Buying SIM card for Med Cruise at Barcelona Airport

Am arriving in BCN and heading straight the cruise for me Med cruise (Spain, Greece, Malta, Italy, Croatia) and I want to pick up a SIM card at the airport - preferably with unlimited data for the above countries.

Any suggested brands of SIM card would be appreciated and also the location of a place to buy the card in BCN would be most appreciated !

Am arriving in BCN and heading straight the cruise for me Med cruise (Spain, Greece, Malta, Italy, Croatia) and I want to pick up a SIM card at the airport - preferably with unlimited data for the above countries.

 

Any suggested brands of SIM card would be appreciated and also the location of a place to buy the card in BCN would be most appreciated !

Can't you buy one in advance from an online company such as Amazon? Plenty for sale on amzon.co.uk and some companies may deliver/post to Australia (we haqve no problems buying on the UK site although we have a Spanish address) https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=european+sim+card

Any Spanish SIMs will roam in EU but not at a good rate. This one from Orange (SIM Mundo/Go Europe tariff http://novedades.orange.es/descubre/GoEurope (1€ per day for 1 hr EU talk or 1€ for 100mb data in almost any European country) has the best roaming rate as far as I know. As far as I know Spanish mobile operators will not ship outside of Spain. If store doesn't charge for SIM or some other fee then deal is excellent (but that is usually not the case in my experience as extra minimum credit is charged) Also picture id is required when activating the service.

Having data is very handy especially for Google Maps directions. Can enter some attraction and get directions from current location, no need to know exact addresses. Also for checking email which takes very little data. US providers charge a fortune for data roaming. And ship's wifi is not a bargain. When I was in Spain last year I used Google Hangouts to call back to North America. Usage is about 1mb per 1 min of talk. To receive calls for free (so people don't need to call Spanish #) can use TextNow (will get free US#) and then call forward your # to it. This can be done just prior to leaving US and can be always disabled.

This can be done just prior to leaving US and can be always disabled.

The OP lives in Australia not the US.

Then last portion is still applicable at a small fee (2c per min) on Google but definitely not at mobile company's rates.

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EBAY sells a Spanish Orange sim card for under $20; don't remember what comes with it.

While I know the OP is from the land of Oz, since others read this I might make a point.

As Bob Dylan says, the times they are a-changing. US carriers now allow roaming in Europe at very reasonable rates (not dirt cheap as skype and google talk are but nothing need be done in advance). You get unlimited texts, almost unlimited data (albeit 2g, useful enough for google maps and the like) and calls both incoming and outgoing fo 20¢/minute. To repeat, though, I don't know if similar deals are available for Canadian and Australian and other countries carriers.

Can also try buying SIM in Crystal media shop located in BCN T1 arrivals.

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Can also try buying SIM in Crystal media shop located in BCN T1 arrivals.

A slight problem buying a SIM in Spain is that following the Madrid train bombings in 2004 you must register a SIM card when you buy it.

That means providing an ID document and an address in Spain.

This isn't an insurmountable problem (I have done it myself with a UK passport and a hotel address), but it can take a little while, especially if you don't speak Spanish and the sales assistant doesn't speak English (as was the case when I did it).

A slight problem buying a SIM in Spain is that following the Madrid train bombings in 2004 you must register a SIM card when you buy it.

 

That means providing an ID document and an address in Spain.

 

This isn't an insurmountable problem (I have done it myself with a UK passport and a hotel address), but it can take a little while, especially if you don't speak Spanish and the sales assistant doesn't speak English (as was the case when I did it).

Part about passport is correct but re:Spanish address is not a requirement. I gave my real address and it was fine. If anyone is interested here my TA post from last year https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g187497-i44-k7884842-Tuenti_MoviStar_SIM_card_price_for_non_EU_residents-Barcelona_Catalonia.html#70104728

Do a search on ebay for European sim card...you will come across a sim card for Orange Spain for $17.11.

Cards sold on eBay are either unregistered or registered in someone else's name (e.g. person who bought it in Spain, returned and wants to sell it). SIM cards can't be activated by themselves and there is no value in owning an unactivated SIM as the activation process need to be done in person. Some online vendors will register SIM on behalf of the customer and mail the card when that customer sends them scan of passport page.

Cards sold on eBay are either unregistered or registered in someone else's name (e.g. person who bought it in Spain, returned and wants to sell it). SIM cards can't be activated by themselves and there is no value in owning an unactivated SIM as the activation process need to be done in person. Some online vendors will register SIM on behalf of the customer and mail the card when that customer sends them scan of passport page.

A generalization which is very country dependent. For example, I buy British sim cards all the time on ebay for next to nothing. They cost the merchant nothing. British sim cards are activated with the first top up. French cards present different problems. I am not familiar with Spain and can't figure out from the offer I cite just what the buyer has to do to activate the 1 euro cent for mb data.

Yes, its country specific. What I meant in my first sentence (Cards sold on eBay are either unregistered or registered in someone else's name) is applicable to Spanish SIMs since this thread is about Spain. The correct "process" is to register in person with picture id (and more likely pay some retailer premium as a non resident) however some companies like Tuenti/Movistar will send registered cards to Spanish address when document id is provided online. This has no value to tourists. Lebara will mail but not register. Some entrepreneurial online vendors (e.g. simcardspain dot es which btw got lots of poor reviews) sell registered SIMs at a premium upon receiving passport scans from perspective customers