Using telepone in Spain

[Lisa Kraus]

Another option is to buy an American calling card, such as AT&T, and using that from Spain.  It works like this:

1-dial the toll-free number 900-99-00-11 (AT&T) from any phone in Spain (this won't even charge Spanish cell phones, though note that if you start the Camino in France you will need a different access code).

2-dial the 1-800 number on the back of the card and enter your PIN and the number you're calling.  

The operator is in English or Spanish, and the directions are easy to follow.  You will not have as many minutes as you would have if you were calling within the States, obviously, but I think it's about 4:1.  For example, if you bought the card for a price of $.7/minute, calling from Spain would cost about $.28/minute.  

One convenient thing is that you can recharge these cards from a payphone using a credit card in case you run out of minutes at an important time.  You may be able to find better deals on Spanish calling cards, but this format might seem a bit more familiar.  Most other brands of American calling cards like Sprint or MCI will have a toll-free number to use when calling from a foreign country, just call and ask.  

Buen Camino,

Lisa Kraus

lmkraus at doane.edu