So you have an existing mobile phone that you would like to use?

If so, you may be able to get it to work here (it must have a SIM Card that you can take out and replace).  You should find out if your phone is locked (meaning that it will only work with the original chip).  If you want to unlock it (liberar tu movil), there are many services around town where they will do it for 30 euros and give you back your phone the next day.

You will have to get this done before getting your new service for your old phone in Pamplona.

What kind of service would you like?

Phone numbers come in two ways – contract and pre-paid (contrato or tarjeta).  Contracts will offer you better, cheaper prices but they will often ask you to keep the service for at least a year.  Pre-paid cards are more expensive, but you make no commitment to any company.

Most students will go for the pre-paid option, it is usually the most convenient and recharging your mobile phone with credit (saldo) can be done at stores, ATMs or Cash Machines and supermarkets.  Also, you can get a pre-paid phone today with just a valid form of ID.

Which Carrier / Company to go with?…

Now that you have that figured out, you just have to decide which mobile phone company you want to go with.  Here in Pamplona, and here in Spain, there are the Big Three – Vodafone, Orange and Movistar (of Telefonica).

There will always be new offers on phones and fees so it is recommended that you go check out the websites given above to see what the current offers are.

Mobile phone service is pretty good with all of them, but all of them may not work great in some apartment buildings around town.

To get your service…

Simple. Go to one of the many stores that you will see around town.  For about 20 euros you can walk out with a pre-paid service, a free mobile phone, and about 10 euros worth of credit. And your phone will work immediately.

Pretty soon you will be mastering the art of the llamada perdida.

As a general rule, always try to shop and run errands on weekdays or Saturdays.  Sundays in Spain were not intended for this kind of thing.

THE EASY STUFF :
For those everyday groceries, your neighborhood Eroski or Caprabo are your target.  Eroski just bought Caprabo so you’ll see many of their products on both of their shelves.  The selection is decent but you won’t find many gourmet options here.  These stores are only open until 9 or 9:30, lines can be long when the rest of the town is shopping.  They are closed on Sundays.

CARREFOUR :
This Carrefour (technically a Hipermercado – Big Supermarket) is located in Barañáin (see map) and within walking distance from most points in Pamplona.  Here you’ll find all of the common groceries, but it also sells appliances, sports equipment, computers, electronics, and has a great huge selection of cold cuts.  Many things can be bought in bulk here as well.  It is open until 10 (see website for holiday openings).

EL CORTE INGLES :
On the north side of the Ciudadela you might have noticed silver, shingled, sparkly building about eight stories high.  This is El Corte Ingles.  The bottom floor is all supermarket and the other 8 floors are all a blend of every other store you could think of (department store, computers, CDs & DVDs, etc.). The supermarket will stock higher quality, gourmet and imported stuff, and everything will be more expensive as a result.

Typically, Eroski and Caprabo are the first options, Carrefour the second, and El Corte Ingles the last for most items.  But it is always recommended to check your neighborhood, there are many great fruit and meat shops (fruterias and carnecerias) around that will have better quality then you’ll find in the supermarkets.

FOR ALCOHOL: Your first option here in Pamplona should always be the supermarkets, or Carrefour, you will have more options and volume, and the prices are cheaper.  But you should aim to pick up your provisions before 9pm (closing hours) on Friday and Saturday night, after that your options are only the stores affectionately known as Chinos which are more expensive and sometimes harder to find.  More on Los Chinos in another entry, but they are usually start closing around 11.

]]> http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/08/food-shopping-guide/feed/ 4 http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/08/free-wi-fi/ http://www.2pamplona.com/2008/08/free-wi-fi/#comments Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:26:03 +0000 Cola Cao http://2pamplona.wordpress.com/?p=29

Trying to skype your mom? Sure we all are.

If you don’t have

an internet connection in your piso (apt.) this can be a difficult task.

Although Philanthropic vibes are not something that typically float around the Iberian peninsula, the free-shit wave is starting to hit Pamplona. Many new Wi-Fi hubs have popped-up in some choice places in Pamplona and more zones are on there way!

Here are a few places that we found that have free Wi-Fi (here pronounced Wee-Fee):

La Ciudadela: Big Fortress in middle of town. Look for the white balloon on the north end, the antenna is below.

Civican: Kind of the rec-centers of town but with cool cafes and different art expos.

Civivox Iturrama: Like Civcan just in the Iturama Area.

Parque de Yamaguchi: Large park located in San Juan. (near McDonald’s).

Cafe Florida: Large coffee house/restaurant. You may have to ask the Waitresses if it is not working, sometimes they shut it off.

The Harp: The only Irish owned and operated bar in Pamplona. Great place for a pint or if you like to drink… heavily.

The Wi-Fi signals around the parks have been put up by the city and don’t advertise the fastest internet speeds (around 4Mb/s). Much of the signal strength will depend on how many other people are using the service at the same time.

That’s all I know for now but the word on the street is that more wireless parks are on the way!

We’ll keep you informed. Check out the map below for the hotspots!!!

View Larger Map

There are only two real options when ordering internet in Pamplona: cable modem with ONO, or ADSL service with or through Telefonica.  Allow us to further break it down…

There are some differences in service between the two of them, but your options might be limited to which of the two is available:

ONO: A cable provider, internet signals will come through a cable modem.  The advantage is that the speeds are higher and more stable and the price is cheaper than the alternative, the disadvantage is that the service might not be available everywhere.  They also offer some packages with phone and cable TV included.  To see if you covered, click here.  For all pricing options, click here.

Telefonica ADSL: ADSL service is more widely available, but it is a bit more expensive in general, especially because they require you to pay for a land line.  Speeds are less consistent especially when the networks are busy, but its hardly noticeable.  To see if you are covered, click here.  For pricing info, click here, and be sure to read the small print.

Although there are other options out there (for ADSL service) like Orange Jazztel, etc… their phone lines are operating on Telefonica’s infrastructure, and that means another hoop to run through if you need customer service.

Expect to pay for installation unless there is order during a special promotion.  All services will require a bank account number and a contract of 12 months. However, we know that people have creatively wriggled out of this (don’t ask us how).

BOTTOMLINE : If you are thinking about ordering internet, expect to pay around 60 euros a month after all service fees and taxes are added on. If thats too much on a student budget there are places around the city where you can pick up Wifi for free.