Best SIM card options in Madrid

December 31, 2014 7:47 AM

What should my wife and I do in order to use our phones in Spain?

We'll be in Madrid and maybe elsewhere in Spain in a few months, just staying for a week. Voice calls won't be that important, but I think a data plan will be so we can use our iPhones to navigate around and such.

We're both on Verizon here in the states, if it matters.

posted by emelenjr to Travel & Transportation around Spain (6 answers total)

Are your verizon phones unlocked?
posted by k8t at 8:08 AM on December 31, 2014

Best answer: I used this free app + Wifi in Spain and it did the job fine. The offline maps are fantastic - if your main need is navigation you won't need a data plan at all.
posted by something something at 8:21 AM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: No, the phones aren't unlocked.
posted by emelenjr at 8:46 AM on December 31, 2014

Best answer: No, the phones aren't unlocked.

Then you can't use a foreign SIM card and you're stuck with whatever roaming data plans Verizon offers.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 9:59 AM on December 31, 2014

Response by poster: Ha, I take that back. Verizon 4g iPhones have unlocked SIM cards, I have discovered. What are our best bets for SIM cards in Spain? Any providers to avoid?
posted by emelenjr at 10:34 AM on December 31, 2014

Best answer: I got a SIM card with Orange for my unlocked iPhone. It was pretty easy and fast, you only need an ID such as your passport.
They have a "ballena" (whale) prepaid plan which includes 1 Gb of data for 9€, plus about 3€ for the SIM card.
posted by clearlydemon at 4:08 PM on December 31, 2014 [1 favorite]