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Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:43 am  |
Has anyone ever use Mobal World Phone, or any other GSM phone? I'm going to Spain next week and renting an international phone with Verizon does not sound fun.
It's $49 for a dual band phone and it's $1.95/min with Mobal.
My friend was supposed to fly in from Menorca at the same time, but her flight was changed and now I have to get to where we're staying by myself. Yikes.
Has anyone been to Barcelona? I'm making a list of stuff to see aside from the Dali museum and the Carolina Herrera outlet. =)
Thanks! |
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Fri Apr 20, 2007 8:36 pm |
I've had the Mobal phone for the past two years and use it every time I go abroad--it's nice to have a phone number that you can give people who need to reach you if something important comes up. You keep the same phone number forever, and no monthly fees. And it's nice to be able to call hotels, restaurants, etc. in the country you're staying. It isn't a fancy phone at all--very, very basic. And I recommend that you play around with it once before you go, even though North American call rates are high, just so you know how to use it. My daughter and I took it to France and couldn't figure out for the life of us how to call home. Later on I realized that we were hitting the wrong send button...
If you are going to be in the same country for more than a week or two or if you plan to make a large number of in-country calls, think about getting a local SIM card. Then the calls are much, much cheaper.
About Barcelona--spend time wandering Las Ramblas (but watch out for pickpockets!), go to the Gaudi buildings, especially the unfinished cathedral Sagrada Familia, check out the Parc Guell, eat tapas, and soak up the street life. It's a fabulous city--have fun!! |
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Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:11 pm |
Thank you Flitcraft!
Have you switched the SIM card before? Since the Mobal phone is unlocked, is it possible to put a SIM card from the US in it to use at the airport before I leave? Where would you recommend getting a local SIM card in Spain? Sorry to bombard you with more questions.
My friend told me she is the only person she knows who hasn't been pick-pocketed! My luggage might as well be a bullseye while walking the two blocks from the metro to the hotel.... |
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Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:41 pm |
I wouldn't bother getting a SIM card from the US--it's too expensive when you're only going to make a single test call on it. As for Spain, I'm afraid I don't know. I was only in Barcelona for a week, and I don't make a lot of local calls when in Europe, so it wasn't worth it. Ask at your hotel--I'm sure they can tell you where to get a local SIM card and what it will cost.
Don't worry too much about pickpockets--wear a money belt under your clothes with your passport, major money, and credit cards and you'll be fine. Then if you get jostled, or somebody tries the "you've got bird poop on you, let me brush it off" trick, you can smile knowing that your stuff is safe. |
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Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:30 pm |
I usually carry two phones when travelling (a hassle, I know), my usual "home" phone, plus a second one which I use a local SIM card in. Saves me a ton in roaming charges.
Sorry, can't help with Europe, but here in Asia you can buy SIM cards all over the place, 7-11 usually has them. Usually you can choose your number, then buy top-ups from the 7-11 when you need them. |
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Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:35 am |
Thanks Flitcraft and Appletini.
I'm only going for a week so I don't think I'll need the local card, but if I do, they don't seem hard to find.
The other question I have is about using a laptop on international flights; is there a way to plug it in? I'm going to call the airline because I'd think a lot of people work while they're traveling, but my battery only lasts two hours. |
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Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:27 am |
Are you flying first class or business class? If so, you're probably in luck. But in steerage, probably no way to plug in your laptop.
You can eke out more time on your battery by setting it on its battery-conserve settings, disabling wireless and not using the DVD reader, and setting the backlight on the screen as low as you have comfortable with. I can get about 6 hours that way on my laptop. Have fun on your trip! Let us know how it goes. |
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Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:12 am |
| my sushi secret wrote: |
Thanks Flitcraft and Appletini.
I'm only going for a week so I don't think I'll need the local card, but if I do, they don't seem hard to find.
The other question I have is about using a laptop on international flights; is there a way to plug it in? I'm going to call the airline because I'd think a lot of people work while they're traveling, but my battery only lasts two hours. |
It all depends on who you fly with and in what class. I travelled with Virgin in business class last time, they didn't have anywhere for my laptop to be plugged in much to my annoyance and my battery only lasts 90 mins. |
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Sun May 06, 2007 11:21 am |
ˇHe vuelto!
I had such a great time! I did get the phone and I'm really glad, because I ended up needing it a few times. I went to all the places you mentioned Flitcraft, and then some. We took the train to the Dalí museum and met two really cute Italian guys who asked if they could practice their English with my friend and I.  |
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Sun May 06, 2007 12:43 pm |
| appletini wrote: |
I usually carry two phones when travelling (a hassle, I know), my usual "home" phone, plus a second one which I use a local SIM card in. Saves me a ton in roaming charges.
Sorry, can't help with Europe, but here in Asia you can buy SIM cards all over the place, 7-11 usually has them. Usually you can choose your number, then buy top-ups from the 7-11 when you need them. |
yes, i also do that way! |
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Sun May 06, 2007 5:34 pm |
| Ooh, yeah, I forgot about the Dali museum. Isn't that part of Spain wonderful? I really want to go back sometime... |
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Sun May 06, 2007 5:37 pm |
| Oh, and obligatory skincare-related item. The expression "T'estimo" is Catalan (language spoken in Barcelona) for I love you. Kanebo, a Japanese skincare and cosmetics line, uses that expression for one of its lines. Wonder how many Japanese Catalan speakers there are? |
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Sun May 06, 2007 9:20 pm |
| flitcraft wrote: |
| Ooh, yeah, I forgot about the Dali museum. Isn't that part of Spain wonderful? I really want to go back sometime... |
It was nice to relax and sit on the train for a while looking out the window...everytime I did that in Barcelona I felt like I was wasting time.
I met the family my friend au paired for, and the little girl spoke Catalan and some Spanish. Her name was Mírea, Catalan for Maria I think....so pretty. The father spoke English, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, French and Portugese! He said that knowing Spanish made the others a lot easier to learn, but still...I was amazed. |
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