Spain

Note: A passport and a Spanish address (your hotel is fine) is required to buy a SIM card in Spain. If you only have an european ID card, orange seems to be the only possible provider.

Yoigo
(July 2012) Available only for holders of Spanish ID cards...

Startup cost

 * You can buy a for 20€, which comes with 20€ balance and 20 free messages.
 * Some shops offer the Yoigo SIM and will force a USB network-locked thob for 35€

Data feature packs and fair use limits
Pay-as-you go data packs, all HSPA+:


 * 'Internet Para Llevar de Tarjeta' - 3€ per day. 100 MB/day at 3.2Mbps, then the speed drops to 64Kbps for the remainder of the day
 * 'Internet Para Llevar 8' - 8€ per month. 500 MB/month, then the speed drops to 64Kbps for the remainder of the month. You can buy a 300MB/month extra traffic for 5€. Pack mainly offered at PhoneHouse stores for smarphones(e.g. Iphone)
 * 'Internet Para Llevar 25' - 25€ per month. 3GB/month, then the speed drops to 128Kbps for the remainder of the month. You can buy a 1GB/month extra traffic for 10€
 * 'Internet Para Llevar 35' - 35€ per months. 5GB/month HSPA, then the speed drops to 128Kbps for the remainder of the month. You can buy a 1GB/month extra traffic for 10€

Availability

 * Yoigo stores
 * The PhoneHouse stores

Other information

 * Official Yoigo Page
 * APN = internet; username and password: both empty
 * 111#: check balance (money left)
 * My Yoigo (eg. to check data balance, i.e. MBs left): you need to enter full 9-digit number (eg. 622 xxx xxx) to login
 * VOIP and P2P are not permitted with this plan (you will be able to use Skype for chat, but not for calls)
 * Sim Size = Standard (representative can cut it to the size of microsim later if you would like)
 * 6€/month minimum expenditure at 'Internet Para Llevar de Tarjeta'
 * Yoigo Prepaid sims do not roam by default, you will need to phone the callcentre and try and get a English speaking representative
 * Yoigo Prepaid sims do not expire after 6 months of no use (longer times still to be tested!), you can check to see if your sim is still valid by logging in to the My Yoigo site.
 * You can top-up your prepaid SIM online via the Yoigo site, works with non-Spanish cards as well

Startup cost
It costs 24€ (and only 20.69€ on Canary Islands) with a balance of 18€.

Data feature packs - pre-paid (prepago) - for USB modem - not for iPhone**
Time based plans:

After 1GB of usage, download speeds will be limited to 128 kbps. (Vodafone sometimes may not enforce this limit, based on past user experience) The weekly plan is limited to 35 connections, and will then not work. Confirmed by Customer Service. Call 22189 (Customer Service in English) and ask for a week of mobile internet instead, costs €3 and is really unlimited.


 * VOIP and P2P are not permitted with this plan.
 * Bono plans do not work with iPhone, only for USB modem according to Vodafone customer service. Initially activation of 15 days (Quincenal) time based plan by "C QUI" SMS to 2207 was confirmed by automatic SMS reply. However, it turned out that each kilo byte of mobile data costs was then subtracted from prepaid balance - no flat rate at all. The solution: For iPhone internet access is best achieved by purchasing a normal prepaid (pregago) SIM first. Then call 22189 (Customer Service in English) and ask for a week of mobile internet("bono wap gprs de navegacion movil") costing only €3/week. Even internet-tethering is possible, allowing download speeds up to 1000kbps on VF 3G. However, use of internet tethering will deduct €4/day from prepaid balance without any warning.

Plans based on total data usage:


 * VOIP and P2P are not permitted with this plan.

Availability
Sold in a Vodafone's stores. You can load up the card in 5€ steps (+5€, +10€, +15€....)

You can check your prepaid SIM credit balance by calling *134# on the phone dial. Be aware that this service is NOT free anymore! I just wondered why my account keeps decreasing. The balance check costs 17 cent (sometimes 18 cent...) each check!

Fair use policy
The tarif is called "Bonos prepago - Bonos por tiempo" with which you can use 1 GB of data - after that you get reduced to a 128kb/s

SIM sizes
Mini SIM

Technical information
You must make sure to use the APN airtelnet.es - especially on smartphones as they initally try to use a wap APN which reduces your balance in seconds. (on iPhones the Vodafone SIM will automatically set the correct settings on the iPhone, provided that no profile with special mobile settings was previously installed on the iphone)

For a normal sim use:


 * APN: airtelnet.es


 * Username: vodafone

For a microsim (e.g. Iphone 4 and Ipad) [not verified]:
 * Password: vodafone


 * APN: ac.vodafone.es


 * Username: vodafone


 * Password: vodafone

TENERIFE:

I suggest going to the official vodafone store. In Playa des Las Americas, I bought a Vodafone SIM card from a small store for 15 euro which included 9 euro credit. But the official Vodafone store sold it for 9 euro with 9 euro credit!

To activate the card I had to provide my passport.

To get a week's unlimited internet (50 euro cents per day) I had to call a number 22189 and ask to have the week internet for 3.50 euro set up. That's fine but I got a text message saying it wouldn't activate until midnight that same evening. Before I activated the 3.50 euro a week deal, I chewed up 9 euro of credit with very little internet use on the standard rates.

23.01.2012

Startup costs
10 Euro with 10 Euro balance

Default data rate
0.05 euro / MB

0.03 Euro /MB after signing up for "automatic prepaid" (requires pay pal account or credit card)

Data feature packs
300 MB / 5 euro.

Availability
From their website or in shops

Technical Information
Apn: internetmas No user/password

SIM sizes
Mini SIM

MoviData
MoviData is only available at ThePhoneHouse stores in Spain.

Startup cost
It costs 30€.

Data feature packs
Startup is 500MB free, each additional 100MB is 6€ (reload only in ThePhoneHouse stores). No time restriction.

Availability
Sold only at ThePhoneHouse stores.

SIM sizes
Regular.

Technical information
There is no APN configuration needed. Uses Orange network.

Startup cost
15 EUR

12 EUR of credit included

(Bono Internet)
Limited to 1GB per period, then you seem to pay 3,54 EUR / 30MB, but up to 14,16 EUR per day maximum -- it's then a flatrate.
 * 1 week 22,42 incl. taxes send ALTA SEM to 221140
 * 1 month 57,82 incl. taxes send ALTA MEN to 221140
 * 3 months 69,62 incl. taxes send ALTA TRI to 221140

Availability
Sold at movistar stores.

SIM sizes
Micro

Technical information
Bandwidth limited to 1Mbps download / 384kbps upload
 * APN: movistar.es
 * login: movistar
 * password: movistar

ORANGE
Orange is now offering the "Delfin" (Dolphin) plan, which cost 3.5€/Week, it does includes unlimited access 100 Mb at full speed and the rest at 128 kbps, does not include VoIP.

Startup cost: Sim card can be obtained for 9 €, it includes a credit of 7€, enough for the plan that you are interested on. Procedure to get the dolphin plan:
 * 1) Disable data on your phone (Data roaming is not enough to disable the plan, remember you will put a local SIM and the phone will start to consume credit if you don't disable data)
 * 2) Put in your SIM card.
 * 3) Call 470, navigate through the menu, the first question is "Quieres hacer una consulta acerca del telefono que nos estas marcando!" (Do you want to consult about the telephone you are talking about?). Say "Si" or press 1.
 * 4) Next question is if you want to see the remaining calls or sms based on your credit, Say "No" or press 2.
 * 5) On the main menu, say "Tarifas y promociones" (Rates or promotions) or press 4
 * 6) Say "Consultar Tarifas" (Consult about Rates) or press 1.
 * 7) Say "Consultar or cambiar a otra tarifa" (Consult or change to another Rate) or press 2.
 * 8) You will be transfered to an agent, tell him/her that you want the "Plan Delfin" (Dolphin Plan) the will ask your name, probably the number (it is on the card where the sim was, a 9 digit number) and the model of your phone/device.
 * 9) Wait for sms confirmation and now activate your data.

Availability
Sold at Orange stores and places where movil services are sold. You can find these kind of stores at the big metro stations or around downtown.