At the risk of upsetting people that go on holiday to get away from such things I, like others, take a mobile on holiday with me. Calls can cost a fortune on it abroad.

However does anyone know where, in Tenerife, you may be able to buy a pay as you go sim card or even a mobile phone on a spanish network for the Canaries (or even Spain) along with an idea of the cost and call charges local and international to see if if may be a cheaper option for anyone that travels to the Canaries often?

The phones are Ok to use along with discount calling cards (- suggestions on the best one of those could start another discussion) but I suspect there may be some benefits in having a mobile option, just I will have to learn more spanish

Hi John
I posted this question a while ago - it may have been on the old forum & from what I remember from the replies, buying a Spanish sim card can be a little complicated, ie: you have to top it up frequently to keep you airtime & no. - ok if you go regularly, we go twice a year but not sure if this is enough even. I am sure somebody will give us all the info though. As for calling cards bought over there, can you use these of your own mobile as opposed to calling from a call box? & if so is it any more expensive.
nigel

John

You should have no problem buying a sim card over there. Just get the shop to make sure it will work in your phone.

We keep a mobile with a spanish sim for use when we go. It works out cheaper to use than a UK sim and easy to top up. Loads of phone shops

Enjoy your stay

When I arrive in Tenerife I imagine my phone will switch to a Spanish network, Does this mean that I can make local Tenerife calls without putting in the Tenerife code? DUGHHH probably a silly question but one I do not know the answer to!

Way to go

Although your phone will search and show a spanish network, all calls will be routed through the UK network your sim card is linked to.
This makes the calls more expensive and yes you will need to use the Tenerife code to make calls

for the suggestions, when I am in the canaries, (soon) I'll do some research and report back. Last Time I asked a Tour rep they avoided me all week and I am sure a bought a trip off them too.

Lawson, thanks, I understand what you say and I will just need to make sure I top up enough in the uk although I do like the idea of unlocking my phone and buying a sim card in tenerife. I will look into that while I am over.

I have a Spanish SIM card and it will last for 12 months without a top-up. I brought it from http://www.0044.co.uk and use it eery time i go to spain. Just make sure that your handset is unlocked.

Hi, have checked that website, it seems very good and as far as I can tell it would cost around £30 to buy the sim card needed and they post it to you. Does anyone know please what it would cost if I bought a sim card instead actually in Tenerife? I have an Orange pay as you go that I think is already unlocked. I take it with me but prefer the idea of a spanish sim card. Also does anyone know what the cost of calls would be from family calling Tenerife from the UK if I did change the sim card? Thanks, Viv

thanks rckerry, that website has just the sort of information I was looking for.

I did go to the Vodafone shop here in the UK, I dont think they like giving out information that might cost them money

however, eventually, they did say it was possible (but no they cant sell me a spanish vodafone anything) and cheaper but to get my fone unlocked (and try that nice man in the market to do that cheap before you go lol). However it is too late for me to order off the website as I am off the weekend so all I need to do is find somewhere that sells Vodafone sim cards (will ask the locals), looks like a Santa Cruz trip.

I have been to Gran Canaria for a few days but sadly weather too nice to do anything but sun bathe and drink

Across the road from La Pinta in Torviscas is a little side street with a guarage at the top. Half way up this street is a little English shop selling mobile phone stuff. They will sell you a Spanish Vodaphone sim card for €40 and it comes with €20 credit on it. You can buy top ups everywhere.

The advantage is that this shop is staffed by English people and they check it works in your phone before selling you it. (your phone needs to be unlocked from any other provider)

Thanks for the info. I bought a spanish roaming sim from 0044.co.uk as suggested, they also unlocked my nokia for free.

Off on my jollies at the weekend! sun, drink and girlz

is the name of the shop up a little side street etc. How do I know? Because I own it! A couple have been in today who saw this post on the internet so hence me being here now! So just to add to this post and clarify a couple of things for future reference for all you people coming to Tenerife for your holidays. Firstly I offer much better offers than 0044.co.uk on sim cards. The '€18' cards they are selling for £29.95 have only €12(€10 in the canaries) actual credit and another €6 on a voucher which needs to be sent off to register the card, which is also in Spanish!(The cards say €18 on them but check the balance *134# send and see what I mean!). I sell these sims also for €30(£20ish quid) but always have better offers with more credit. And to correct makum 110(thanks for the plug though mate!) my €40 cards have €28 credit and a further €6 on the voucher etc(I dont count that usually). At the moment in vodaphone I also have some cards with €62 actual credit for €70. But the best sim card now for calling the UK is not Vodaphone Spain it is Amena. Not the best network for customer services but with this sim card you can buy a €5 international calling card which will gives you a massive 1 hour 55 minutes to UK landlines from your mobile! This card doesnt take any credit from your phone when you access the service as it is Amenas very own card. This is the one I now sell to the tourist as it offers best value and they save a fortune with it. At the moment they are €40 with €26 actual credit plus the voucher blah blah! Also the benefit of having a spanish sim is that when you receive calls it is free unlike UK phones which average a pound a minute! Anyway enough of the sales pitch. Just to let you know I also unlock ALL phones usually while you wait, average price €15 but only if necessary! As a bonus what I can offer you people reading this is I can allocate you a sim card before you come out here so that you know the number before you fly. Hence saving the hassle of giving it out when you get here! Im actually opposite a new hotel called La Nina(close to La Pinta), where you will see a private road I am in the row along there. The private road is between Amandas Show Bar and Visanta Electronics shop with a Chinese Restaurant at the end(next to the garages). Oh and another thing, please be careful when buying electronics from the shops here and if you are looking for a particular type of camera I can locate and get it for you for a good price without the hassle of beating down an indian shop owner for an hour who ends up selling you a great deal and batteries which cost €250(It really happens!). Its possible also I can send out sim cards too. My hours of opening are 10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm Monday to Friday and 10am-1pm Saturday and closed Sunday. Also if you still dont wish to buy a sim card I can top up UK mobiles(NOT EVERYONE DOES THIS) but please remember your swipe card (apart from Vodafone UK is not necessary). Please feel free to contact me either by msn,ICQ,PM,phone fax or e-mail. My name is Simon and my telephone number shop is available through the PM facilty. One other thing is if you buy a sim card on both amena and vodafone if you dont top it up within a year from last top up you will completely lose your number. If you want to keep it active I have a system where you can pay into a UK bank and I will put on €15 for a tennner. This will keep your spanish sim valid for another year. Hope this is of some help and maybe will see one or two of you in the future.

Edit to remove telephone number and font colour.

@The Dog:
I live in the Netherlands and go twice a year to Tenerife.
Does the story above also work for the Dutch?

The Dog, how much are Spanish pay-as-you-go's? Do you sell them, if they exist? I ahve an Orange MYX 6, whcih I want to bring and change to a Spanich sim, but am wondering will it be cheaper to just buy a new phone, as we will be living over there.

cheers

@ankhasenamen Yes I sell them, look at my reply for prices please. I can unlock your phone which will cost you €20 for that model(usually €25 for sagems as they are a pain to unlock) and the price of a sim card. Alternatively I have phone and sim package deals. When you get here pop in and we can sort something out for you.

Will do, we are over on March 2nd, so will be looking to get sorted ASAP!!

in my shop until March7th(holiday to Vegas!). Although my shop will be open, no one here will be able to unlock the Sagem until Im back then! Sorry but its a complicated phone to do! What I can do though as I am over to the UK the 4/2 is send you a sim card from the UK so you have it before you come.

Hi the dog, it's a pity you didn't discover this site a few hours earlier - I ordered a Spanish sim from 0044.co.uk this morning & now I read that you could have sold me one cheaper. oh well thats life
Can you top it up for me when I come over? also can you tell me if I put my UK no. onto divert to the Spanish No. before I leave the UK can I still receive calls free to my UK no?
Nigel

The Dog, don't worry, we've decided to treat ourselves and buy new when we get there, so we'll pop in and see what you've got