I have a smartphone and want to ask:-

1. Can I keep my existing phone number once we are in Spain?
2. Can I keep my smartphone?
3 Do I need a Spanish sim and replace my current one?

I would prefer to have a pay monthly contract and not Pay As You Go.
Which provider is best for this?

So much to organise, so little time!

Sure you can keep your UK number as long as you don't mind paying thousands in bills each month

Otherwise you will need to make sure it is "open" and use a Spanish Sim and data package

Or just buy a dual sim smartphone then you keep UK no and can also have a Spanish one. You will find it difficult to get any Spanish co you have dealings with to contact a UK number due to cost. I am using a dual sim smartphone to write this works perfectly has all the android apps etc does everything but make a cuppa lol. Cost me £48 no need to spend a fortune .

Hola

Some British phone companies offer surprisingly good deals for European travel - as does Vodafone.es - in particular I believe Three offers very cheap calls and data But as usual - check the small print carefully

Davexf

Can you PM me the details of where you got your phone please?

I was hoping to keep my smartphone as it's only a year old.

As I'm with O2, I guess the easiest thing is to cancel my UK phone no with them, keep my smartphone and get a Spanish sim.
Is that correct?

Hola

The phone needs to be unlocked so it can take any company's sim card

Davexf

Yes they may offer very good deals but Spanish companies do not like calling UK numbers because they don't benefit from these deals so no Spanish number more often than not they will not call you. Dual sim Spanish and UK is best just get the sims providing best deals both countries. No need to pay a fortune for a good dual sim phone which will take any 3g sim not sure re 4g. Use it just like any other smart phone.

Which company do you use and data package please?

If your smartphone is unlocked (i.e. not tied to a network) just put a spanish sim in it. If it's locked you can get it unlocked for about 10 euros. Check the different networks coverage in your area before you decide which network. If you want to keep your UK number as well, buy a dual sim smartphone in Spain from about 50 euros. eg. unlocked Acer dual sim 59 euros.
Why do you prefer contract ? I prefer pay as you go - they can't help themselves to your bank account..... If you keep a UK number in Spain, but on PAYG, there is no worry about the costs getting out of control.

I have a UK mobile contract Orange/EE and also a Spanish PAYGo.

The UK phone is proving much cheaper to operate in Spain than the Spanish Pay as you go at the moment.

As previously mentioned the UK prices for roaming have dropped substantially in recent times so I only keep my Spanish one for emergency use now.

Holly as has been said "get you phone unlocked"
You can do this via your contract supplier (02 in your case ?) or via msgreen on ebay for very little money.
Check out Hits Mobile (in english) and look to see if their charges/plans suit you, if so just pop the Spanish sim in and you are good to go.

Hi everyone,
I've spoken to O2 now, and they say I'll have to cancel my contract and can get a PAYG sim from them.
I will make sure that they have 'unlocked' my phone before we move, and I think that I'll just get a Spanish sim when we arrive, and ditch my old UK number.
Maybe PAYG would be the best option, you all seem to favour it?

Me again!
I've decided not to keep my Present UK phone number. As I'm no longer tied to a contract and just pay monthly, is it easy to get another No whilst here then get a Spanish sim when we move?

I don't think I want a dual sim phone, and PAYG seems to be the way to go after we arrive in Spain.

Hola

I have a contract with Vodafone and get 1,000 mins of calls, 1,000 texts and 1GB FROM any other European country, Unlimited calls within Spain, not sure about texts but think unlimited and 6Gb of data.

It suits me as I go out of Spain frequently. You have to decide what your usage will be from which country. In my experience, PAYG is an expensive option long term but possibly best short term if you don´t know how often you will be abroad.

Davexf

I agree. I only keep an expensive Spanish PAYG phone for standby or emergency now.
UK roaming contracts have dropped in price considerably and in my case is much cheaper than the Spanish PAYG which seemed to eat money.