[JanM]

It seems as if I've been planning for the Bermuda Bowl for a year - oh, yes, I have, one of the results of holding the Trials for USA1 a year in advance , but now it's actually on the near horizon and I still have one (or maybe two) practical issue that hasn't been resolved. The hotel wants what seems to me too much for in-room internet access. I have a mi-fi I use to solve this problem in the US, but it's with Sprint and they'll charge me a lot to use it in Europe. Any suggestions of a source for 2-3 weeks of internet access in Europe (or just the Netherlands) at a reasonable price?

The second, related question, what about cell service? There I have AT&T but the result is the same - it will cost much more than I want to spend to use it in Europe. We do have Skype and Google Voice for calls to the US; will there be internet access everyplace we're likely to be (which means restaurants near Veldhoven, I guess), so an actual cell phone isn't necessary? Or is there a good company from which to get a short-term cell phone?

If I should have posted this on the Water Cooler, please feel free to move it - to me it's bridge related, but I can certainly see that maybe it isn't .

Thanks for any information anyone has!

[helene_t]

you can get a sim card from any telecom shop (there will be a dozen of them in eindhoven), it costs a few euros which is balanced by the pre-loaded credit so effectively it is free.

If your phone is hooked to a US provider, there will be stalls at (mostly) saturday markets that offer to remove the lock for a few euros.

As for mi-fi, Vodaphone gives you 150 MB in one week for 10 Euro. Doesn't sound particularly cheap but for people from US it is possibly cheaper than roaming.

[JanM]

Thanks, Helene, that's very helpful. My cell phone is the original iPhone (OK, OK, I'm hopelessly slow to upgrade - planning to get the iPhone5 though ), and I don't think it even takes a sim card, but since it's having some issues, I don't want to try unlocking it. However, proving my pack-rattery (is there such a word?), I still have the cheap cell phone we bought in Shanghai in 2007 for the same purpose, so getting a sim card and putting it in that one should work perfectly.

10 Euros a week sounds very reasonable, especially compared to the 70 Euros a week the hotel charges for wireless internet (per computer). Will they be able to use my mifi, do you know?

[helene_t]

you will need a G3 modem, either build into your computer or a dongle without simlock.

if you use very little little data i.e. you won't come anywhere near the 150 MB/week then KPN is probably cheaper than vodaphone.

the third provider, telfort, gives you a micro sim which you can use in tablets but not in ordinary dongles. check what kind of sim card you use for mifi, if it is an ordinary sim then vodaphone is probably the best choice.

People who stay at the campanile hotel may consider a kpn hotspot subscription (access to appr. 1000 wi-fi hotspots in the Netherlands) as this can also be used elsewhere, for example in the airport. But there is no kpn hotspot at koningshof.

If you need to buy a dongle for this purpose you might consider just buying a dongle for one computer and use that computer as a wifi hub for your mates in nearby hotel rooms. Then again, a dongle costs about 20 euro so it might not be worth the hazle.

[FrancesHinden]

I assume you're staying at the Koningshof? It was full when we came to book, so we're staying in a hotel in Eindhoven city centre which costs the same but has three advantages (i) it's close to lots of restaurants, (ii) it's not full of bridge players {yet} and (iii) it has free wireless. But of course it's a 10 minute drive to the bridge.

If you only want occasional access, lots of hotels offer free wifi and you can just go and sit in the lobby for half an hour.

[JanM]

Yes, we're staying at the tournament hotel, having had plenty of advance notice to make reservations in a timely fashion . The Koningshof also has free internet in the lobby, but I don't know whether it will be convenient or comfortable, so want to have an alternative that's less expensive than the 70 Euros a week they chaege for access from our room. I'm planning to go to a Vodafone store when I get to the Netherlands and hopefully get a reasonable plan for the relatively moderate amount of internet use we'll want there.

I'll look forward to seeing you there!

[helene_t]

when getting prepaid mi-fi from vodaphone make sure you get a "voordeelbundel" (discount package) which mean 150 MB for 10 Euro. Buying 1 MB at a time as you use them is considerably more expensive.

I think you can get it from any telecom shop (except those dedicated to their competitors), doesn't have to be a vodaphone shop.

[Spooky]

Hi Jan,

I've been at the koningshof, and there will be wireless for everybody in the building, the hotel is big, so I have no idea how good the signal will be.
I'm surprised you have to pay for internet on your room, I guess the internet will be organised good so you can make use of the free internet, if you want some skyping or so going on, I'm sure you can find a silent/private spot.

[JanM]

Thanks, Spooky. I was also surprised that they're charging a substantial amount for in room internet, but the hotel rate is excellent, so I suppose they didn't want to include any "extras."

I'm glad to hear that there will be good locations for using the free internet .

[barmar]

JanM, on 2011-September-28, 10:21, said:

Thanks, Spooky. I was also surprised that they're charging a substantial amount for in room internet, but the hotel rate is excellent, so I suppose they didn't want to include any "extras."

I guess that's the difference between US and European hotels. In the US, the expensive hotels usually make you pay through the nose for in-room Internet (around $15/day), cheap hotels provide free Internet. I think the assumption is that if you can afford the room rate, you can also afford the expensive Internet (many of their customers are business travelers, whose employers cover the costs).

[JLOGIC]

Internet is free starting the 14th because we are with the bridge tourney from what they told me. Pretty nice.

[JLOGIC]

Confirmed free internet in rooms, very good speed also, thanks WBF!