i've read every message here on this subject and i have questions:
1. i have a new Siemens s46 phone and will bring it to spain for a few weeks -- anyone know if it can be unlocked in barcelona?
2. will s46 work on the 900 band in spain? at&t (who sold it to me) says yes, posts here say 900 is phasing out, or something...what's the story, or where can i find out? this tech stuff is very new to me
3. what are phone card minute rates in spain? ive read the posts -- but they sound very expensive compared to US monthly service, yet everyone says everyone uses phones this way. Trying to budget for monthly living expenses in BCN, how can everyone afford such high rates?? My US plan has 400 anytime minutes/unlimited nights and weekends, for $39 month. And free long distance. I used to think that was expensive...:-(
4. what's cheapest price for mobile phone purchased in spain to use with phone cards?
5. where can one find USED phones for using a few months in spain with rechargeable cards?
6. can you get pagers to use in spain? nobody has mentioned this. they are soooo much cheaper....

your patience is much appreciated :-)

You should be able to find somewhere here in the US that can unlock your phone for you if you really want to use it there.(The S46 does work worldwide.) Just ask around some of the cell phone stores, most of them will know where to go.

As far as the rates go, maybe someone who lives there can help you with that. I'm in the cell phone business here, but since my trip was only a week, I used a prepaid calling card and used pay phones. I do know that it's not near as expensive as it is here.

i came across the same problem recently. i decided it was worth it to just buy a cheap prepaid cell phone in spain. after some research, i decided AMENA was the least expensive for phones and call rates. here is a link which lists AMENA stores in BCN:
AMENA PUNTOS DE VENTA