eSIM for Spain: the Madrid–Barcelona–Andalusia route
The classic Spain itinerary isn't one city but a chain: Madrid, then Barcelona, then south to Seville, Cordoba and Granada. High-speed AVE trains make the trip fast, but each city along the way has its own connectivity and navigation quirks.
Madrid: Barajas airport, the metro and the first night in town
From Barajas airport, most people take the metro or a taxi booked through the Free Now app into central Madrid — hailing a car on the street at the terminal isn't necessarily faster. Worth opening a map of your hotel's neighborhood while still in the passport control queue, rather than figuring out the address on arrival.
Madrid's metro is one of the most extensive in Europe, and signal in the connecting corridors is usually stable, though deep interchange stations like Nuevos Ministerios can see short drops.
AVE to Barcelona: tickets, boarding and working on the train
The AVE from Madrid to Barcelona takes under three hours, and the ticket is almost always digital — the QR code is checked at the platform gate, before you even board, so signal matters at the station itself, not just on the journey.
Onboard signal is stable for nearly the whole route, which makes the AVE a solid choice for anyone who wants to work or take a call between cities.
- Your AVE QR ticket — open it before reaching the platform gate
- The Renfe app to check the current platform and train status
- Signal for a video call or work right there in the carriage
Barcelona: the Gothic Quarter, Park Güell and Barceloneta beach
Barcelona's Gothic Quarter is a maze of narrow streets where it's easy to miss a turn even with working navigation; an offline map saved beforehand with your hotel pinned saves more time than it seems.
At Park Güell's viewpoints and on Barceloneta beach itself, the network can run a bit slower at peak season due to crowds — nothing to worry about, just normal at popular summer spots.
Heading south: Cordoba, Seville and the winding streets of Granada
From Barcelona or Madrid, many head south either on the same AVE line to Seville and Cordoba, or by rental car through inland Andalusia, where signal in some rural stretches between cities is weaker than in Madrid or Barcelona themselves.
The road up to the Alhambra in Granada winds through hills and the narrow streets of the old Albaicin quarter — an offline map is more reliable here than live navigation, especially when hunting for the right entrance to the complex.
For a trip covering several cities in a row — Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada — it makes sense to budget more data than for a single-location stay: maps, tickets and bookings update almost daily.
Before heading outside the major Andalusian cities, save an offline map of your route — rural coverage there is thinner than in the tourist centers.
Payments and bookings across Spain's regions
A tapas table in Madrid is usually easy to find without a reservation, but in Barcelona's popular restaurants and during flamenco show season in Seville, booking ahead through an app is safer. A banking app with notifications comes in handy for toll roads in the south.
- Free Now or Cabify for taxis in major cities
- The Renfe app for tickets and train status
- Booking restaurants ahead in peak season in Barcelona and Seville
- Your banking app for toll roads and parking