How to get Prepaid mobile internet in Spain: Which option to choose?

Spain is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries with numerous activities to do. And if you go to Madrid you can’t miss its museums and the Sierra Madrid, a place full of villages surrounded by diverse flora. On the other hand, if you are going to visit this country, as you may already know, it is essential to use your cell phone in Spain. Especially if you are going on a business trip, or if you cannot lose contact with your family for a second.

For this reason, and so that you can choose the best option for you without paying excessive costs that are out of your budget, in this article, we will tell you all about internet connection in Spain. We’ll also talk about the different alternatives that are on the market and operators that offer roaming service in Spain, as well as their coverage and rates.

Mobile Internet in Spain

Depending on your country of origin there are many telecommunications companies with which you can purchase roaming services for Spain. The only thing you have to do is contact your current provider directly and ask about their rates in Spain. However, we want to anticipate that roaming is one of the most expensive alternatives to connect to cellular data abroad on the market because companies usually charge you per megabyte used.

Fortunately, EU residents can travel with their local tariff, as Spain is among the countries with roaming in Europe just like at home. This means that you will continue to use your data plan as if you were in your home country. But it’s not the same for the countries of the rest of the world. 

Internet rates in Spain

Below you will find a table with the tariffs of some main internet providers for Spain and their alternatives.

SIM card for internet in Spain

Since you are going to Europe, we recommend the SIM cards for Spain from local and international providers. There’s a variety of operators and services, each one with the own benefits. A few factors to consider are coverage, customer services availability, products and services accessibility, payment methods and compatibility. Additionally, check if you can get free delivery and if the carrier you choose can deliver to your location.

If you want to know more about SIM cards in Spain, we recommend our article SIM card for foreigners in Spain.

Unlimited data eSIM for Spain

If you need to connect to the internet as soon as possible, or you are traveling early the next day. The best option for you is eSIM cards for Spain and in this case, as with SIM cards, we suggest you purchase Holafly cards. 

The eSIM cards are cards that work completely virtually. So through this online shop, you can purchase your virtual card from anywhere in the world in a couple of minutes. All you have to do is go to Holafly’s official website, fill in your purchase details and that’s it, in a few minutes they will send you a QR code to activate your card. 

eSIM rates for traveling to Spain

• Unlimited data with calls for 5 days at $19 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 7 days at $27 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 10 days at $34 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 15 days at $47 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 20 days at $54 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 30 days at $64 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 60 days at $84 USD.
• Unlimited data with calls for 90 days at $99 USD.

How to get Internet in Spain with your operator?

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, you can purchase roaming services very easily with your local operator. However, this is usually very expensive. So, we recommend that if you are going on business trips, study trips, or plan to spend many days in Spain and you are one of those who constantly use the internet to connect to social media or watch videos, check your budget very well or opt for one of the other alternatives that we present to you.

Mobile Internet in Spain with Vodafone

Currently, for example, Vodafone’s international roaming in the UK has the option of having the same tariff as you have in the UK if you have one of the Xtra Airtime Plans. But if your plan is unlimited and does not offer to roam in Europe, they will limit your data depending on the plan you have. But you could roam from $1.12 to $2.24 USD a day with their European roaming passes. 

Remember that roaming is not only the internet connection available, there are also SMS sent and received and national and international calls. So if you make a call or receive a call from someone who did not know you were in another country, you will be charged extra.

Cellular Data in Spain with Telstra

When you buy the roaming service with Telstra from Australia to travel to Spain, you will have a cost of $3.00 USD/day for 1MB. This is a bit expensive considering that an average person with moderate data usage can spend 300 to 500MB per day. So if you usually use a lot of internet and you go for this option, we suggest you check your budget very well.

Although the company offers some packages of different MB to its users with some specific plans, the most common one is $10 USD per day for 500MB for a lot of countries. 

Mobile Internet in Spain with T-Mobile USA

For América Móvil users who have a contract and have T-Mobile roaming to Spain, this company offers some international roaming options. Firstly if you are a T-Mobile user and use their roaming service in Spain you will be charged $15 USD per MB.

On the other hand, with Simple Gold plans, you could have unlimited text messaging and 2G data at no extra cost, but some qualifying credit is required. It is critical that you always keep these prices in mind, especially if you are on a business trip and need to be connected on video calls constantly. As if you don’t manage your daily internet usage carefully you could have a huge bill at the end of the month

Pocket WiFi for Internet in Spain

Although acquiring Pocket Wifi is simple and there are several companies that offer the service, this option, along with roaming, is one of the most expensive. As they often charge not only for the data plan but also for shipping, rental, you must purchase loss insurance (because yes, you must carry it at all times if you want to stay connected) and you have to pay for the cost of returning the device. 

Also, if you go with several people and all connect to the portable router it will run out of battery faster, so you will probably also have to buy a Power Bank. This also applies if you have to be many hours away from your place of accommodation, and you need internet at all times. We share some options with which you can request the Pocket Wi-Fi rental service for Spain.

Travel Wifi

This provider offers the Pocket Wi-Fi service from 5.57 dollars per day with a data limit of 1 GB per day. The battery has an average battery life of 8 hours. But if more devices are connected, it can drain much faster. If you also want to buy an external battery in case your Pocket runs out of juice, this costs an extra $6.75 USD.

They only ship to Europe, so you will only receive your router when you arrive in Spain. You can receive it directly at your hotel or pick it up at one of their physical locations. Similarly, in case of loss or theft, the cost is $90.06 USD.

Cello Mobile

Cello Mobile is a telecommunication company from the United States. You can rent one of their Pocket Wi-Fi for the price of 104.93 dollars per week + shipping from $10 to $75 dollars. This service is unlimited for one week. You could also rent other accessories with the company as chargers for the pocket Wi-Fi. 

Something to consider is that the company penalizes those who lose their equipment. So, you could also pay for insurance which costs 14.99 dollars. In this way, you could avoid paying a penalty in case of losing the equipment.

Public Wi-Fi offering Internet in Spain

Another option to connect to the internet in Spain is to connect to the free Wi-Fi spots. This can be an alternative for you if you do not have the budget to purchase any of the above services or rent a portable router because if you run out of battery at some point you can access a free internet point.

Finding public Wi-Fi in Spain is very easy, as this service is increasingly implemented throughout the country. You can find and connect to them in shopping centers, department stores, Starbucks, McDonald’s, high-end restaurants, or in town halls. You can also contact your hotel and ask if they have free Wi-Fi for their guests. However, if you are going to use this service we recommend that you do not provide any important information or enter your bank account information. As they are usually very insecure and can be accessed by anyone.

Map of Cellular Data coverage in Spain

Terrestrial coverage (fixed Internet or home)

3G or 4G coverage

Our recommendation

If you want to maintain an excellent internet connection during your trip to Spain for a low cost, we recommend Holafly eSIM cards. This company offers you 24-hour customer service in Spanish, English, German and French. They also instant free delivery, unlimited data with calls and you will enjoy the internet as soon as you arrive in the country, so you won’t have any inconvenience asking for transport or communicating. 

Frequently asked questions about Cellular Data in Spain

Thanks for reading! We hope you found this article useful and were able to choose the best option for you. If you still have any doubts, here is a list of frequently asked questions that travelers have about the Internet in Spain.

Leoneska Ruiz

Leoneska over here, your guide to travel connected. I'm a Venezuelan with over 4 years of sharing tips and tricks to keep mobile internet while traveling and make the most of your adventures. With me, you will be able to learn about the use of eSIMs, Pocket WiFis, and more.