Info on communication alternatives and how to keep in contact.

Communications

Testimony 1

“Besides your cell phone in Madrid some apartments have phones. Public phones are very scarce but there are telephone call shops called Locutorios where they have phones and other communication services like photocopies, fax, scanning and Internet.

Before I left for Europe I freed my US phone and arranged for a Spanish sim card but other students borrowed their Spanish cell phones from the language school.

You can also wait and go to Movistar, Orange or Vodafone, different Spanish cell phone providers. Although calls are more expensive, incoming calls are free (including from the US).

Text messages seem to be less and less frequent now that people use wifi or have data credit to use applications like WhatsApp mostly for communicating. If fact, even calls seem less frequent, preferring texting. As for calling home, I used an international calling card called HappyCard but there are many. You can buy it at some of the newsstands. If you use a landline instead of a cell phone with the calling card your minutes might stretch a bit”

Testimony 2

“Cell phones are not called “cell phones” in Europe. In Spanish they are called “moviles” for a mobile phone. So, when asking, inquire about “un movil”.

Most foreign students purchased prepaid phones. To call internationally, at tobacco stores and any other international phone booth center it is possible to purchase phone cards. It will be much cheaper for you to call the US then for the people in the US to call your cell phone. You also have the option of using Freecall or Skype via Internet. All rented accommodation now has Internet, but not necessarily a telephone.

The main cell phone companies are Vodafone, Orange, Yoigo and Movistar. You can recharge your phone at El Corte Ingles, or ATM machines or online. Also if you travel your phone can make calls (by paying roaming fees) and receive calls in other European countries and even Morocco. I also purchased a calling card for International calls to the U.S but found that receiving calls from the U.S. was free.”

Testimony 3

“Bring a cell phone that works in Europe or buy one when you get there from El Corte Ingles or a phone company.

We didn’t have a landline in our house, so a cell phone was the only option.”