Ibiza Telephones & Mobiles

Communication

Calling the UK from Ibiza requires you to use the international code which is 0044 when using this code you should omit the first 0 digit from the UK number, so 0208 becomes 0044208 and 07909. becomes 00447909

Calling a Spanish number requires the international code prefix 0034

The area code for the Balearics is 971 so from UK dial 0034971.

Mobiles have a first digit 6 so from UK to Spanish mobile dial 00346

Telephoning is an area where you can waste a LOT of money!

If you are a tourist, you can of course use the public call boxes, but you will need a big bag of euros!

Or, you can use your UK mobile , check your provider to see if they do special international rates e.g. Vodaphone Passport

Either of the above will be expensive if you chat for long.
A greater danger is the pitfall of using your UK phone to call your UK friend who is also in Ibiza with a UK phone. First, your call charge will be the international rate from Ibiza to UK. Your friend will also be charged an international rate from UK to Ibiza as they are receiving your call from UK! No wonder Vodaphone can afford to sponsor the McLaren Formula One Team!

The best bet is to get organised before leaving the UK and set up a Skype account. If you are young, (or young at heart!) you will know what Skype is, so just do it and look for the internet cafes and bars. This could save you enough dosh for a ticket to Amnesia!

You may ask what Skype is? Skype is one system of VOIP which stands for Voice Over the Internet Protocol. There are others, but Skype is good. If internet is a no-no to you, then the other phones it will have to be. If the internet is ok for you, but Skype is a mystery, then search for it on Google or Yahoo. Then just follow the instructions. When you get to Ibiza, again just look for the internet bars and cafes.

If you are staying in Ibiza for a while, or are resident it may be worth considering buying a Spanish sim card (that's the replaceable microchip inside the phone) as it will be expensive to make and receive calls using your UK sim card. Call a Spanish number for example and you pay for the call to be routed via UK , you actually pay a double international rate for what is a local call!

You can buy a Spanish sim card online before you leave the UK, or from a phone shop when you arrive in Ibiza. The Phone Box offers all kinds of telephone services and has 5 branches in Ibiza.

Before you leave the UK, ensure that your phone has been unlocked to work with a Spanish sim, there are many phone shops that offer this service for a fee of around L10.

Three of the main operators in Spain are:
- Movistar This has the largest market share and is owned by Telefonica
- Vodafone ES- This is the second biggest operator in Spain
- Amena - This is part of the Orange network

Monthly contracts are available as in UK, but require a Spanish bank account. However you may find it easier to 'pay as you go' top-up vouchers are readily available and you do not need a Spanish bank account. One difference between the monthly contracts is that a free handset is often not included. You buy your own handset, hence you see them for sale in many shops.

Call charges can be complex and differ from the UK in that you are always charged a flat fee of around 12 cents to connect a call, as well as being charged for the length of the call per minute.
Select a tariff based on how you are likely to use your phone, will you be calling the UK often, or using it mainly within Spain?

If you are couple and most likely to call each other, you could buy a linked sim package - Amena offers a package of 2 linked sim cards which costs 3 cents per minute to call the other one. Similar packages are also available with the other networks.

There are numerous price plans available though, so you should research the best deal for your circumstances. It is also worth ensuring that the operator you choose has sufficient reception coverage in your area. Movistar is reported to offer the best coverage in general.

You might wish to deactivate the voicemail on your UK mobile phone account, otherwise you may be unwittingly charged every time someone leaves a message on your UK number.
If you intend to live here, you may choose to have a land line connection. One reason for this is to gain ADSL access to the internet.

Telefonica is the national provider and equivalent of BT. Actually that's very unkind to BT! Telefonica have a virtual monopoly, but to be fair, when their ADSL works it is blisteringly fast. They also now employ some English speaking staff and have an English language web site. I've just looked and it seems pretty good. Here's the address
http://www.telefonicainenglish.com/

Until you can get ADSL installed, there are plenty of internet cafes and bars, many of which feature cut price telephone calls also, - useful til you get established.