Hi there everyone, you all probably know that unless you have one of those $1,000,000 satelite cellphones that work anywhere in the world, your cellphone from the good old U.S.A will not work here in Spain due to the difference in the frequency used by the 2 systems.
Well, after getting various e-mails on where to rent a cellphone in Spain, being a capitalist at heart, I did some market research and believe it or not there were no Spanish companies to be found that offer this service. I did get my hands on one phone # of a company that I was told used to rent them but it took me over an hour of being transferred from one phone number to another to another. Plus, when I call them I get no answer. So, if it took me an hour and I am fluent in Spanish, you can imagine how long it would take the average visitor to Madrid
The real problem is that the U.S. companies that will rent a cell phone to you before you depart for Spain charge an arm and a leg for the phone (they even make you pay for them to ship it to you if need be) and even more for the airtime. Their rates are astronomical!
I am not sure why no one has come up with the idea here but I do not care for I just started to rent them myself. Yes indeed this informative message is also a shameless plug for my new Cellphone rental service in Spain! It is my message board so I can do whatever I want
Jer- Thanks for the link to getting a phone while in Spain. When I do the camino franc�s next year, I'll be looking you up!!! We'll have our wives in Spain, but not with us, and I've been looking for a cheap way to keep in touch. You're right, the US companies "scalp" you, and I'd like to use the phone for more than emergency use only.
Euskaldun
Posts: 33 | Location: En un lugar de California de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme... | Registered: 14 June 2001
Indeed I found the U.S.A. company prices insulting!
Glad I can help, in addition to being a useful service it helps me reinvest in my site so my cellphone rental "clients" can think of it more as a donation I guess Jejeje.
Oooooooh! The wives as well huh? Smells like a dual rental to me
Hello: Im new here in this forum. Im from Madrid but I live in London now and I miss so much my city. About the camino frances, I think he means El camino de Santiago,no? jajaja
PD I'm so surprise that there a lot americans that like Spain, I didn't know that.
Have a good time to all of you in my country
Hasta pronto
Posts: 1 | Location: Madrid, but I live in London now | Registered: 12 August 2001
Jer- Yes, the Camino Franc�s refers to the Camino de Santiago that goes through St. Jean Pied-de-Port at the border..up to Roncevalles and connects with other roads at Puente la Reina. There are a variety of "caminos" but this one, to me, is THE camino.
De hecho, since you're in Spain...you should plan a pilgrimage of your own. Get your butt up to Roncesvalles and go for it!
Euskaldun
Posts: 33 | Location: En un lugar de California de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme... | Registered: 14 June 2001
Good for you! When are you going next year? Plan to do the entire route? Brave soul.
I have perhaps waited too long. Maybe I'll be able to do the last 100 KM or something. I have a meter by meter book in Spanish that I got in '92 or '93. It's in Spanish(should I assume you speak Spanish because you speak Basque? Naaaaaah.)Do you have a good guide? Shall I lend you mine? The maps are awesome, the photos, too.
It's published by ElPais/Aguilar, spiralbound. ISBN number 84-03-59279-5. The publ. phone number is 322-47-00(after the other codes) and they are located on Juan Bravo,38 in Madrid. Maybe they have a new one out. I probably bought it in El Corte Ingl�s.
I have been in Santiago de Compostela, but there is so much to see on the way. Wish I were going, too. Anyhow, buen camino y ultreya!
Pack light, sleep cheap, eat well.
Posts: 479 | Location: ROCKFORD,MI, USA | Registered: 23 May 2001
Hey Euskaldun. Thanks for the motivation to do the "Camino of all Caminos" but I had eye surgery last week and am not really up to the challenge this year . I Am trying to take it easy and recoup from a cornea transplant in my right eye that was a long time in the coming. Oh, if you are in Madrid during your trip let me know so we can get together for the "Ca�a of all Ca�as" (EyeDoc says that beer is good for the eye).
Hi Sue, yeah, if I ever decide to do the walk of walks I too will probably just take the last leg and maybe even do it on my mountian bike (cheater ).
Here's an endorsement from a happy renter of a Jeremy mobile phone. I'd had a little trouble convincing my husband of the good points to doing this, but even he agreed at the end that it had been a good idea. Mobile coverage in Spain is awesome, puts LA to shame. We made calls from the highway in the middle of farmlands, from the cloisters of San Juan de los Reyes in Toledo, and from the ruins of Medinat al Zahra (SP?) outside of Sevilla, confirming hotels, getting directions, etc. At the end of our Spain trip, Jer met us at the Plaza de Espana where we dropped our car, and even hailed a cab for us to go to the airport. For convenience and peace of mind, if you're heading Madrid way, you really should consider this. Wish I'd had a mobile when I lived in Spain!!! THANX, JER!
Metaphors be with you.
Posts: 16 | Location: San Gabriel, USA | Registered: 22 July 2001
Glad you were happy with the phone and everything else. The cab hailing was "pan comido" ("a piece of cake") and my pleasure to help you guys out.
This is what multimadrid is all about, I love meeting travelers and just talking about this amazing country. It was fun hearing about your trip and the impressions you had after 40 years away, wish we had more time in the PLAZA DE ESPA�A when I picked up the cellphone to talk more but maybe next time.
As for the cell coverage, thanks for confirming that is is VERY EXTENSIVE, that is one of the hardest things to convince Americans of after they complain and complain about the poor coverage in much of the U.S.A. but truth is that Spain is soooo wired (as is most of Europe).
Saludos and don't be a stranger...
jer...
p.d. Next trip you get your 20% rental discount Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Just gotta clarify, Jer. That's 20 years since I'd been in Spain (19, really), not 40!!!! I'm only 48, faGawd's sake!!! I know; to the young, older is just older....SHEESH!
Metaphors be with you.
Posts: 16 | Location: San Gabriel, USA | Registered: 22 July 2001
Jer, I am planning on staying in Madrid for about six months and, as your website says, my best option on a cell phone would be to buy one. So, where would be the best place to get one and what would I expect to pay? Also, a somewhat related note: just want to warn all of my fellow Madrid-lovers, my aunt was in her car at a redlight talking on her cellphone when a moto bandito swooped by and snagged it from her hand mid-sentence. This seems to be a growing trend in Madrid.
ben
Posts: 3 | Location: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: 20 September 2001
Hey Ben, sorry about your aunt's incident. I never heard of that hapening here but I am pretty sure the thief was either out for the thrill of it and after both the phone and the calling credit. I will keep my eyes peeled
Well, indeed it would be best for you to buy a cellphone if you are going to be here for 6 months. There are way too many models and offers to list here but if you walk through the streets of Madrid you will see what I mean. The cellphone revolution is in full swing here so just pop into various stores and see what they have to offer. Weigh your options and make a decision.
If you need more help, don't hesitate to look me up when you get here.
- rent or buy a cell phone from me for your stay in spain, more info at 
- already have a cell phone, get a spanish SIM card for it at 
Euskaldun 
