Re: Internet in Europe for Travelers
David Johnson schrieb:
> This is a follow up to a question I asked about Internet access in Europe.
> Before I get any hate mail, I must say I absolutely love Europe and am
> _very_ glad we have come, however the Internet is not nearly as accessible,
> as fast, or as reliable as it is in the US for travelers. I impressed and
> pleased with how people can live so well here without the Internet - it's
> hard to imagine living without the Internet in the US. I feel bad that I am
> so dependent. :(
>
> In regards to Central Europe at least (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and
> Italy), we have arrived and I can safely say after a few months in a few
> different countries that finding the Internet is a difficult task. Laptop
> use is relatively infrequent in general; so far I've only seen 3 people with
> their laptop in public. There are few Internet Cafes, and they are more
> like low grade computer labs than cafes - most were a bit frightening to us.
> In addition these cafes may have just a pay for use computer as opposed to a
> WLAN or Ethernet connection. In any case the Internet will be expensive -
> typically around $5-15/hour or $25-30/day.
>
> The best bet seems to stay in a place that has Internet access. However the
> definition of Internet access is not what I would expect coming from the US,
> and only about 20% of hotels have Internet access. Numerous times hotels
> have told us they have Internet access yet reality was different. In most
> cases Internet access means a computer in the lobby that is a pay for use
> computer and there is no WLAN or Ethernet in the rooms. In one case,
> Internet access meant the phone had a phone jack. When we have found WLAN,
> 80% of the time the signal was either too weak or the connection was faulty.
> We had problems in a few places because VOIP was restricted or PPTP
> protocols were restricted meaning no phone calls or VPN to my office.
Hi David,
I feel the strong urge to add things here. Don't get me wrong, this is
not a hate mail, as I always love to hear from Americans who enjoy their
trips here. But being a German myself, I have to say the exact same
things about Internet access in the Pacific Northwest where we traveled
about a year ago. I guess it's a difference between living some place
with a decent Internet connection and traveling some place else.
During our one-month round trip in Oregon and Washington with 20 or so
stops at hotels, we have had three (3) opportunities to access the
Internet at free will, one of which included a computer in the lobby
(restricted to 30 minute usage). Free wifi connection? Forget about it!
Starbuck's was the only place to get a wireless connection in public at
all, however, they are just as expensive as you describe.
Laptops in public are not as uncommon in Germany as you may think:
Especially in Berlin, laptop usage in public has increased by great
amount -- at college, at the airports, on the train, in cafés, you name it.
> Bottom line: If you're traveling to Europe with Debian and want Internet,
> stay with someone who has it, or stay in a hotel that has a WLAN from a big
> name provider. Expect to pay. VOIP is possible but the quality is low - I
> recommend a prepaid cell phone and an International calling card if you need
> to call North America.
Bottom line: I guess it depends on where you go and what you expect. As
I said, I couldn't get a decent connection in Oregon or Washington
either. And this had nothing to do Debian, we had Windows with us. I
have been enjoying a pretty fast connection at my home for over four
years, so I guess that makes me dependent as well.
Regards,
André
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