Mobile Internet
Update: This article is from 2011 and no longer correct, but please read this one, which describes our 2016 roaming Internet solution.
I’m addicted to the Internet. I’m going to struggle if I can’t get onto Google Maps for a whole year at a time while we’re travelling, or not be able to search for aires or look up info on the places we’re visiting. From the research I’ve done so far, I have these options to stay connected when travelling around Europe:
- WiFi
- Radio (3G, GPRS, EDGE)
- Satellite Internet
These all have pros and cons, and I’ll update this post as my research continues. At the moment, I’m looking at using an IPcopter semi-auto seeking roof-mounted satellite Internet dish, coupled with a long range WiFi aerial. The satellite system is not cheap, but I just love the idea of being able to pull up next to a Greek cove for the night and make a Skype call back home. Living the dream, as my friend Mark would say!
Hi there,
Just found this site through a link someone posted on the motorhome-living group.
Congrats on your trip (very jealous ;-)) and on your book – I may get that as Morocco is on the list, fingers crossed. Anyway, just wondering how you are coping with your mobile internet. If you have a moment could you offer some advice on the best/cheapest options open to someone traveling France Spain Portugal and Morocco. Cheers, John.
Hi John! Internet access, a tough one. All depends on your needs and how you’ll travel. We need small amounts of data every day (10MB to 20MB) and are often off campsites, with wifi frequently expensive or out of range. We sometimes spend a few weeks in a single country, but others just a few days. We end up using a variety of means. We have a Vodafone SIM which used to give us 25MB of data per day for £20.50 a month. That’s come to an end now and costs have increased, so we’re looking at a Europasim.com sim for when we can’t get wifi. We bought PAYG 3G SIMS in France, Morocco and Italy, which worked well (often dropping below 3G, but nearly always connecting, everywhere). No need for a contract, local bank account etc. These are usually about €25 for say 1GB of data, valid for 30 days, depends on telco and country. A wifi booster aerial is worth getting, Adam at motorhomewifi.com knows his stuff. If you just need text email, then a 3G Kindle is also an option. Cheers! Jay
Hi Guys. Trust you are well and enjoying your returning to motorhoming following your short return to the U.K. We now have an offer for our house – lower than we hoped for but the current market conditions are poor. We have been considering buying an i-pad, probably 3G with sim cards for each country we visit. However we are going to investigate the cost of satellite / internet systems at the big NEC show this week. Do you have any observations? We require regular e-mail,Skype and general travelling research usage.
Kind regards, Sandy & Jacquie.
Hi guys! Congratulations on the offer, getting closer now to departure? We’re getting back into travelling nicely, currently wandering across Switzerland, eyeing up the distant Alps with a tinge of fear! As for the Internet, I’ve no experience of Satellite Internet, so can’t comment on it, you could try Chris at the worldisourlobster.com. Our experience has been with wifi and cellular (3G) access. Wifi is patchy at best. We’ve a high powered directional antenna but in travels across UK, Belgium and Germany we’ve found only one open network. For me, cellular network access is by far the best and my feeling is it will be better than Satellite Internet in terms of cost. We use an Android phone which takes a standard sized SIM, and acts as a wifi hotspot. This means we have Internet on the phone (very useful if we get lost out and about) and that we can share the connection with other devices. Cellular networks across Europe are pretty good (very good much of the time), in Morocco they were excellent. They’re not always up to Skype though, but I’m also unsure how good Satellite VOIP will be (I’d want to get a demo before I bought based on a need for it, it takes a relatively long time for the packets to get into space and back, adding latency which might be uncomfortable). Local SIM costs vary, maybe €30 a month is a reasonable guesstimate, for 2 or 3GB data. Alternatively, EuropaSIM offer 100MB a day for €2 (we use this at the moment as we’re moving often between countries). I would expect cellular Internet costs to continue to fall year on year. To summarise, I really wanted Sat Internet when we started, but wouldn’t advise it now unless the van already has it or (a) you plan to be watching Sat TV too or (b) you plan to be travelling more than 3 years so can get the cost of installation spread out. More than happy to discuss further, just drop me an email at julieandjason@ourtour.co.uk! Cheers, Jay
Hi there, just found your blog and look forward to having a read. We have just bought a Hymer 544 and are really looking forward to making the most of the opportunities. Thank you for sharing all your experience.