Orange Spain Review: Surprisingly the Better SIM Card (+Speedtests)

In March 2022, I decided to go on a trip again.

In March 2021, when I returned from Taiwan after a year, I felt like going out again because I had been at home for a year.

And travel restrictions were being lifted left and right.

So, what is the best way to catch up on a year of lost travel time?

Visit as many countries as you can within a month.

I visited Portugal, Spain, Andorra, Italy, Malta, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia & Slovenia.

Intense? Yes – I was exhausted for weeks… but it was worth it.

Because I (re-)tested 41 local SIM cards, like Orange Spain, Airalo's Eurolink Europe eSIM, Nomad's Europe eSIM & SimCorner's Europe travel SIM cards.

If you have read any of my SIM card buying guides before, like the Spanish one, or watched a YouTube video of mine, you know that I am crazy enough to buy and test so many SIM cards.

If this is your first Phone Travel Wiz review – welcome.

I buy and test all/most SIM cards in a country and tell you which ones are the best so that you do not have to 😎.

You have probably heard of Orange before – perhaps you even use Orange's services at home.

Orange, as a company, is active in other countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe & the Middle East.

Orange is often the best option in a country or in the top at least.

So what about in Spain? Is Orange Spain any good?

The only way to find out is to test Orange Spain and compare it with the other Spanish SIM cards (Movistar Spain, Vodafone Spain & Yoigo).

And that is what I did – and I will share my experience in this review.

Let's get started, shall we?

Original publication: 1^st of July 2022. Last updated: 15^th of January 2024.

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Table of Contents

Who is Orange Spain?

I am certain many reading this review has heard of Orange before.

Orange as a brand is active in four continents and is often one of the best options in a particular country.

Anyway, Orange Spain, officially Orange España, is the second-largest mobile operator, behind Movistar Spain, but ahead of Vodafone Spain and Yoigo.

Of course, I tested the other three mobile operators during my trip to Spain in March. You can read them here: Movistar Spain review, Vodafone Spain review & Yoigo review.

You also have many Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), like Lycamobile Spain, but they are honestly not worth your time.

In the title of this review, I called Orange Spain better – but better than who?

You will find out later.

But before you go get yourself an Orange Spain SIM card because it is in some way better than another Spanish SIM card, there are still some things to be aware of.

Let's talk about Orange Spain's coverage first, after these quick frequency details:

• 2G: 900 MHz & 1800 MHz
• 3G: 900 MHz & 2100 MHz
• 4G/LTE: 800 MHz (Band 20), 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 MHz (Band 1) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
• 5G NR: 3500 MHz (n78) – not for prepaid customers (yet)
• VoLTE: Yes
• VoWiFi: Yes

Here you have Orange Spain's APN settings:

• Name: Orange Internet
• APN: orangeworld
• Username: orange
• Password: orange

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched

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Orange Spain Coverage + My Experience

You can have a mobile operator providing you 1 Gbps download speeds.

But if it covers only one street in the entirety of Spain, it will be useless.

So, how is Orange Spain's coverage?

When looking at 4G/LTE availability, Orange Spain has the second-worst availability percentage of 87.7%. This is ahead of Yoigo (82.4%), but behind Movistar Spain (87.9%) and Vodafone Spain (89.1%), according to Opensignal.

Orange Spain has the best 4G/LTE coverage experience (9.5 on a 10-point scale) together with Movistar Spain. Placing them both ahead of Vodafone Spain (9.2) and Yoigo (6.9).

When looking at 5G NR, Orange Spain is doing well n the 5G NR availability race (9.6%), ahead of Vodafone Spain (4.1%) but behind Movistar Spain (9.9%) and Yoigo (10.6%)

When we take a look at the 5G NR reach, Orange Spain is doing well again, with a reach score of 2.9, ahead of Vodafone Spain (1.9) but behind Movistar Spain (3.1) and Yoigo (3.3).

Unfortunately, prepaid customers cannot use Orange Spain's 5G NR network (yet).

Hopefully that will change soon 😁.

So far, I have been talking about coverage from other reports, but what was my coverage experience with Orange Spain?

It was excellent, honestly – I had nothing to complain about.

I do not recall having many reception blackspots – not even on the metro in Madrid.

When I took the high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona, reception did cut off every now or then, but that is expected.

And the same applied when I took the bus to Andorra (to try out Andorra Telecom).

The closer to got to the Andorran border, the worse coverage I got and the more I was on 3G instead of 4G/LTE.

But that is normal too – nothing out of the ordinary.

Below, you have the coverage maps of Orange Spain in mainland Spain + the Balearic Islands (consisting of Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca & Menorca) and in the Canary Islands on the west of Morocco (consisting of Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote & Tenerife):

Below are the coverage maps of Orange Spain of Cueta (south of Gibraltar and north of Morocco on the left) and of Melilla (north/northeast of Morocco on the right):

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How to Get an Orange Spain SIM Card & Prices

Now you have a basic understanding of Orange Spain and the telecom market in Spain, it is now time to talk about how to actually get an Orange Spain SIM card.

Unlike many countries in Europe, especially the European Union, I recommend visiting an Orange Spain store to get your SIM card.

That is because of the SIM card registration laws in Spain – SIM card registration is mandatory.

• Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)

Spanish SIM cards are also sold by third parties, like grocery stores or convenience stores like in many other countries.

But it can be a challenge to find a store with Orange Spain SIM cards lying around (I did not manage to see any… but that may be because I did not actively look for them).

So you better visit an Orange Spain store – the process will be quicker (here is a store locator).

By the way, Orange Spain SIM cards are also sold at Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) and Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN).

[IMAGE]

I got my Orange Spain SIM card in Madrid at Puerta del Sol.

Here is where I also got my Vodafone Spain SIM card.

But here is a store locator if you do not plan to visit Madrid.

Four staff members and a security guard were inside when I got inside.

I got approached immediately, asking if I needed help – well, yes, I did – thank you very much.

I went to Orange Spain before going to Vodafone Spain, almost next door, and the difference in customer service was night and day.

The Orange Spain employees actually seem to care about you… unlike the Vodafone Spain employee next door.

Anyway, I am writing about Orange Spain now 🤪.

This particular store seemed to deal with tourists more often because it had set up machines where you could buy one of Orange Spain's tourist SIM cards: Holiday Pass.

While an employee can help you out, the process is straightforward.

You can even change the language from Spanish to English, French, German & Russian.

I will embed a video of the purchasing process very soon, but you cannot do wrong while using this machine.

Anyway, the machine gives you three options. One of the two Holiday Passes and one regular plan.

Below is an overview of the three options the machine gives you:

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Disclaimer: the SIM card prices mentioned in the review were current when I was in Spain – the offering and prices may have changed since then. To see Orange Spain's current starter packs, check out my Spain SIM card buying guide.

Price	Plan	Data	EU/EEA Data	Local/International Minutes	Validity
15 EUR	Holiday Pass 5	“Unlimited”, 30 GB high-speed	8.5 GB	50 minutes	5 days
19.95 EUR	Go Fly	35 GB	11 GB	“Unlimited”, 5000 minutes 2	28 days
25 EUR	Holiday Pass 15	“Unlimited”, 60 GB high-speed	14 GB	100 minutes	15 days

1 30 GB/60 GB high-speed data. Then unlimited data @ 1 Mbps after exhausting your data allowance (very slow)
2 for local use or while in other EU/EEA countries (so NOT from Spain to another EU/EEA member state)

What does Orange Spain consider to be the EU/EEA? Below is a list:

I chose the Holiday Pass 5 because I was staying in Spain for only four days, and 30 GB would be more than enough for the speed tests I wanted to conduct.

After selecting my plan, you get the option to pay in cash or by card – I chose to pay by card.

Afterward, the machine will ask for your passport to scan the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ).

Note: if you are from another EU/EEA member state, you can also use your national ID!

Once your ID has been scanned, you have to wait about a minute before your SIM card is

Then you can finally collect your SIM card 🥳.

The process took about two or three minutes, and I did not have to deal with any (pushy) salespeople (but the staff here were nice… unlike over at Vodafone next door 🙄).

But remember, you may not have to deal with this machine if you buy a SIM card in some remote Spanish town if they barely deal with tourists.

In that case, you will most likely deal with a salesperson (who may or may not speak English), but they should still help you out.

But what if you think all of this is too time-consuming – can you get an eSIM instead?

Well, lucky you – while Orange Spain does not (or did not when I was in Spain) offer eSIMs to regular prepaid customers, you can get an eSIM for the Holiday Passes (5 & 15).

Back then, you could not get an eSIM through the machine.

However, you can simply ask a salesperson for an eSIM, and they will help you out – no problem.

As shown above, SIM card registration is mandatory in Spain (and that also applies to eSIMs).

If you do not want to deal with this, you can consider getting a travel eSIM for Spain.

I compare the best Spain travel eSIMs in my comparison guide and also drop a few discount codes for you 😏.

Anyway, something interesting happened to me after I got my Orange Spain SIM card.

Somehow, the payment got reserved, so I got my 15 EUR back… but my service kept working 😳.

Of course, I still had my receipt in case my SIM card stopped working.

But that day never came… so I tried Orange Spain for free 😈.

But yeah, I assume this was an anomaly – do not expect a free Orange Spain SIM card 💀.

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Orange Spain Plans, Bundles & Offers

Orange Spain has three data-featured prepaid plans:

• Plans (combo)
• Holiday Passes (combo for the tourist SIM card)
• Alta Bono (data add-on)

Disclaimer: these were the available plans at the time I was in Spain – the offering may have changed since then (including whether 5G NR is available to prepaid customers or not). To see ‘s current plans, check out my Spain SIM card buying guide (which gets updated regularly – at least once a year).

I will list all the prices in EUR (Euro).

To convert EUR to your currency (let's say GBP – (British) Pound (Sterling)) with up-to-date exchange rates, use the Wise Currency Converter tool.

Plans

The Plans, which may not be called plans but have no clear name, are combo bundles with data (without 5G NR access) and minutes.

Text the Activation Code to 1470 to activate Plans:

Price	Plan	Data	EU/EEA Data	Local/EU Minutes	Validity	Activation Code
8.95 EUR	Navega	7 GB	4.5 GB	N/A	28 days	GO NAVEGA
9.95 EUR	Go Walk	10 GB	5.5 GB	“Unlimited”, 5000 minutes	28 days	GO WALK
14.95 EUR	Go Run	20 GB	8.5 GB	“Unlimited”, 5000 minutes	28 days	GO RUN
19.95 EUR	Go Fly	35 GB	11 GB	“Unlimited”, 5000 minutes	28 days	GO FLY

Holiday Passes

The Holiday Passes are combo plans with data and minutes for the Orange Holiday tourist SIM cards.

The following Holiday Passes are available:

Price	Plan	Data	EU/EEA Data	Local/International Minutes	Validity
15 EUR	Holiday Pass 5	30 GB	8.5 GB	50 minutes	5 days
25 EUR	Holiday Pass 15	60 GB	14 GB	100 minutes	15 days

Alta Bono Add-Ons

The Alta Bono Add-On is a data plan with 500 MB for 4 EUR. It cannot be purchased as a standalone plan.

Text ALTA BONO 500 to 1470 to activate Alta Bono.

Price	Data	Validity	Activation Code
4 EUR	500 MB	Until plan expires	ALTA BONO 500

EU Roaming

You can use your Orange allowances in the following EU/EEA member states without paying roaming fees:

Be aware that, in some cases, the EU/EEA roaming allowance is lower than the domestic allowances.

Orange Spain Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check

Orange Spain top-up vouchers are sold in Orange stores, grocery stores, corner shops & electronics shops throughout Spain.

I did not have to recharge my Orange Spain SIM card because Spain was a short stop on my one-month Europe trip.

But I will still let you know about topping up your Orange Spain SIM card.

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Orange Spain Speed Test Results (in Barcelona & Madrid)

Alright, now it is time to talk about the speeds you can expect to get with Orange Spain after covering all the other essential topics like coverage.

But before I share my 11 speed test results from Barcelona and Madrid, I do want to set the stage first and make a small comparison with Orange Spain's competition.

Orange Spain is regarded by Speedtest as the second-fastest mobile operator in Spain in Q4 of 2021.

With a Speed Score of 51.34, Orange Spain is outperforming Vodafone Spain (51.34) and Yoigo (39.43), but is behind Movistar Spain (62.67).

When we look at 5G NR, Orange Spain is still the second-best, with a median download speed of 146.31 Mbps.

This is ahead of Yoigo (125.20 Mbps) and Movistar Spain (103.99 Mbps), but far behind Vodafone Spain (277.11 Mbps).

Okay, those were valuable insights – let's talk about my speed test results now.

I did speed tests with the Speedtest app at various test locations: three in Barcelona and eight in Madrid.

Here are the results:

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My Overall Experience with Orange Spain – Is It Any Good?

I would recommend Orange Spain, which may be my top recommendation for anyone wanting to buy a Spanish SIM card.

Getting an Orange Spain SIM card was straightforward, and activation was quick.

Orange Spain's coverage is one of the best ones out there.

You should still have coverage in the most remote Spanish town you can think of (but perhaps on 2G, lmao).

The plans Orange Spain offers are generous, but that is a given in Spain.

While its speeds are crazy fast in absolute terms like Vodafone Spain on 5G NR, Orange Spain is, based on my experiences, the fastest 4G/LTE mobile operator.

And you will notice drastic speed fluctuations like with Movistar Spain and Vodafone Spain – the speeds stay moderate.

And the same can be said about Orange Spain's coverage.

With extensive coverage, generous data-featured plans & blazing-fast speeds, there is nothing crazy to complain about Orange Spain.

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Spanish SIM Card Reviews

As mentioned earlier, I also tried out Movistar Spain, Vodafone Spain & Yoigo when I was in Barcelona and Madrid.

You should read those reviews too.

>>> Movistar Spain Review | Vodafone Spain Review | Yoigo Spain Review <<<

Later, I will make a comparison post of the four Spanish mobile operators… but that will take a while (I have many reviews of other countries that I still need to write, so they are prioritized).

But you can still make an educated purchased after reading the Spanish SIM card reviews.

Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other European SIM cards from this trip.

Spain SIM Card Buying Guide

There are more than ten SIM cards to choose from in Spain besides Orange Spain.

I analyze and discuss them in-depth in my Spain SIM card buying guide.