unlocked for overseas use? Am depending on friends old handset and she doesn't think has been used overseas.

Thanks again all.

As long as the phone is unlocked it should work no problem with a sim card from that country. You may need to activate overseas calling if you wish to call back here, like we do here when calling abroad.

HTH