Vodafone Prepaid Sim-Spain-€15

Diego Murphy

https://www.vodafone.es/c/particulares/es/tienda/movil/tourist-in-spain-vf/

Useful deal for anyone traveling to Spain, with an unlocked phone. Having just unlocked my 3 mobile, I just called into a Vodafone shop in Barcelona and I was up and running with the new sim in 15 minutes. Ideal for using Internet while you're away.

CantGetNoSleep

Fairly good deal although with new roaming rules about data allowances it might no longer be necessary in the EU

Diego Murphy

CantGetNoSleep wrote: »

Fairly good deal although with new roaming rules about data allowances it might no longer be necessary in the EU

The new roaming laws don't come into effect Until June, so in the meantime its still 6c per mb

Atlantic Dawn

I see on the webpage it has "*The rate is renewed automatically every 4 weeks.", does this mean you are signing up to recurring billing?

Also does it support tethering?

Diego Murphy

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

I see on the webpage it has "*The rate is renewed automatically every 4 weeks.", does this mean you are signing up to recurring billing?

Also does it support tethering?

No there's no recurring billing. That might be a requirement to keep the sim active long term. I literally just showed my passport and gave them €15 in cash. It's the sim that they're promoting for tourists.

I hadn't any need for tethering out there, so I don't know if that will work.

Atlantic Dawn

Diego Murphy wrote: »

No there's no recurring billing. That might be a requirement to keep the sim active long term. I literally just showed my passport and gave them €15 in cash. It's the sim that they're promoting for tourists.

I hadn't any need for tethering out there, so I don't know if that will work.

It's a great deal, especially with 4G, some hotels there can have terrible fee paying wifi that would cost more than that for a week.

leex

Similar deal for Portugal?

http://www.vodafone.pt/main/visitingportugal/index/?tab=smartphone

Diego Murphy

leex wrote: »

Similar deal for Portugal?

http://www.vodafone.pt/main/visitingportugal/index/?tab=smartphone

Looks like it. It certainly pays for itself because I know I'm inclined to dip in and out of my roaming data when abroad and it ends up costing me a fortune. Plus having Google maps and tripadvisor available is a huge plus

nikkibikki

This would be really handy if you could buy it online and have it delivered before you travel. We're not landing til after 5 and will be driving 4 hours so was hoping to get something like this so we could use Google maps!

bromley52

There is a Vodafone store in Faro airport Portugal so will definitely get one of these.

nikkibikki

bromley52 wrote:

There is a Vodafone store in Faro airport Portugal so will definitely get one of these.

None in Madrid airport from what I can see. There is one in the town we are going to so I might get one there the next day and only turn on my data if I really need to before that!

Diego Murphy

nikkibikki wrote: »

This would be really handy if you could buy it online and have it delivered before you travel. We're not landing til after 5 and will be driving 4 hours so was hoping to get something like this so we could use Google maps!

In Spain it's a legal requirement to view your ID prior to issuing a sim card, so the online option isn't likely to become available.

Zimmerframe

Diego Murphy wrote: »

In Spain it's a legal requirement to view your ID prior to issuing a sim card, so the online option isn't likely to become available.

If you really need a sim card, ready for action before you leave, then you can get one here.

http://www.simcardspain.es/en/16-vodafone-network

sosq

Diego Murphy wrote: »

The new roaming laws don't come into effect Until June, so in the meantime its still 6c per mb

It still will be handy to have local sim card. Your included bundles like unlimited data,calls and text will not be valid when roaming even if roaming will be free. Only prepay customers will win on this as they pay as you go. There still will be some fee on data abroad.

Diego Murphy

sosq wrote: »

It still will be handy to have local sim card. Your included bundles like unlimited data,calls and text will not be valid when roaming even if roaming will be free. Only prepay customers will win on this as they pay as you go. There still will be some fee on data abroad.

From June there can't be any additional fees for roaming. Obviously 3 are trying to get around this by increasing their prices but using your phone abroad, will be as if you're using it at home.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/roaming-tariffs

jimmycrackcorm

nikkibikki wrote:

This would be really handy if you could buy it online and have it delivered before you travel. We're not landing til after 5 and will be driving 4 hours so was hoping to get something like this so we could use Google maps!

Download the Google maps for the area you need as offline before you go.

I got this SIM last year for the youngster. If might have been 4gb, but it doesn't last long when it comes to YouTube. The Wi-Fi in it hotel was not working. So we had to buy a second SIM as topping up didn't give as much data.

biebiebie

nikkibikki wrote: »

This would be really handy if you could buy it online and have it delivered before you travel. We're not landing til after 5 and will be driving 4 hours so was hoping to get something like this so we could use Google maps!

Or download and use HERE WeGo nav and download the required map onto your phone to use offline.
Useful to have as a backup to Google maps especially if you are in an out of service area.

nikkibikki

Zimmerframe wrote:

If you really need a sim card, ready for action before you leave, then you can get one here.

Anyone ever bought those? Are they legit? How do they get around the ID?

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

Download the Google maps for the area you need as offline before you go.

Will Google Maps work with location on and data off if I do this? As in, if (when) we get lost, will it direct us back to the correct route without data?

Johnny_Fontane

3 told me that I get 4gb roaming data in Europe for the extra fiver that they upped my 30 day business sim to.

colm_mcm

Does having a Vodafone Ireland phone mean you can use foreign Vodafone sims though?

Zimmerframe

nikkibikki wrote: »

Anyone ever bought those? Are they legit? How do they get around the ID?

They are 100% legit, I bought a few from them in the past.
I can't remember about the id part, so not sure if they asked for a photo id for the first sim or not, but they definitely send the sims and they worked fine.

loopymum

Johnny_Fontane wrote: »

3 told me that I get 4gb roaming data in Europe for the extra fiver that they upped my 30 day business sim to.

Same here but I have a feeling it won't kick in till 3rd April and I might be going last minute to Spain this weekend

Diego Murphy

nikkibikki wrote: »

Anyone ever bought those? Are they legit? How do they get around the ID?




Will Google Maps work with location on and data off if I do this? As in, if (when) we get lost, will it direct us back to the correct route without data?

AFAIK Google maps doesn't allow you to download offline maps for Spain. Something to do with licensing. That was the case a couple of years ago when I looked into it and I think it is still the case.

CJmasgrande

Here maps works perfect in Spain offline it's been amazing for me on many occasions offline

raytaxi

To buy the sim in store you need passport, have bought them on previous holidays in spain. If i remember correctly off line maps worked last year in Spain for me downloaded in Spain area I needed.

bk

The Three UK Data SIMs are great value IMO. They work in 48 countries including the US, which is normally extremely expensive and you can use it over multiple trips.

12GB for 12 months £23.95
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-12GB-Data

3GB for 3 months £10.99
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-3G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-3GB-Data

The other tip is that in Google Maps you can create offline maps of the areas you are going to before you go. Good idea even if you get one of these data sims. Also maps.me is a great app for getting offline maps of areas.

J.pilkington

bk wrote: »

The Three UK Data SIMs are great value IMO. They work in 48 countries including the US, which is normally extremely expensive and you can use it over multiple trips.

12GB for 12 months £23.95
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-12GB-Data

3GB for 3 months £10.99
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-3G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-3GB-Data

The other tip is that in Google Maps you can create offline maps of the areas you are going to before you go. Good idea even if you get one of these data sims. Also maps.me is a great app for getting offline maps of areas.

Good tips, I found Here maps more user friendly than google maps for offline useage, particularly driving, the fact you could log onto your Here account on a desktop/laptop(I find it's easier to plan on a desktop)and add your pinpoints to different folders/collections which are then synced to your offline maps on your phone, made planning a trip much easier

leex

bk wrote: »

The Three UK Data SIMs are great value IMO. They work in 48 countries including the US, which is normally extremely expensive and you can use it over multiple trips.

12GB for 12 months £23.95
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-12GB-Data

3GB for 3 months £10.99
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-3G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-3GB-Data

The other tip is that in Google Maps you can create offline maps of the areas you are going to before you go. Good idea even if you get one of these data sims. Also maps.me is a great app for getting offline maps of areas.

Thanks. Will they work for tethering?

Atlantic Dawn

leex wrote: »

Thanks. Will they work for tethering?

No they won't, which is a pity...

What's not included?

You can't use your phone as a personal hotspot (tethering) while you're abroad.

http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Phones/Feel_At_Home

loopymum

bk wrote: »

The Three UK Data SIMs are great value IMO. They work in 48 countries including the US, which is normally extremely expensive and you can use it over multiple trips.

12GB for 12 months £23.95
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-4G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-12GB-Data

3GB for 3 months £10.99
https://www.mymemory.ie/SIM-Cards/3/3-PAYG-3G-Trio-Data-SIM-Pack-Incl.-3GB-Data

The other tip is that in Google Maps you can create offline maps of the areas you are going to before you go. Good idea even if you get one of these data sims. Also maps.me is a great app for getting offline maps of areas.

If I ordered today, would I have it tomorrow?

crabbypaddy

loopymum wrote: »

If I ordered today, would I have it tomorrow?

No mymemory is based in channel islands as its benefit from tax, duty and vat point of view.

Atlantic Dawn

loopymum wrote: »

If I ordered today, would I have it tomorrow?

I'd say 5 working days at a minumum, they are located on Channel Islands.

nikkibikki

Would those Three UK data sims work in a phone or just a tablet or dongle?

Atlantic Dawn

nikkibikki wrote: »

Would those Three UK data sims work in a phone or just a tablet or dongle?

They work in a phone too but are data only, there will be no call/text functionality.

bk

nikkibikki wrote: »

Would those Three UK data sims work in a phone or just a tablet or dongle?

I'm using one in my phone right now. But as Atlantic Dawn says data only.

Though FYI your phone does need to be unlocked so it can take a SIM from any network.

Having said that whatsapp, facebook messenger, Skype, etc. continue to work great on it.

What I do when travelling is I also take an old phone with me and put my Irish SIM in the old phone so I can still get calls and texts to my Irish number and then use this data sim in my usual phone.

Of course some phones support dual sims, which would make this unnecessary.

nikkibikki

Thanks guys. I actually contacted Three UK on live chat and they said they aren't compatible but I thought they might be! I have the unlock code for my phone thanks to 3's price increase!

dodzy

nikkibikki wrote: »

Thanks guys. I actually contacted Three UK on live chat and they said they aren't compatible but I thought they might be! I have the unlock code for my phone thanks to 3's price increase!

Just to avoid confusion, they are compatible, you just can't use it for regular calls and texts. These days, it's hardly the end of the world with the plethora of options available to users. Data will be fine, so Viber calls & texts, skype, Whatsapp, mesengers etc; will all function. Adequate for the most part I would imagine.

RoYoBo

nikkibikki wrote: »

Thanks guys. I actually contacted Three UK on live chat and they said they aren't compatible but I thought they might be! I have the unlock code for my phone thanks to 3's price increase!

In an unlocked phone, the 3UK data sims 'work' alright here - you just have to remember that if you're not actually in the UK, you're roaming (ROI or Spain or wherever) and will likely find that your data access is considerably slower. I cannot stream anything at all for the most part - it's ok for very basic surfing, whatsapp etc

The sims will not work at all in a phone locked to 3 Ireland - I suspect that's what 3UK meant in saying they weren't compatible. Nor can you tether with them here, unless used in a mifi gadget. In general, I find that the 3 network near me is abysmal but it's handy for me as I'm frequently over and back to NI. I found it very poor in Spain - a local sim is the best answer there.

nikkibikki

RoYoBo wrote:

The sims will not work at all in a phone locked to 3 Ireland - I suspect that's what 3UK meant in saying they weren't compatible. Nor can you tether with them here, unless used in a mifi gadget. In general, I find that the 3 network near me is abysmal but it's handy for me as I'm frequently over and back to NI. I found it very poor in Spain - a local sim is the best answer there.

I didn't mention anything about an Irish phone, just asked if they'd work in a phone. I'd say they just wanted me to spend more money on another product!

Don't think I'll chance a weak signal so and get the local sim. Thanks.