Best way to get a PAYG data SIM?

[Thoie]

My cruise in October is mainly coast hugging Spain (and Portugal). Our first stop will be Vigo. Does anyone know what's the easiest way to get a cheap pay-as-you-go (prepaid) data SIM (for use in a mobile wifi router)?

 

Lycamobile looks like the best value, but it looks like you need a Spanish address to get it delivered - does anyone know if there are any outlets where you can just go pick one up? Or any other suggestions?

[VMax1700]

In Spain you can buy a sim from Phone House (equivalent of Carphone Warehouse). I have an unlocked Irish phone and just buy a pay as you go sim when I am over in Spain. They just look for a passport.

 

I have never used Lycamobil, but can you not buy it somewhere else to use in Spain? I thought that was one of their USP features.

[VMax1700]

sorry, intended to post link

http://www.phonehouse.es/movil/tarjeta/sim.html

[Thoie]

Thanks VMax, I can see a Phone House not too far from the harbour in Vigo. Will look up the Irish Lycamobile site and see what the story is - I was looking at the Spanish site.

[MADflyer]

Just a FYI on using mobile phones on ships. Even if you are right along the coast, once the ship has turned on Cellular at Sea or another provider you will most likely not be able to reach the coastal towers. That said, maybe I am just not technical enough to have accomplished this. Of course it will work once in port.

 

I use mobile data on my Ipad in Europe and have continent wide roaming. While we were sometimes close enough to land for me to use this onboard, it was rare.

[Thoie]

Just a FYI on using mobile phones on ships. Even if you are right along the coast, once the ship has turned on Cellular at Sea or another provider you will most likely not be able to reach the coastal towers. That said, maybe I am just not technical enough to have accomplished this. Of course it will work once in port.

 

I use mobile data on my Ipad in Europe and have continent wide roaming. While we were sometimes close enough to land for me to use this onboard, it was rare.

 

This is more for in ports - I don't want to spend my entire trip glued to the internet :)

 

If you are in range of land based towers (usually they only switch on cellular at sea when you're out of range), you can manually switch providers in the settings of your phone. In my case I'll be using a mifi (personal wifi hotpot.. thing), so changing the settings is marginally more awkward.