Whether you need to catch up on work, want to keep in touch with family, or just feel like sending a few photos to friends a good pocket wifi connection is integral to modern travel.
But with ridiculous roaming charges and punishing pay-as-you-go sim cards in Barcelona (€15.00 with low data, singular user) it’s hard to know where to begin.
Luckily I’ve found the solution.
Who Needs Pocket Wifi?
Anybody who has ever got mixed up in the following travel madness:
- Been stuck in a bar drinking just for the privilege of sub-par wifi.
- Tapped away at the sticky keyboards of a sweaty, overpriced internet cafe.
- Hopelessly hunted open networks in the streets like a blind man.
- Ever felt ashamed asking for a wifi password.
The best Barcelona solution is getting your own personal wifi rental with Wifivox.
What Is Wifivox Then?
In my opinion it’s the best Barcelona wifi for tourists and part of any good Barcelona itinerary. Wifivox is your own personal router that will run your mobile device(s) at 7.2 megabytes per second.
Advantages
The advantages of getting yourself portable wifi with Wifivox are four-fold:
- You get unlimited internet access.
- You can connect everywhere in Spain including underground on the metro.
- You have capacity for up to 10 connections.
- You avoid costly roaming charges.
The impressive thing is that it’s about the size of a credit card only wider: I found that I couldn’t even feel it on me if I put it on the inside pocket of my jacket.
Wifivox Prices
At €6.29 a day (online price only) you’ll save money and time especially couples visiting Barcelona and bigger groups.
Each Wifivox can run up to 10 connections at a time.
Traveling in a group of then? That’s 63 cents per person per day.
How to Reserve Your Wifivox
I was amazed at how painless and quick the process was.
Reserve your pocket wifi in advance on the official Barcelona Turisme website: buying with them by clicking the button below gives you a 10% discount:
Picking Up Your Pocket Wifi
Once you’ve reserved your Barcelona wifi rental you’ll receive a voucher number via email to redeem the product at their offices just around the corner from the epic Sagrada Familia church.
The whole process took me about five minutes from the time I showed up:
- Show up at their office in Barcelona at Calle Rosselló 324 (metro Verdaguer).
- Show them your ID and reservation #.
- Give them a €50.00 cash or €1.00 credit card deposit.
- Receive your Wifivox, case, USB cable, and charger.
- Turn on your pocket wifi device.
- Connect using the network name and password shown on the back of Wifivox.
Once you’ve picked up your portable wifi you’re free to roam Barcelona’s top attractions and the battery should last 10 hours depending on the number of devices connected.
When you’re finished simply return it at the end of your visit.
WifiVox FAQ
What are the pick up and drop off hours in Barcelona?
Wifivox office hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm.
Will I need to recharge the battery?
The battery comes fully charged. If you need to recharge it’ll take about three hours.
What is the maximum distance I can be for my portable wifi to still work?
In open spaces the signal radius is approximately 15 meters.
What speeds will I get?
Depending on location you should get between 3G or 3.5G speeds (4 Mbps to 21 Mbps)
Can I watch videos?
I had no problem watching Youtube while sat on the metro.
Is there a 4G wifi rental option in Barcelona?
At the moment no due to lack of 4G coverage in many places in Spain.
Does it need to be connected to a wall outlet to work?
No. The device is completely portable and the battery should last about 8 hours.
Can I use Wifivox outside of Spain?
No. Wifivox is blocked outside of Spain and the Baleares, Canary Islands, Ceutas and Melilla.
Will I get a signal out at sea?
Close to shore it should be fine but the further out you go the worse it is depending on antennas.
It’s not turning on! What do I do?
You need to press the on button for four seconds. If it still doesn’t work you need to recharge.
If I have a problem with my wifi rental how do I contact Wifivox?
You can reach them at +34 93.737.00.55 or [email protected].
Don’t Be Shy in the Comments Below
There you go – if there’s an easier Barcelona wifi for tourists I sure haven’t found it. Make sure you write me with some of your funny holiday wifi experiences in the comments below.
Also, as always know that any Barcelona holiday question will be answered fully and promptly in the comments below!
Happy surfing 🙂
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August 29, 2021 at 12:23 amHi Ash! This is a great article. I first discovered portable routers traveling through Singapore and have checked for them in every place we have been ever since. If we pick a router up in BCN could we still mail it back from Madrid as that is how we are considering flying home? It’s been a while since the last comment here… hope you are well during this pandemic !
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August 29, 2021 at 7:11 pm
Team MemberAshHi Eva, Thanks for writing in :) Indeed, in fact there are drop of points at Terminal 1 or 4 of the Madrid airport so no worries there. And thanks for wellwishes... the pandemic killed our site and we lost 95% of our traffic almost overnight but it's slowly building back up. Hopefully we'll be back in full business by this time next year. We're gonna overcome! Hope all is well with you as well :) Cheers,
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November 4, 2019 at 2:21 pmThis Wifi was worth every penny!! Wifivox was super easy to order and receive. I had ours shipped to our hotel and it was there when we checked in. When we left for the airport I put it back into the return bag and left it at the front desk for them to come pick it back up -SUPER EASY! The Wifi was great and my husband and I were both on it at the same time through out the day. I did bring a battery pack charger just in case it died but I never had to use it. Just be aware and turn it off when you are not using it. It was literally a life saver though! We were able to use Google Maps to get around with directions and it made everything so smooth. Thank you so much Ash for putting this on your site because I would have never known about it if it wasn't for you!!!
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November 4, 2019 at 4:05 pm Team MemberAshHi Liz, That is so great to know! I also had a similar experience with Wifivox... happy to know I helped :) Cheers, Ash
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October 17, 2019 at 12:14 amAsh, Does the Wifivox device itself need to be charged? Is that what lasts 6-8 hours? Is a portable charger adaptable to charge the device on the go? We will also be leaving early in the AM and may need to drop off the device in one of those mailboxes. Is that something we just ask them when we pick it up even if I order the device online ahead of time? Are those mailboxes easy to find? Thanks!
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October 17, 2019 at 10:28 am Team MemberAshHi Sydney, You are provided with a charger so it won't be an issue... though I used it for four hours straight and the battery still had a ton of charge left. It is supposed to last 8 hours. I didn't use the mailbox so can't comment but all I know is they are central, and that you can also arrange for somebody to pick it up at your hotel. I would finalize it all with them. Out of all three drop off options one will suit you for sure. Cheers, Ash
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March 21, 2019 at 8:02 amMy flight BCN on Monday 1 April, early in the AM. Is there a mail slot or other method I can drop off the device?
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March 21, 2019 at 9:51 am Team MemberAshHi Jeff, In this case when picking up the device you should ask for their special prepaid envelope - that way you can mail it back to them right before leaving by dumping it in one the yellow Correos mailboxes in the city (or at either airport terminal). Ash
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March 18, 2019 at 5:01 pmisnt there free public wifi all throughout Barcelona? i get the usefulness of something like this but why spend money when free wifi is readily available?
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March 18, 2019 at 5:20 pm Team MemberAshHi Kevin, Cafes and restaurants like most places have WiFi but there is not city-wide WiFi unfortunately... if you're coming from the UK you should have a 'roam like home' package with your company and won't need it. The recommendation for pocket Wifi is thus more becoming for people that need absolute constant connectedness. If you can go half and hour here and there without it shouldn't be a problem. Ash
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March 6, 2019 at 10:32 amHi Ash, Is there a local sim card you would recommend? I've heard Orange and Vodafone are good. I need more data for social media and Google Maps. Also, where is the best place to buy one? Thanks!
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March 6, 2019 at 11:02 am Team MemberAshHi Meera, If you want to get it right away there are tobacco shops and newsstands in the airport which sell basic sim card packages. The most common are with Orange or Mundo… if you’re looking for data only and not to spend too much I recommend the Mundo one. Otherwise, there are Orange shops all throughout the city where you can buy them! It's super easy, not to worry :) Ash
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November 3, 2017 at 1:16 pmThe WiFi was FAST, reliable and well worth the money! I was able to use the WiFi by carrying the credit card size unit in my pocket, safely tucked away, while I navigated throughout Barcelona using Google Maps. Since my phone did not work with a cell connection, I used TalkaPhone that I downloaded and made free WiFi calls back to the States that were crystal clear too. It works with whatsup, and Messenger! I could not be happier. I ordered it online and they delivered it to my hotel within an hour. They were super friendly and helpful. I can not recommend this company enough! I wish it existed everywhere I travel out of the USA.
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November 3, 2017 at 5:04 pm Team MemberAshHi Mihalis, Glad it all worked out for you in the end, maybe it'll expand into the USA in due course, we'll keep our fingers crossed ;) Ash
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