PAYG phone/sim for Spain

placemat

I purchased a pay as you go mobile phone on a recent visit to Spain,
this was a Samsung phone and was successfully used for a couple of months.

My problem is now I am back in the uk i would like to continue using the phone in England.
The phone number is spanish so is not recognised here and I need to put more money in it, Is there a simple way of overcoming these problems or is it more trouble than it is worth. ?

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

placemat

placemat

I purchased a pay as you go mobile phone on a recent visit to Spain,
this was a Samsung phone and was successfully used for a couple of months.

My problem is now I am back in the uk i would like to continue using the phone in England.
The phone number is spanish so is not recognised here and I need to put more money in it, Is there a simple way of overcoming these problems or is it more trouble than it is worth. ?

Any suggestions would be most welcome.

placemat

victor2

Assuming it's not locked to a Spanish network, get a free PAYG SIM here and use that. If it is locked, it may be worth getting it unlocked. Google how to unlock that model of phone if that is the case.

placemat

Thanks Victor2

Its not locked, I'm not sure about having a spanish telephone no. would you know how that might work?

Daz2009

You need to get a UK sim card which will come with a UK number.
If you use the Spanish one,assuming you can top it up over the net somehow, you will be paying European roaming rates which are more expensive

victor2

It won't work with the Spanish SIM unless you've got roaming enabled on the phone. Even if you have, it will cost you a fortune as every call will be international and people calling you (who are not in Spain) would be making an international call, plus you'd be paying for the call to be routed to the UK - another international call at your expense.
Get a free SIM for a UK network that has good coverage where you are and give it a try - or borrow a friend's SIM to see if it connects to that network.

Im_just_careful

Get a UK Pay As You Go SIM and try it in the phone. If it doesn't work for calls the chances are that the phone is locked to the Spanish network. You would then need it unlocked.

If you want to top up your Spanish SIM some transactions only work in the home country and that may be why it isn't working.

If the phone works for calls with your PAYG SIM come back for further advice.

NiftyDigits

What is the model number? If we can't find simple unlocking instructions, perhaps a fiver to your local independent would do it. But as suggested, try popping a local SIM in first to check if it is locked in the first place.

Daz2009

I'm going to be in Barcelona next week just for 1 day.

You can't download an offline map,Google maps doesn't cover Spain offline.
I'm thinking if I get lost/can't find my way I'll resort to using my phone.
I think it's 45p per MB for data.

Does anyone know how much data the navigation app uses ?

What do you think,am I heading for a big bill when I get home ?

grumbler

Install Navfree?

Im_just_careful

I've used 20MB for Google maps abroad in a day.

Fortunately I have a Vodafone PAYG SIM just for this and it costs £2 for up to 25MB in a day.

I wouldn't use a contract SIM abroad with data on.

Also, another form of robbery, watch out for the pickpockets in Barcelona on public transport. They work in pairs, one to distract you the other to rob you. I wasn't had but they had a go at distracting me.

Very nice place all the same.