How much does it cost now to call from your mobile in Europe

Spaniards, roaming in Europe is over. Or, at least, that is what the MEPs are selling us, who have (supposedly) managed to end the extra cost that calls in Europe had until now as soon as we approached the border. But with the mess of changing rates, some still wonder - and rightly - how much it costs to call from your mobile in Europe . And if you no longer have to pay more to take a call or make it from another European country. The reality, we will see, is more complex than it seems.

To help everyone traveling in Europe this summer, we have put together this useful information guide detailing the costs by type of call . First of all, it must be said that getting the information has not been easy at all. After being in contact with the 3 major operators in Spain ( Movistar, Vodafone and Orange ), the response took longer than we initially thought. In the case of Movistar, in addition, when proposing the different scenarios, they settled it with a brief ...

"What customers are going to pay in all the cases in which you ask us is exactly the same as if they were in their country of origin and according to the voice and data plan that each one has contracted in their own country with their operator. "

Not clear to you? Neither do we. So we have done more research. We have even called customer service where the operators gave different versions of the information that later came to us officially from the press departments. Given the little summer mess we are facing, here we go with the clarification ...

Countries where roaming disappears

In the first place, it should be clarified that this rate change that has occurred since June 15 does not affect all European countries . The list of countries where roaming has been removed for a Spanish user is as follows:

Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, United Kingdom, Romania and Sweden. So far they are the countries of the European Union . Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway are also added to this list. And finally,  only in the case of Vodafone , the countries of Albania, Turkey, Switzerland and the United States.

Any other country that is outside the list is NOT included in the rate change . So be very careful because the usual international rates that so many scares have given to more than one will continue to apply.

And now we go to the specific cases ...

How much does a mobile call cost from Spain to a landline or mobile in Europe

Be careful, this is where one of the most common mistakes can be. Didn't they say that they have ended the borders in Europe when it comes to picking up the phone? Well, no. Be very careful that if you call from Spain (from a landline or mobile) to any other country on the list, the cost of the call is still that of an international call . In other words, although in some cases roaming ends, what we have not eliminated are the borders between countries when making some calls. And calling from Spain to Europe is still paying . And expensive.

Some ill-thought-out could argue that these extra costs have not been eliminated because they are not the ones that affect the pockets of MEPs, promoters of these measures. But we will not be the ones to make that claim. Or if?

How much does it cost to receive or make a call from Europe to a landline or mobile phone in Spain

You go on a trip. Your mobile rings for a call. What to do? Pick up or not? Until a little less than a week ago, cold sweats were the norm. Normal, given the prices charged by the operators for answering a call from any neighboring country. But fortunately this has changed.

Since last June 15, the calls received on a Spanish mobile when the user is in any of the aforementioned countries have no additional price .

On the other hand, there is no surcharge on the rate that we are using when making calls, that is, if your price plan with the operator includes unlimited calls, it has no cost. If the user has a plan with call or minute limitations, this call will count in the same way as if it occurred in Spain.

And the same happens with calls made from the Spanish mobile when we are in one of those countries and we want to call a landline or mobile phone number in Spain. There is no difference in this case either, it is as if the call is made from Madrid or Cuenca. Only that we can be in Paris, London or enjoying the sun on the Norwegian coast (if the latter is possible).

How much does it cost to make a call in Europe to a landline or mobile in that country

You are taking a super original photograph of your partner holding the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And suddenly you want to call a nearby pizzeria to reserve a table. To call or not to call? That is the question. This is another of the situations that has changed since last June 15. Now also this call from a Spanish mobile phone to a landline or mobile phone in the same European country where you are  (as long as it is from the list mentioned at the beginning) has no extra cost . In other words, the same logic applies as if the call is made from the Giralda in Seville.

Those who have an unlimited calling plan do not have to pay for that call made in European territory to a landline or mobile phone in the same country. And those who have a limited number of minutes or calls, must account for that call in the same way as they would in Spain.

How much does it cost to make a call from Europe to a landline or mobile phone in another country in Europe

We are going to put ourselves in a slightly more convoluted situation, but that can also happen. We are in Greece and we want to call from our mobile to the hotel of our next destination, Malta, for example. Well, some of the same are now encouraged to make this type of calls because they are one of those that no longer have an extra cost.

In other words, calling from a Spanish mobile phone in any of the countries mentioned in the list to a landline or mobile phone in any of the other countries is free if you have an unlimited calling plan . And in the case of having a plan with a limit per minute, the same limits apply as from Spain.

How much does it cost to make a call in the United States (only for Vodafone customers)

Finally, Vodafone customers enjoy these same advantages but in other added countries. And, among them, the United States. They have also been doing it since last year, since the British operator was ahead of its competition by eliminating roaming in 2016 and without waiting for the deadline as other operators have done. For this reason, some Vodafone customer may wonder how much calls from Spain to the United States cost. Or how much does it cost to pick up your phone when you arrive in the land of Donald Trump.

First of all, it should be clarified that the call from a Vodafone mobile made from Spain to a US landline or mobile has the cost of an international call . So be careful with these costs to avoid scares on the bill.

If it is a question of picking up the Vodafone mobile in the United States to receive a call from Spain or for wanting to make the call to a landline or mobile in Spain, there is no added cost . Of course, if your calling plan has minute limitations, the call will have the same limitations.

The same occurs with a call made from the United States to a United States landline or mobile. There is also no added cost . And, yes, the limitations of the same calling plan as in Spain.

Beware of Erasmus or workers abroad

The measure to end roaming in Europe has its limitations. It is intended for sporadic use by a traveler who travels outside their country for a few days or weeks. What it does not cover is the case of an Erasmus student or a worker who goes to another country for several months. Specifically, the agreement establishes that the use is no longer reasonable if in a period of 4 months , the line has a consumption and presence in roaming in these countries outside of Spain that is greater than that carried out in our country. So, what said, students of academic course in Erasmus or displaced workers abstain. Or look for a good rate with an operator in the new destination country.

Having clarified all this, we warn the reader that in this first summer of the end of roaming it is still advisable to be very careful with calls from your mobile . Not in vain, when we have requested information from the customer service centers of some of these operators, we have received information that later contradicted that provided by their press department. So, as they say in these cases, from tuexperto.com we do not take care of what may happen with your bill. You are warned.

The use of the data connection from the mobile has also been improved with the elimination of data roaming in those countries. This makes it easy to make calls from the mobile through WhatsApp or from the Facebook Messenger application.

In addition, it remains to be verified that the billing departments do their homework well and do not make mistakes in these first months with the invoices of some of their clients. We are looking forward to seeing with our own eyes that the end of roaming is coming true in the cases mentioned. If you have any more questions or if you want to share your anecdotes about these changes, do not hesitate to do so in the comments.

Cost of calls with a Spanish mobile

* When we put "A European country" in this box, we refer to the countries in the list that appear at the beginning of the article.