Internet on the Move

Some people have asked how we get Internet access while away. It can be very frustrating! Other lentil chomping, sandal wearing friends have said why bother have a break from technology. This is all very well in theory but we use the web to keep in touch, teach the kids on line and as a means of planning the trip.

So here are the methods we have used to connect in the 5 countries we have visited so far.

A UK mobile phone sim in the iPhone. 
This is great for universal access it will roam to any available 3G network and give you access.  Through 02 It costs £2 a day for measly 25 mb. The network also prevents using the iPhone as a personal hotspot. This means you can't connect you're computer via the phone. But it does keep you in touch with limited access.

A Spanish mobile phone sim in the iPhone.
This is a great option. It was 30 euro with 500GB of data. It also allowed a wireless hotspot from the iPhone. It was 15 euro for an extra 1Gb of data. You need to show your passport to get the sim. Also only after purchasing did I realize it allowed Internet sharing. We used Vodaphone and had great coverage virtually everywhere. The staff were also really helpful in the Vodaphone shops.

A 3G USB modem in Italy.
This cost 50 euro with 5 Gb of data included (valid for a month). You again had to show your passport to get this. This was a great option it allowed us to share the Internet connection from our MacBook to our iPads and iPhones. The coverage again with Vodaphone was generally excellent and the speed was typically between 1-2 mbs which is fine for everything.

Wifi in the campsites.
Virtually all the campsites offer Wifi. This sounds good but its virtually always slow and unreliable. Sometimes a minute to load a single webpage (a carrier pigeon would be faster). It is also typically very expensive at around 10 euros for 24 hours access.

Recommendations:
Get a 3g modem and change the sim in each country you stay in.
Keep your UK sim as backup to allow 3g roaming if and when you need it.