If you are intending to use it to call UK numbers, or to get two so if you are on holiday with other people and want to call each other there are better options.

1. Get a UK Vodafone sim, dial 5555 and register free for their "passport" scheme. All roaming calls for summer are charged at the same rate as normal UK calls, so no charges for incoming. Alternately starting at a tenner you can get 100 mins and 300 textsbut it expires in a month. Doing this is not much use if you are calling spanish numbers rather than calling UK ones.

2. Buy a set of PMR radios. I got a pair on sale in Asda for a fiver, but the same ones were about a tenner in Argos. These have 8 channels and are great for car to car, in the same shopping centre, or will manage up to about 2 miles with nothing in the way. Dearer ones at about 30 quid have subchannels (making over 300 - but in reality are still only eight channel). They run on AA batteries, and rechargeables are a good bet.

Or leave your mobile at home and get peace!

We still use empty baked bean cans connected by string.

They don't work either !

But it impresses the spanish.