Jeremy's Info & Tips on the Phones in Spain

Using ther phones in Spain can be great and inexpensive if you "play your cards right" (no pun intended). There are many ways to keep in touch with friend and family back home and on this page you can learn the ropes on the phone system in Spain. 

 

Up until mid 1998, there was only one monopolizing phone company in Spain, the monstrous "Telefónica" but since then, many competitors have sprung up, if not making it easier, at least now you have a choice.

FIRST AND FOREMOST - get your hands on the phone card pictured at right!!! It is called "eurodirect" and is hands down THE BEST deal for calling from Spain to the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and all of Europe.  For just 6 Euros you get 3hrs and 20 minutes airtime (3 cents/minute!!!). No other card even comes close!!!

The "eurodirect" cards are available in 6 &12 Euro amounts (see www.europhonecards.org/eurodirect for info and where to buy them :) Whether you are studying in Spain, living here as an ExPat or just visiting, you need this card.

Students, your language school and/or study abroad offices should have the "eurodirect" card available, ask for it, better yet, DEMAND it!!!

I don't know how they do it but who cares! This card gets you talking to the U.S.A., Canada and Europe for 7 pesetas/minute (less than 4 cents!) and can be used from any phone (land or cell line, although the credit goes fast when you use the cellphone) and can even be used from your hotel room. The card comes in 6€ (2 hours airtime) or 12€ (4 hours airtime) amounts.

The type of phone card mentioned above has an access # and a scratch-off code that you use to place the calls. Other types of calling cards that either use codes or are inserted directly into the payphones are sold at both "Estancos" ("Tabacos", "Timbres") and local privately owned telephone and accessory stores. One of these cards is pictured at left but they come in many colors and designs. The cards that you insert directly into the payphones are from Telefónica and are usually only better for local calls within the city you are in. When in doubt, use the "eurodirect" card  since 3 cents/minute is pretty hard to beat.

Payphones: 

Payphones around Spain are very abundant but you may find many broken and they can rob you more often than you might like so calling card are a good option since you will not lose your money.

				Click HERE for my crash course on the use (and abuse) of Spanish Payphones. You won't be sorry .
Click to enlarge

Cellphones in Spain:

First and foremost, if you are going to be calling from a cell phone in Spain back home, get your mits on a phone card called "Call and COnnect" ASAP, it uses a toll-free access number from the cell so you can avoid using the cell credit itself and call back to your home country for just 14 cents/min. see www.europhonecards.org/call&connect for complete info and where to buy it.

Europe is VERY WIRED compared to most other countries of the world and Cellphone coverage in Spain is amazing! Unfortunately, the cellphones here function on a different frequency than in the U.S.A., Canada, etc... so your phone will not work unless you have one of those $1,000,000 world phones that promise to work everywhere and still fail on you.

 

If you wish to have a cellphone for your stay in Spain, have no fear, it is Jeremy to the rescue , you basically have 2 options:

 

1) Rent one from me (yes, I began renting cellphones in July 2001 after noticing the need for it here in Spain for temporary visitors). You can get all the info you need on my rental plans, prices and the calling rates at www.onspanishtime.com

Rental of a cellphone is a simple and fast solution and a good idea for those visitors who will be in Spain for trips under 2 months.

2) Buy one at any of the 1,000,000,000 cellular phone stores that have popped up in the last few years over here. There are many models, offers and deals so I will not go into it all here, you will just have to shop around. If you are  going to be in Spain for a stay over 2 months, it is cheaper to buy a cellphone than to rent one. I can also sell you one in case you want to arrange it all and get your phone # before you leave home .

Spanish Telephone Operators: 

For good measure here is a list of most of the current Spanish telephone companies and links to their respective websites.

For more info & discussion on madrid (and all of spain) you may want to take a look at my spain message board

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