Stay connected in Germany?

[Stytooner]

Hey guys and gals. LOML and I are planning a trip to Germany for New Years Eve and a couple to 3 weeks after.
We will be staying with my Ex. Still friends, we just can't live with each other.
I have a daughter there that I haven't seen for years too. She turns 23 in Dec.

They have a basement apartment we would be using. We will rent a car. I do plan a short trip to Paris and park the car on the outskirts and take the Metro. 2 to 3 days should be all I need to see of that again.

I haven't been to Germany since 87. I know lots have changed since then, but I just want to know how I could stay connected. My Ex says they pay a hefty price for their internet service and I really don't want to even touch her computer. I have a couple laptops.

Is it possible to use a cell phone to connect?
I know my current phone won't do anything like that, but just curious if I have any options since we won't be staying in a Hotel with any wifi.
TIA.

[jackellis]

You might check out Blackberries. I have one and found it quite useful for making phone calls in Europe - flat rate service for something like $45 a month IIRC, which is worth the convenience. No minimum term. The phones are around $300 before rebates and a service plan.

Another option is to use Internet cafes, which are probably still available and popular in Europe. You pay by the hour. In some respects, not as convenient as having your own computer, but then again you don't have to worry about theft, though you want to be careful about using password protected sites.

[JR]

I have also had good success using a Blackberr in Europe.

You might want to check with T-Mobile for access with your laptop. T-Mobile hotspots are very popular in airports here in the USA and I have seen it available at hotels and conference centeres in Europe.

Have you asked your Ex if she has wireless at her house? I'd imagine it would be popular in Europe where the old buildings make wiring problematic.

I'll be on vacation in Germany the 1st of September. I'll keep an eye out for internet cafes, hotspots, and the like.

JR

[LCHIEN]

in addition to what other said (basically internet cafes, wireless hotspots, and cell phone connectivity) you might try public libraries and hotels. Public libraries have free or paid internet and lots of hotels have business-service facilities for guests with credit card paid internet computer useage, you pay for time and printing service, in that case you don't even have to be staying at the hotel. Not always cheap, so I'd check the public libraries first

[cgallery]

Another vote for a Blackberry.

[germdoc]

I haven't lived there since '98 but I understand that WiFi is pretty widespread, particularly in coffeeshops, hotels, etc. You might do a google-search based on the city you are visiting. What city are you going to? K-town by any chance?

On the other hand, maybe you don't want to WiFi: http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...fi-401845.html

[Stytooner]

Wow! Maybe I'll just rough it for a few weeks.
Thanks, Guys.
I have no need for a Blackberry. I make do here with just a little pay as you go Tracfone. I bet I don't use $50 a year in minutes. I guess you could say that I really limit my cell phone usage and unwittingly am being green.

I will talk to the Ex. I am pretty sure they have dial up service though.
She lives in a suburb of Hanau. Gross Auheim is the little town. Probably 30 miles from Frankfurt.

Her Father built this house in the late 60's. He was an electrical engineer and utilized all the cool technology of the time. Way ahead of us over here at that time. He installed radiant floor heating, indirect lighting etc and I have still never seen a house where the wiring was so elegantly laid out and easy to access. Most of the electricity used by the house was used at might when the cost from the grid was the cheapest. He worked for Sieman's and then Honeywell. He certainly knew his stuff.

LOML does however use a cell phone quite a bit. I may have to get her a blackberry for her Birthday, which, BTW, will be spent over there next year.

[OpaDC]

Wow! Maybe I'll just rough it for a few weeks.
Thanks, Guys.
I will talk to the Ex. I am pretty sure they have dial up service though.
She lives in a suburb of Hanau. Gross Auheim is the little town. Probably 30 miles from Frankfurt.

Most people in that area have flat rate DSL. I have many friends in the Sulzbach - Hofheim areas (other side of Frankfurt from Hanau) and that's what they all have. Most are wireless too. Dial up can be expensive because they still charge phone calls by the minute.
Here's an article about German internet.

http://www.german-way.com/inet.html

[JR]

Lee, as I suspected, T-Mobile has hotspot service throughout Germany. There are a dozen locations in Hanau, although none listed for Gross Auheim.

Here are the plans from an American perspective. I think you could get the day-pass options in Germany as you needed them.

https://selfcare.hotspot.t-mobile.com/services_plans.do

JR

[jziegler]

Lee,

There will be internet cafes around in any large city or anywhere with a large number of tourists. Tourist information offices are also a possibility (I used a coin operated internet kiosk at one). In Paris, there are a ton of internet cafes. Plenty in the Latin Quarter.

Hotspots seem to be getting relatively common too. Certainly in the airport (beware of lots of construction at the Frankfurt airport. It was a total mess in March, and the rental car parking area was moved pretty far from the terminal). There was even a hotspot in at least one of the small family run hotels that we stayed at. I didn't have a computer with me (see post about eee PC), but did notice places I could have used.

Honestly though, when on vacation, how much do you really want to spend time on the net? Go out and see things, find the occasional net cafe to check email, and just have fun.

Jim

[Stytooner]

Exactly! I don't really need to stay tuned in like I try to do now. I spent 11 years total over there so I know my way around pretty well.
My main reason for going is to see my daughter of course, but to also show some castles and places of interest to LOML. She's been on cruises out of the country before, but has never flown in a commercial plane. It has taken me 12 years to talk her into it. She's nearly as hard headed as I am.

I have already taught her the only phrase she will need to know. Ein bier, bitte.

I showed her what the telephone and internet options were that you guys have posted and see basically told be to just not worry about it and have a good time. Smart girl.

So, I'll be sure to take some pics of castles and snow as I'm sure there will be some of that.

It's kinda odd that people that live near the beach choose to vacation near snow and vice versa.

[LCHIEN]

A little off the topic, but concerning internet while traveling...
I find that the more expensive the hotel the more expensive the internet access. Seems like it should be the other way around, more expensive hotels should give you more amenities.

For instance, Marriott's low-priced lines, Fairfield and Courtyard, all have free internet and as you drive down the rows of inexpensive hotels/motels near us, you see all these signs for free internet.

In the flagship hotels, I find that internet service costs 10, 20 and up per night.

Last month I was in Rome, Italy and the Holiday Inn charged 17 Euros per night for 24 hours access. That's about $25US now.

Since I was there for six nights and needed access to mail accounts and VPN (and BT3central), I paid. What I did, was, wait until about 11PM of the first night to start my 24-hour period, which would allow me to use it until 11PM the second night, Then on the third night, subscribe for another 24-hour period around 11PM and use it until 11PM on the 4th night.

That way I could use it every evening and pay every other day. Yeah, my company was paying but I got some satisfaction out of squeezing the most use out of the buck (or Euro).

[germdoc]

I have already taught her the only phrase she will need to know. Ein bier, bitte.

Don't forget the answer to the inevitable question: dunkel oder weiss??

[gsmittle]

Don't forget the answer to the inevitable question: dunkel oder weiss??

Bitte, dunkles bier! Und zwei, nicht eins!

g.

[Stytooner]

Actually around the base they always asked Export or Pils?

They will still have Doppelbach at this time and I will have a go at one or two of those. I liked a lot of different types. Though we are going to rent a car, we will be making good use of the trains and taxi's.
I think the taxi's are still mostly Mercedes, but could be wrong there. 87 was 21 years ago.

There is one Monastery there where the Monks make and sell their own beer. I don't recall the town, but I'm sure the ex will.
There is another place in Bad Dürkheim that is a restaurant in a giant wine barrel. Been there and would like to do that one again. It's down in the wine route, so not too much hiking at this time of year. Should still be able to see some nice scenery.
In my experience a snow covered Germany looks different when on vacation rather than looking at it out of a fox hole.

If she like this trip, perhaps next year I can take her to Garmish and teach her how to ski. Yeah! Right!