![]() ![]() You sign up for wireless access service much as you do cellphone service, through a plan offered by one of several commercial companies that have made wireless service available in airports, hotel lobbies, and coffee shops, primarily in the U.S. iPass providers also give you access to a few hundred wireless hotel lobby setups. See the next section.) The 50-odd Starbucks that have sprung up since 2005 in Madrid unfortunately do not have this capability at the time of writing.īoingo (and Wayport (have set up networks in airports and high-class hotel lobbies. (These are not to be confused with the profusion of cybercafes, which provide the computers but don't let you bring your own. 91-429-21-57), in the Huertas district and the Argüelles branch of VIPs, at Calle Princesa 5 (tel. New Wi-Fi bring-your-own-computer cafes, too, are appearing, such as Antipodes (cafe and sushi bar) at Calle San Agustin 18 (tel. The two hotel chains in Madrid that have taken most advantage of this innovative move in communications are Room Mate and High Tech/Petit Palace - who have, between them, over 28 hotels in the city. With Your Own Computer - Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) is the buzzword in computer access, and more and more hotels, cafes, and retailers are signing on as wireless "hotspots," where you can get high-speed connection without cable wires, networking hardware, or a phone line. Neither service requires the people you're calling to also have that service (though there are fees if they do not). SKYPE INTERNATIONAL CALLS LIBYA FREEIf you have Web access while traveling, consider a broadband-based telephone service (in technical terms, Voice-over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) such as Skype (or Vonage (which allow you to make free international calls from your laptop or in a cybercafe. Vodaphone is ideal if you're thinking of visiting other European countries after Madrid. and offers mobile service throughout Europe. Orange () is the most economical of the three, with some rates as low as 3¢ a minute, though, in general, their system has less reliable coverage than Movistar. Movistar (provides the best coverage in Spain and is linked with international providers, allowing you easy access to voice mail as you're traveling. Information on their websites is in Spanish. All three have dozens of offices all over Madrid where you can rent or buy a mobile phone and SIM card. The major Spanish cellphone companies are Movistar - owned by Spain's largest telephone company Telefónica - Orange, and Vodaphone. ![]() Local calls may be as low as 10¢ per minute, and in many countries, incoming calls are free. Once you arrive, stop by a local cellphone shop and get the cheapest package. 91-547-85-75 or 65-626-68-44 will deliver a phone to your hotel.īuying a phone can be economically attractive, especially if you are on an extended vacation. 68-755-85-29, or check On Spanish Time Cellphone Rental (tel. The Spanish Cell Phone Company provides short- and long-term mobile phone rentals, with low rates for outgoing calls and free incoming calls. 888/290-1606 or 905/272-5665 InTouch will also, for free, advise you on whether your existing phone will work overseas simply call tel. North Americans can rent one before leaving home from InTouch USA (tel. (Even World Phone owners will have to rent new phones if they're traveling to non-GSM regions, such as Japan or Korea.) While you can rent a phone from any number of overseas sites, including kiosks at airports and at car-rental agencies, I suggest renting the phone before you leave home. Just call your wireless operator and ask for "international roaming" to be activated on your account.įor many, renting a phone is a good idea. If your cellphone is on a GSM system, and you have a world-capable multiband phone, such as many Sony Ericsson, Motorola, or Samsung models, you can make and receive calls across civilized areas around much of the globe. In the U.S., T-Mobile, AT&T Wireless, and Cingular use this quasi-universal system in Canada, Microcell and some Rogers customers are GSM and all Europeans and most Australians use GSM. The three letters that define much of the world's wireless capabilities are GSM (Global System for Mobiles), a big, seamless network that makes for easy cross-border cellphone use throughout Europe and dozens of other countries worldwide. ![]()
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