If you are going to travel to Spain and want to be permanently connected to the Internet during your holidays or your work visit, you have many options to always be online. Some have their advantages and disadvantages, but don’t worry because if you want to know the best way to have Internet in Spain, in this article we are going to give you all the keys so that you can choose the best option.
You could hire a contract mobile phone line, although if you are going to stay for a few days it will not compensate you, it is a recommended option for long stays of several months. You could also activate data roaming, an option that can be expensive and give you the occasional surprise on your bill… But the best option is undoubtedly to hire an eSIM, which will provide you with total flexibility, knowing at all times how much you will pay for always being connected during your travel days in Spain and at an unbeatable price. If you still do not know all the advantages offered by an eSIM, do not worry, throughout this report it will be very clear to you.
The eSIM and its advantages
Maybe you didn’t know it, but an eSIM is the digital version of the classic SIM cards. It includes the necessary data for the telephone operator to identify the mobile and is already integrated into the microchip of your device, so you do not have to place any physical card.
By being located on the phone virtually, you could have several SIM card profiles on the mobile, each with a different data plan. This will come in handy if you want to travel to another country like Spain and have an Internet connection at all times without having to pay for roaming. In this sense, you can hire a “travel eSIM” card provider like Holafly and save a lot of money by always being connected.
With an international eSIM, in addition to always being online, you will know at all times what you will pay to be connected. But the eSIM card has more advantages. For example, they help reduce the use of plastics and CO2 emissions and, as they are virtually integrated, you won’t have to wait for the physical card to arrive by post when you contract it, since you can install it very easily and activate it in just a couple of minutes.
The only thing you have to make sure is that your mobile phone is compatible with eSIM technology. Currently, an eSIM can be used in Apple iPhone SE, XR, XS, XS Max and all models of iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. In Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, S20 Ultra, Note 20, Note 20 phones Ultra 5G, S21, S21 +5G, S21 + Ultra 5G Fold, Z Fold 5G and Z Flip. Also on devices from other brands such as the Huawei P40, P40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro; the Google Pixel 2, 3, 4 and 5; the Motorola Razr, Motorola Razr 2019 Nuu Mobile X5, the Gemini PDA, the Rakuten Mini and the Oppo Find X3 Pro and Reno 5a, among others. Every day new models are added that are compatible with eSIM technology.
How mobile internet works in Spain
Spain enjoys a wide mobile Internet coverage, so you won’t have any problem staying permanently connected during your trip. The country has 100% mobile coverage through 3G and 4G networks, so you can keep up to date on your social networks, receive emails and receive videos without any problem.
In addition, the coverage of 5G networks is already greater than 70% of the national territory, so you can enjoy high-speed mobile Internet in much of the country, especially and without a doubt if you travel to the main cities or towns.
Everything will depend on the coverage offered by the operator with which you contract the mobile phone service. Currently, the main local mobile operators are Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, MásMóvil, Yoigo… and there are also more than 30 virtual mobile operators (the so-called OMVs, which are companies that do not have their own networks and that rent their networks to be able to offer service to its customers).
Spanish prepaid eSIM for tourists
As we told you above, although there are numerous mobile Internet operators in Spain, making a contract with them is not advantageous if you travel for a few days.
If you want to be permanently connected during your trip to Spain, the best option is to purchase a virtual SIM card, with which you will avoid roaming surcharges and you will always be online, at the best price, and with the certainty that you will not receive surprises on your bill. .
In this sense, the best Prepaid eSIM for Spain it is the Holafly eSIM. With it you will enjoy all the advantages that we have mentioned before, without waiting to use it in a very simple way, receiving a QR by email that you can activate instantly, and you can have unlimited data to be connected from your mobile phone from 19 euros. For that amount you can enjoy 5 days of unlimited connection, while if you need more, you have other plans at your disposal: 10 days and unlimited data for 34 euros; 30 days and unlimited data for 54 euros… up to a maximum of three months for 99 euros, which covers the needs of all types of travellers: occasional tourists, digital nomads or backpackers.
Other options to use the mobile in Spain
As we say, using an eSIM to have Internet in Spain is always the best option, especially if your trip is a short stay in time, less than three months, and you do not want to have surprises on your mobile phone bill at the end of the month. . However, you should know that there have been, for years, other options to have Internet in Spain. We will tell you about them so that you are also clear about how they work:
Activate data roaming
The option that has existed practically since mobile phones exist is to activate data roaming. Roaming is the service that allows you to use your mobile phone in another country by connecting to a local operator with which your company has an agreement.
You will use the phone as if you were in your country, but it has a fundamental disadvantage: it is an expensive service. In addition, there are different rates depending on where you travel. Within the European Union, you will be able to use free roaming, but if you travel to a country outside the European Union you will have to check with your telephone operator the extra cost that will be imposed each time you use the mobile phone, not only to make or receive calls but also to connect to the Internet. There are different zones, so depending on where you travel, this will be the rate that will be imposed on you. But one thing is for sure: you will not be able to be constantly connected during your trip because roaming is an expensive service. A few minutes of connection can give you a scare on the bill at the end of the month.
Buy a SIM in Spain
Another option you have is, instead of signing a telephone contract with a local operator in Spain, to buy a prepaid SIM card from one of these operators. It is not a very simple process and, for example, you will not be able to buy it from home, online, as you could with an eSIM.
To acquire a prepaid SIM or chip in Spain you will have to wait until you are in the country and go to a specialized store or a telephone operator’s point of sale. Ideally, you should be able to compare the prices of each one before knowing which one to choose, but this is a process that will take time to collect all the information and possibly, being on vacation, you do not want to waste your time on this.
If you purchased it through the online channel, you would have to wait a few days for the SIM to be sent to a physical address in the country.
In addition, to acquire a SIM in Spain you will have to provide your identification data (national Identity document or passport) to become part of the company’s database of identified customers.
Talk about the SIM or prepaid Chip that exists in Spain and its purchase and activation requirements.
Rent a Pocket WiFi
Another option would be to rent a pocket WiFi and use it during the days that you will be traveling in Spain to have Internet. It is a small device that transmits the Internet to compatible devices around you, such as your mobile phone, so you can stay connected.
But keep in mind that the device itself does not allow you to connect to the Internet, but you need to have a SIM card and, therefore, purchase a data plan, to generate a Wi-Fi space of about 15 meters around the device. What cannot be done either is to connect to the Internet to another person’s Wi-Fi with one of these devices, so it will also cost you.
There are different possibilities to acquire a pocket Wifi or rent it through a mobile operator. Generally, they offer a 3G or 4G connection, and the prices are high, especially if you are going to spend only a few days in the country. While you receive the device, you may have already left, and its use is more cumbersome than the one we recommended: use an eSIM to have Internet in Spain during your trip.
