Internet Access

One of the questions we field most often is how we're staying so connected. Surprisingly, it really isn't that hard! Internet cafes (often called "internet points"), some campsites, most hotels, nearly every McDonalds and the occasional coffee shop are relatively ubiquitous solutions in the first world. If you're industrious enough to embark on a bicycle tour with a laptop or netbook you will have no trouble finding access, really!

Because I am programming from the road and acting as the primary line of support for several companies running mission critical versions of my software we require self-supported connectivity too. Below is a rough outline of all the options we've used to stay connected (ordered by cost, lowest first). I've also included detailed information about each country we've traveled through.

McDonalds

McDonalds provides free wifi at over 15,000 locations in 24 countries. In some places (Switzerland and Italy that we know of) you must request a login key which will be sent to you via SMS. In Switzerland they accepted US/UK and Swiss phone numbers. In Italy they accepted only Italian numbers. It can be a pain at first but once you have this detail ironed out you can use the same login (in that country) for the duration of your stay. If you don't have a phone just ask a local nicely to use theirs.

Cellular Broadband (GPRS/3G)

In the first world cellular broadband is widely available. Unfortunately, plans which include data access generally require contracts which foreigners are not eligible to enter into. If you have a friend or family member who lives in the country where you intend to travel (who is also willing to sign up for you under their name) this can easily be the most affordable solution.

Many providers (in the UK, France and Italy to our knowledge) are now rolling out contractless pay-as-you-go data plans. The structure of these offerings vary. We've paid $1-$5/hour for plans based on connection time and $0.05-$1/mb for plans based on the amount of data transferred.

There are also worldwide cellular broadband options available from providers like MobilityPass and GoSim. These companies partner with cellular networks all over the world, allowing you to use a single SIM card no matter where you go. The plans are pay-as-you-go and the cost varies from country to country. Expect to pay in excess of $1/mb of transfer.

For all of these options you'll need a 3G/GPRS USB modem. If you buy yours directly from a cellular company it will be locked to their network. This means the modem you bought from them won't work with a SIM from another provider. MobilityPass and GoSim sell unlocked modems that can be used with any SIMs you may pick up along your way. If you're tech savvy a google search for "unlocked usb modem" is a good place to start for a) finding one cheaper or b) unlocking one you may already have.

Mobile Satellite Internet

We've just received our satellite internet receiver, BGAN Explorer 110 from Globalcom on November 12th, 2009. More details will follow after we've had some time to use it.

UK

Primary Connectivity: 3 Mobile
This was easily our favorite pay-as-you-go plan on the trip: quick, easy and incredibly affordable. The pricing structure: £10 for for 1GB of transfer, £15 for 3GB and £25 for 7GB. Just walk into any 3 store, pick up a SIM for £5 and whichever "top-up" you want and you're ready to go. The only catch: top-ups expire after 30 days.

France

Primary Connectivity: SFR / McDonalds
SFR was the most expensive and inflexible pay-as-you-go provider we've dealt with. First, you must purchase their network-locked USB modem if you want to use the service. Then they pair the SIM you purchased to the modem and neither can be used without the other. If you lose the SIM or your USB modem dies inexplicably like ours did, you have to make the whole purchase again (and they won't/can't transfer time you've purchased from one account to the next!). Good luck explaining the concept of a warranty to the French. SFR's service is based on time connected, not data transferred and you can expect to pay between €2-€3 per hour of access.

Orange mobile has pay-as-you-go offerings as well. Unfortunately you won't have any luck getting your hands on the contractless service without a French bank account.

Switzerland

Primary Connectivity: MobilityPass / McDonalds
We didn't investigate any pay-as-you-go offerings in Switzerland. Our MobilityPass connection worked reliably throughout the country for email and work. McDonalds saved the day for uploading photos!

Italy

Primary Connectivity: 3 Mobile
3 Mobile wins again for being one of the easiest cellular broadband providers to work with. Just one hitch: to buy a SIM you'll need an Italian "Codice Fiscale". The woman working at the 3 store we visited was incredibly friendly and used her own to get us going! In Italy, 3 Mobile charges by connection time at the low rate of €0.90/hr. You can purchase top-ups in any of the ubiquitous Tabaccherias around the country.

Tunisia

Primary Connectivity: TBD

Lastly, this might not be the right place for it but many people have asked how I work from the road. The answer: I have a full development environment on my laptop (apache/postgresql/php/python). I do all of my coding offline, connecting briefly each day to check email over exchange and upload work to my SVN server for propagation to my clients.