Internet in Spain for Tourists: SIM Card, eSIM, or Roaming?
Your flight lands in Madrid late in the evening. You need the hotel address, a ride, and a way to tell your family you made it. You do not know if a phone shop is still open.
Internet in Spain for tourists comes down to three real choices. A Spanish SIM gives you the most data for the money, if you can reach a store with your passport and an unlocked phone. A travel eSIM is the easiest, because you set it up at home and turn it on when you land. Roaming with your US carrier needs no setup and costs about $12 a day. If your US plan already includes Spain at no extra cost, you may not need anything.
In short:
- Yes, you can buy a SIM card in Spain as a tourist. Bring your passport, because Spanish law makes the seller record your ID.
- Orange Holiday Mini is €25 for 15 days with unlimited data in Spain, on an Orange page dated 2026-09-07. Vodafone Prepago S is €10 for 28 days with 90 GB, on 2026-10-31.
- Big data allowances shrink at the border. Holiday Mini allows 37.6 GB in the EU, and Prepago S allows 15 GB.
- The Moosetrip Spain eSIM starts at $3.50 for 1 GB over 7 days, and 5 GB for 30 days is $9.50, on 2026-10-31.
Spain eSIM from $3.50Install at home, connect when you land.See plans
Can I buy a SIM card in Spain?
Yes, and Spain has a clear rule about it. Under Law 25/2007, operators that sell prepaid cards must keep a register of buyers. It holds your name, surnames, and nationality, plus the number and type of the identity document you used.
The law says "identity document" and does not name a passport. For a US visitor, the passport is the document you have, so bring it to the store. The consolidated text in Spain's official gazette was last updated on 2014-05-10.
Your phone matters as much as your ID. A US phone that is locked to its carrier may refuse a Spanish SIM, so ask the staff to test the card before you pay.
Spain SIM card prices
Prepaid plans from the operators' own pages. Orange prices come from a page dated 2026-09-07, and the data figures match its plan page on 2026-10-31. Vodafone was read on 2026-10-31.
| Plan | Price | Valid for | Data in Spain | Data in the EU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Holiday Mini | €25 | 15 days | Unlimited | 37.6 GB |
| Orange Holiday Maxi | €35 | 28 days | Unlimited | 52.6 GB |
| Orange Prepago 10 | €10 | 28 days | 80 GB | 15 GB |
| Orange Prepago 15 | €15 | 28 days | 260 GB | 22.5 GB |
| Orange Prepago 20 | €20 | 28 days | 320 GB | 30.1 GB |
| Vodafone Prepago S | €10 | 28 days | 90 GB | 15 GB, then €1.33 per GB |
| Vodafone Prepago M | €15 | 28 days | 270 GB | See plan page |
| Vodafone Prepago L | €20 | 28 days | 330 GB | See plan page |
Movistar and Lycamobile are not in this table because we could not read current prices on their own pages.
Orange. Holiday plans are the ones Orange aims at tourists. Both include 100 minutes for national and international calls. Orange says the prepaid card itself costs €0, so you pay only for the plan. The smallest recharge is €5. The card stays valid for 3 months, and each recharge or use of balance extends that.
One thing to read closely: the Prepago totals include a recharge bonus. Prepago 10 is 60 GB plus 20 GB extra. Orange's page shows the bonus as 20 GB in one place and 10 GB in another, so ask in the store what you will get.
Vodafone. The SIM is free, and Vodafone also offers an eSIM that activates after you enter your details and make a first online top-up. Calls in Spain are unlimited on Prepago S, but texts are not included, at 18 cents each in Spain.
Vodafone describes the plan as a service for residential customers in Spain. We have not confirmed that a visitor can finish the online sign-up or pay with a US card, so plan on a store if it matters to you.
How this compares with us. On data, these plans beat our eSIM. Vodafone gives 90 GB for €10, and our 5 GB plan is $9.50. If you will stream daily or want a Spanish number, a local SIM is the better buy. Our plan is for people who use less and would rather skip the store.
Buying at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat
Orange says you can get its prepaid SIM in any of its stores or in its online store. It does not name airports. We could not confirm current shop locations or opening hours inside Madrid Barajas or Barcelona El Prat on an airport or operator page, so we print none here. A wrong closing time hurts most on a late arrival.
A simple way to plan:
- Landing by day with time to spare. Save directions to your hotel, then visit a city store with your passport.
- Landing at night or changing flights. Have working data before you board. Do not count on any shop being open.
- Before you pay. Ask for the total, the data you get in Spain, the data you get outside Spain, and when the plan ends.
Mallorca and the Canary Islands
Mallorca and the Canary Islands are part of Spain, so a Spanish plan is a domestic plan there. Neither the Orange nor the Vodafone plan page lists an island exclusion, and Vodafone describes its service as being for use within national territory.
Our catalog has one Spain entry on Orange and Movistar, and it does not list regions. We cannot give you a map by island, so if your whole trip is on the islands, look up your hotel on the network's coverage map before you buy.
Mountains can block any phone signal. Before a hike in Mallorca or a day on Tenerife, save your route as an offline map.
Going on to Portugal or France
With a Spanish SIM, you draw on the EU allowance in the table. Vodafone Prepago S gives you 15 GB, then charges €1.33 per GB, so 5 GB over the limit would cost €6.65.
With our eSIM, a Spain plan is for Spain. You can buy a second plan, such as our Portugal eSIM on Vodafone and NOS, or one Europe plan that covers 35 countries. Prices on 2026-10-31:
| Total data | Spain + Portugal | Spain + France | Europe plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 GB, split evenly | $14 | $14.50 | 5 GB for $10.50 |
| 10 GB, split evenly | $19 | $20 | 10 GB for $20 |
| 20 GB, split evenly | $31 | $32.50 | 20 GB for $36.50 |
For a light trip, the Europe plan is cheaper. For a heavy trip, two country plans cost less. Check that every stop is on the Europe plan's country list first.
eSIM for Spain
An eSIM is a digital SIM. You install it at home over Wi-Fi with a QR code, and days count from your first connection in Spain. Your regular number stays on as a second line, and our guide on keeping your US number abroad explains what to ask your carrier about texts from your bank.
Our Spain plans list the Orange and Movistar networks. Prices on 2026-10-31:
| Data | Valid for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | $3.50 |
| 3 GB | 30 days | $7 |
| 5 GB | 30 days | $9.50 |
| 10 GB | 30 days | $15.50 |
| 20 GB | 30 days | $28 |
Your phone must support eSIM and must not be locked to your carrier, so check your phone first. The plan is internet only, with no Spanish number.
To pick a size, use a cautious rule: 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps, or about 1.5 hours of video calls. A week of 2 hours of maps a day is about 3 GB, and 5 GB leaves room for video calls home. Our guide on how much data you need for travel has the math for longer trips. If you run low, you can add data to the same eSIM.
Roaming with your US carrier
Verizon TravelPass and AT&T International Day Pass both listed $12 a day for one line, on 2026-10-30. Confirm Spain and the rate in your carrier app. That is $36 for 3 days of use, $84 for 7, and $168 for 14, against $9.50 for our 5 GB plan.
The comparison is not exact. A daily pass keeps your number working for calls and texts, and our eSIM is data only. For a two-day stop with a lot of calling, the pass can make sense.
Some US plans include travel data. If yours covers Spain with enough high-speed data, keep it.
Wi-Fi at airports and on Renfe trains
Treat Wi-Fi as a backup. We could not read current terms on AENA or Renfe pages, so this guide gives no time or data limits for airport or train Wi-Fi. Read the login page when you connect.
Three habits cover the gaps:
- Save your Renfe tickets and hotel bookings as files or screenshots.
- Download offline maps on hotel Wi-Fi before you check out.
- Use mobile data, not open Wi-Fi, for banking.
Questions
What is the best internet option for tourists in Spain?
For a short trip with normal use, a data eSIM installed at home is the simplest. For heavy use or a long stay, a Spanish SIM gives far more data. Keep your US plan if it already includes Spain.
Is there a Spain SIM card for tourists?
Yes. Orange aims its Holiday plans at visitors. Holiday Mini is €25 for 15 days and Holiday Maxi is €35 for 28 days, on an Orange page dated 2026-09-07.
What does a SIM card cost in Spain?
Orange says the card itself is €0, and Vodafone says its SIM is free. You pay for the plan, from €10 for 28 days at both.
Do I need a passport to buy a SIM card in Spain?
Yes, in practice. Spanish law requires the seller to record your identity document, and for a US visitor that is your passport.
Will my Spain eSIM work in Portugal?
Our Spain eSIM is for Spain. For both countries, buy a second plan or use a Europe plan that lists them.
Sources
- Orange Spain, prepaid plans, checked 2026-10-31
- Orange Spain, best prepaid plans, page dated 2026-09-07, checked 2026-10-31
- Vodafone Spain, Tarifa Prepago S, checked 2026-10-31
- BOE, Law 25/2007, additional provision on prepaid cards, checked 2026-10-31
- Verizon, TravelPass FAQs, checked 2026-10-30
- AT&T, International Day Pass, checked 2026-10-30