Pre-paid cell phones

Travelling alone through Spain with young children I would be more comfortable with a cell phone for emergencies...and of course to keep in touch with my poor husband who will be chained to his desk for the entire duration of our stay! *me bad* My US cell phone will be useless in Spain. Does anyone have a recommendation for a reputable company where I can purchase a pre-paid cell for my stay in Toledo? Please note, we will be travelling to other areas of Spain as well as France and Italy and I would like a cell phone where service would be available there as well.

Thanks in advance.

Try telestial.com. I have used them to buy prepaid phone cards. You can also buy an unblocked phone from them.

telestial was one company I was looking at to purchase my cell. I took the plunge and I just ordered one...a completely painless experience and a pretty good deal too.

Gracias

There are three cell phone operators in Spain: MoviStar, Vodafone and Amena (Orange).

All of them offer prepaid packs (a cell phone and a SIM card with certain amount of money left to use the phone). Once the prepaid amount is gone, you can "fill" the card by paying a given amount (usually 30 €) in oil stations, supermarkets, ATM machines...

And the packs are not very expensive: from 39 € you may get one of them.

Fernando

Thank you Fernando, for your response.

Last summer, the daughter of a friend of mine went to Florida for a English course. She brought her Spanish Vodafone cell phone and it worked very well in the US. She had no problem calling her parents to Spain. So try a Vodafone. Have a look at Vodafone and The Phone House .

I agree, go with Vodaphone (or Telefonica Movistar) they have the best "cobertura" or signal in most areas. Ask in toledo if one has more coverage than another. And since you arrive during the sales you can probably get a pretty good deal. Sometimes the money already on the phone card is all you pay with the phone practically free. Good luck!

oops, i guess you already ordered one. let us know how it goes!
j.

you are in for a treat with Spanish cell phones. Not only is the reception superb, but you can pay as you go. AT EVERY ATM machine are options not available in the States.
1. you can add Euros to your cell phone account from your local bank account OR from your USA visa/mastercard account. Just choose your mobile (cell) phone service from those listed at the ATM, and your Movistar or Vodaphone will immediately text message you that you have added, let's say, 30 euros to your account. When you get low, you'll get a text saying that. You'll find text messaging much more prevalent there than in the States, and very useful.
2. you can buy theatre, opera, even movie tickets via an ATM.
3. you can pay your utility bills via an ATM.

You're also about to enjoy washing machines that spin dry clothes at jet speeds (these washers are only now being sold in the States). Go with LG--very realiable products. Don't worry about not having a dryer. Your clothes will dry in a flash on the outdoor line after having been spun dry so well.

You're also about to see right and left hand turn signals on the SIDES of automobiles. Only, I think, VW Jetta here in the States has figured out that it might be a nice addition here too.

IF you buy or rent a car, get a Ford "Ka" car. You can see them at them at the UK Ford website:
http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/ka/-/-/-/-/-/- They are great cars for touring Spain, and although smaller than what you are used to, the boys will survive in the back seat.

There are some American products very hard to find, still. With 2 boys, I'd pack a lot of peanut butter. You might also want to pack Nestle chocolate chips (as you are traveling in winter, this shouldn't be a problem in your luggage). Also canned cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie spice and bags of Sleepytime tea (out of the boxes) are things we would carry over, although Horniman's camomile tea, which is everywhere there, along with their mint tea, isn't bad. Also, take ziplock bags. Caprabo and other markets will have them but will be more expensive.

Re food, if you order patatas bravas, just ask them to hold the aioli (garlic oil and hot sauce), and the boys will have beautifully roasted/deep fried cubes of potatoes, much better and more addictive than "fries."

Also re the farmacias (pharmacies): pharmacists are a patient's first line of defense in Spain. They are able to diagnose for you, as was posted earlier to you. There are no prescriptions in Spain. You describe, they prescribe. IF you are on U.S. meds, take prescriptions (which you won't need), but the name of your med will be looked up by the pharmacist for the Spanish equivalent. I take one med, and its Spanish version is SO Much better than the American that I now use it exclusively. Not to mention that the American is $120 and the Spanish is 3 euros for the same amount.

You will also discover that you can get outstanding family health coverage (with access to the best U.S. medical facilities for when you're home) for about 80 to 100 euros a month. In Spain, you keep your own medical files that you keep at home and take with you to doctor appointments. This has been a godsend, as I can show my U.S. doctor x-rays etc taken in Spain.

have the best time. You boys will have memories for a lifetime. I know because I lived in Switzerland as a 9 and 10 year old and that began my lifelong love of travel and for actually living in a country rather than visiting it.


What you will come back to the States with will be fabulous canned Spanish olives and smoked pepper (sort of like paprika) that you will use in Romesco sauce.

WB: I got your email. Thanks for the advice!

With regards to using the mobile in other countries, nowadays most mobiles you buy in Spain have automatic "roaming" once you leave the country, so the mobile will set itself to a corresponding service provider in just about any western European country you go to. You pay an arm and a leg for this service when calling, however. The nice thing about pre-paid "tarjeta" mobiles in Europe is that you can continue to receive local and long distance calls without having credit on your phone, all costs are incurred on the person phoning you. If you travel to other countries however, you pay extra to make calls and you also pay to receive them, so I'd have plenty of credit put on your phone before you leave Spain.