WiFi Week: Getting Online Abroad

May 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM | by pbb | Comments (4)

It's WiFi Week, which means we're investigating the state of wireless internet on the road. Today, getting online when abroad.

If the state of domestic WiFi is fantastic, the situation outside the US is still, let's say, developing. Depending on where you're headed, you could pick up a wireless signal instantly or struggle with your connection all trip long.

A little advance planning, though, can take care of some of your woes. To figure out the best strategies for taking your laptop abroad, we tapped our well-traveled contributors for their on-the-road horror (and success!) stories.

HotelChatter senior editor Juliana has picked up wireless all over the world, and she had particular success in Europe. In both London and Amsterdam, she logged on for free at her hotels, and many chain restaurants, independent cafes and even parks in Europe have WiFi for the taking. Juliana also spotted a T-Mobile hotspot on the train from Heathrow to Paddington Station.

Juliana also found plenty of free wireless on a trip to the Bahamas, but added a caveat when it comes to international laptop hauling:

I hate hauling my computer. I hate my computer in general. But it can be useful having it on you, like when I ordered tix online to the Tower of London from my hotel room.

Our Australian correspondent, Amanda, reports that WiFi is becoming more and more available Down Under, with cafes leading the charge. (We're sensing a global trend here.) Most of the time, these connections are free and fast. Amanda says she wouldn't pay more than a couple bucks to connect, but beware Aussie hotels where getting online can cost you upwards of $25.

On our recent trip to Argentina and Uruguay, we had an easy time finding hotspots. In Buenos Aires, many of the restaurants offered free WiFi as long as you bought something, and almost every hotel had the service. In Uruguay, access was a little more spotty, but we were always able to track down a connection somehow. Even in remote, sleepy Punta del Diablo, we had no trouble keeping up on Skybus news.

While others found fairly easy wireless connections, our writer David LaHuta says his overseas internet usually comes wired:

My impression has always been that getting wireless overseas is a bitch. As for cost, I try not to pay at all. Business hotels--whether I'm staying there are not--are usually good spots to find a free connection. But if I have to, I usually won't pay much more than $10 for 30 minutes.

The real question then is not whether you'll be able to eventually find a hotspot, the question is whether the hassle will be worth it. Two more of our contributors both reported that carrying a laptop abroad is a monumental headache, and with internet cafes and hotel "business centers" so available, it's probably not worth the hassle.

So, yes, you'll probably find some WiFi on your international trip. But for the most part, it just isn't as ubiquitous as it is in the US. Yet.

Share your international WiFi experience in the comments.

Related Stories:
· WiFi coverage [Jaunted]
· Hotel WiFi Week 2008 [HC]
· The Wendy Perrin Report: Internet Access [CNT]

Comments (4)

Return to » WiFi Week: Getting Online Abroad

We travel a lot internationally, and haven't had a problem finding fast and cheap internet anywhere in the past few years.

I'm carrying my laptop more lately, because international keyboards suck. Even when they are English language based, keys aren't necessarily where you expect them, and so if you need to do anything more than browsing a few sites and checking a few emails, it is hell.

Besides then I can pop everything I'm looking at (websites, emails, conversations) onto my computer and look at them later and save time.

We also like watching TV and movies that we've downloaded onto the computer while brushing TV at night.

Aloha, http://beatofhawaii.com

I am working at Whisher. We have software that allows you to have a prepaid account for paid networks around the world (over 60'000 hotspots). Like that, if you don't find a free network, you can still connect easily and without having to pay the for minimum session time or trying to understand how it works.
If you want to try it, go to
http://www.whisher.com/freewifi/
You'll get 20EUR free credit (the solution is new, that's why we are offering some credit :) )

FD: I do PR at Boingo Wireless.

With Boingo, you have access to more than 100,000 hotspots worldwide.

Using GoBoingo, the application automatically lets you know when you are in a Boingo network, and lets you login with one simple login and password. Worldwide.

It may not always be the easiest way to get online, but finding free public wifi is a huge score if you are traveling abroad. In some places the cyber cafes are too expensive (Europe), but in other places they are super cheap (Central America).

A group of use have started a wiki for locations of free public wifi aboard.

You can check it out here: http://freewifiwiki.net/index.php?title=Main_Page

In my humble opinion Boingo is not worth it. Too expensive and after I signed up there was no web interface to delete my account (so they would not automatically keep charging me each month). I had to call their customer support and wait 15 minutes to talk to a human and have them delete my subscription.

Jaunted

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