[Gocamino] - Ultreya rental cell phones

[Tim]

Hi Grant,
    I went up the hill today as far as the point where the Route 
Napoleon leaves the paved road and the service is from Orange.
I think that, in the main, the best service as far as this area goes is 
with Orange, but I wouldn't like to say as far as further North from 
here on the Chemin.  The one point worth remembering is that Orange 
being France Telecom have the largest network in France closely followed 
by SFR.  Orange also provide a fairly comprehensive service in Spain so 
that, if you bought your SIM card in France you could probably get by 
with it in Spain but it would be good to hear from some persons further 
down the Camino for confirmation (using Camino for Spain and Chemin for 
France) .  The EU has forced all the service providers to reduce their 
'roaming' fees and so crossing from one network to another is not so 
horrendously expensive as it was a couple of years ago.  One point to 
remember, if using a phone that has been provided by a service provider 
on a contract, is that these phones are often locked to that provider.  
This lock can be removed but it is wise to have that done before making 
any other arrangements, buying a SIM card for example.
    I think that it would make sense at this point for me to make an 
observation as to my practice when accepting bookings and the reasons 
behind it.  I now receive the majority of my bookings in one form or 
another via the phone, and the internet.  In the case of Pilgrims they 
usually reserve rooms about two or three days before their arrival if 
they are en-route rather than starting from SJPdP.  Because there has 
been an increase of people making reservations and then not arriving I 
now insist on a mobile phone number.  This also allows me to contact 
them if there is a problem here, my being forced to leave the premises 
at their expected arrival time for example, or if they are late 
arriving.  I also ask clients to contact me if they think their pre 
indicated arrival time is no longer possible.  Many of these 
reservations start off as text messages asking for availability which I 
answer via Skype testing service.  This is quick and cheap  for both 
parties.  The huge difference in practice between France and Spain is 
that in France advance reservations are the norm  whereas in Spain  the 
hostels do not in the main accept reservations.  The phone is therefore, 
in my opinion, of much greater benefit on the Chemin than on the Camino.
Regards
Tim
   
Grant Spangler wrote:
> John,
>
> Major department stores and 'hypermarts' are abundant in gateway cities .. Paris, Madrid, and the lot. Hypermarts like E LeClerc, Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Hipercor, and others have mobile phones, pay-as-you-go SIMs, and the ability to recharge a SIM. Look for a France Telecom retail store if you'll be in France for a while, they have the Orange brand of mobiles. Look for a MoviStar store in Spain, they are the mobile side of Telefonica, the Spanish national phone company. There will also be numerous small storefronts who carry all the local brands. I'd stick with a major carrier like Orange or MoviStar, since their systems are much larger with wider coverage. We walk through a good deal of non-urban areas. This may seem like an obvious statement, but there are more than a few small carriers who provide good coverage in large cities, and next to none out in the country. Tell the clerk you're a pilgrim, need outback coverage, and have been recommended a certain brand. Get his feedback, but remember they are financially driven. 
>
> Tim is in St Jean Pied de Port, I'd be interested in his observations and first-hand experience. Tim: what's the perceived coverage like with different carriers over the Route Napoleon? I'd anticipate several carriers will do fine on the road route, but one may prove superior on the Route Napoleon..  
>
>
> Buen Camino, 
>  
>  
> Grant
>  
> http://www.ElCaminoSantiago.com
> Resources for the Pilgrimage Road to Santiago 
>
>
>
>
>  		 	   		  
> _______________________________________________
> Gocamino mailing list
> Gocamino at oakapple.net
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
>
>