Updated August 10, 2024

Calling and data plans offer convenience and security when travelling. If you’re planning on buying a SIM card in Spain, several options are available at reasonable prices.

For my trip to Spain, I expected to find four cellular providers (plus various resellers) with Movistar, Vodafone and Orange all offering good coverage throughout the country. It looked like I could make my decision after checking out the rates and plans available at the shops and kiosks in the arrivals area of Barcelona’s El Prat airport.

Criteria for buying a local SIM card

When purchasing a prepaid mobile travel plan for your phone, it’s helpful to have desirable criteria and features in mind.

• For talk, text, and data, a physical SIM card and prepaid plan offer several advantages over a data-only eSIM plan. 
• Buying a SIM card and plan in the destination country places setup in the hands of experts.
• The ability to get set up with a prepaid plan at the point of arrival offers convenience and security. It means connecting with an accommodation host, ordering a ride, navigating routes, looking up information, accessing bookings, and more… all contributing to feeling a little more comfortable in an unfamiliar place.
• The plan is valid for the entire visit, and automatically expires at the end of the period of coverage.
• Daily, weekly and monthly rates offer flexibility and affordability for shorter and longer stays.
• There’s cellular coverage for all destinations on the itinerary.
• The plan comes with unlimited domestic talk, or a sufficient amount of calling minutes to make in-country calls to stay in touch with friends and travelling companions, book travel, or use in an emergency. Some plans include free network-to-network calls (e.g., Lyca-to-Lyca or Vodafone-to-Vodafone) so in-country calls to travelling companions on the same mobile network don’t use any calling credit.
• It has unlimited international talk (or enough credit in minutes) to make calls to landlines such as banks or an emergency medical insurance administrator in your home country. 
• It has sufficient data to access the internet for travel research, navigation, email management, and VoIP calls over WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger, or similar platforms on the move (and not having to search for Wi-Fi).
• The plan allows tethering to use the phone as a hotspot to pair with a tablet.
• It has the ability to conveniently buy additional calling minutes or data.
• There’s access to an app or an online account to track usage.
• If travelling to other countries, EU roaming involves a fully portable plan where calling features and data consumption are the same as those in the purchasing country. If not, the terms are clear at the point of purchase.
• Activation takes effect BEFORE leaving the store. Or, to have the ability to return to the store if things don’t unfold as planned.
• Access to information in your own language. At the very least, it’s helpful if the website offers multilingual information on products and services available to travellers. Better still, a multilingual live chat feature is useful for clarifying information or troubleshooting.

Buying a SIM card in Spain

I found just two locations at the airport – a Vodaphone storefront and a Lebara kiosk. I’d had a positive experience with Lebara on an earlier trip to the Netherlands, so the kiosk was my first stop. All my questions were answered.

I didn’t have a conversation with the Vodafone worker, but I listened in on the exchange with two travellers from China. The plans for one month of coverage at both locations sounded similar. I was swayed by the better on-site service offered by Lebara. Both Lebara workers I spoke to were friendly, informative, and patient. Lebara utilizes the Vodafone network so I assumed there was no difference in coverage provided by these two sellers.

My choice: Lebara

Both Lebara and Vodafone offered plans for calling and data. An attractive feature of the plans was that not only were countrywide calls included, but international calls to 39 countries as well. These included countries within the European Union, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, and USA.

The Lebara kiosk was strategically located near the main exit by La Caixa Bank. On the day in question, it was staffed by three workers who were kept very busy.

After my passport details were recorded, I was sent to a nearby storefront (The Airport Market) to obtain the SIM card included in my plan and on my return to the kiosk, my unlocked iPhone was set up.

While waiting for my travelling companions to arrive, I called Canada and the Netherlands on the plan. I couldn’t have been more pleased with the reception. When my friends arrived, each one decided to purchase a plan from Lebara. Lebara-to-Lebara calls were free, so calls between each of our phones were included in our respective plans and didn’t eat into our calling credits.

Coverage was excellent in all places I visited – Barcelona, Mallorca, Tarifa, Malaga, Ronda, and Granada.

Given my experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase a Lebara plan on my next trip.

Except for my experience buying a SIM card in Italy, I’ve had excellent coverage with Vodafone in many countries including Ireland, Czech Republic, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Vodafone’s current 28-day plans (August 2024) are most attractive. These are online plans and prices but I expect in-store offers to be similar. 

If you found this post helpful, please share it by selecting one or more social media buttons. What is your experience buying a SIM card in Spain? Please add your thoughts in the comments. Thank you.

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