[Gocamino] - Ultreya rental cell phones

[Grant Spangler]

Bob,

I Strongly advise against using PlanetFone as a carrier. My Winter Camino companion used them on her previous Way, ending with > $1000 phone bill when she got home. It is a UK phone number, a +44 Country Code, which means you will always be in roaming, and paying a ridiculous dividend in Spain and France. I took an unlocked iPhone this winter, and it was too much hassle for the system. I do recommend getting an unlocked GSM phone in the USA, getting all your ducks in a row in the comfort of your home, then making passage. Buying too cheap of an unlocked phone is not a good idea. Some of the cheapos you find on eBay are a dual band phone, you need a quad band for it to work outside of North America. I recommend a Nokia 5230 straight from the Nokia USA Website, see http://www.nokiausa.com/find-products/phones/nokia-5230 . There is a 15% summer discount, you can fill in ' ffsummer2010 ' in the appropriate box. One of the better features is the Assisted GPS and built-in world wide walking/driving maps. I'm ordering one, and will let you know how it works out. I'd research and load any detailed maps before leaving home, so you should have close to a zero data demand once you are on the French or Spanish system. It also has Skype as an available download, which we relied upon heavily last Camino. Skype needs to access a Wi-Fi network, but you will find these in bars and restaurants along the Way. Two cents a minute to call home is not a bad deal. We ended up calling US 1 800 numbers and camped out for hours arranging return flights, where it proved an absolute Godsend. Also free.

Buen Camino,

  
Grant
 
http://www.ElCaminoSantiago.com
Resources for the Pilgrimage Road to Santiago