What methods are there to get internet access while backpacking around Europe, and how expensive are they?

Les: What methods are there to get internet access while backpacking around Europe, and how expensive are they?
I will be backpacking around Europe for a couple months this summer. Due to a family situation back home, I’ll probably need to access the internet fairly often. What options will I have to do that and how much do they cost (roughly)?

For example, is there widespread internet access available on cell phones? Are internet “cafes” common and inexpensive? Are open Wi-Fi hotspots common if I bring my own device (like a netbook)?

Thanks for any information!

Answers and Views:

Answer by RUStuPID
it depends on individual city i live in London and been to only Paris, there are loads of free Wi-Fi hotspots in London especially in airports, restaurants, coffee shops like starbuck eg and central London. other options are also available such as pay go mobile broadband sticks you can top up as much as you want, if you make a contract phone like iPhone for eg you are allowed to use internet, emails,gps anything unlimited..in the entire UK, the fastest broadband in UK is Virgin Media Broadband it offers up to 50Mbps fire optic speed (tremendously fast). mine one is 10Mbps speed id say its fast.
if you use in internet cafe it will charge you £1 per hour.

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/mobile_broadband/

https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/packages/

https://store.virginmedia.com/broadband.html?id=2

Good luck

Answer by conley39
Here in Italy, there are usually a number of public internet access places available in the tourist destinations. There are also hot spots available if you have a laptop with Wi-Fi, but they’re not always free. The public spots vary in price. In Florence, the Internet Train outlet is 4.50 euro per hour. In Venice there are a couple of places at 5 euro per hour. Some hotels have free WiFi – for example, the Hotel Verona in Verona does – you only need to ask for a user id and password at the desk when you check in.

Answer by Bryan
WiFi is everywhere! Especially when it comes to Hostels.

Personally, I’d bring an iPhone (with the phone disabled), iPod Touch, or Netbook, and tap in wherever I could. You can also use Skype on all of those devices to call back home frequently and cheaply.

If you have one of these devices, and you’re staying in hostels, I find the WiFi is generally anywhere from FREE, to $ 4 an hour. The cheaper the place, the cheaper the internet. If you stay at the Sheraton, the Hilton or the Le Meredian, you’ll pay up to $ 40 a day for WiFi. If you’re staying in a hotel, often I’ve found free internet in the lobbies of hotels. So as long as you dont mind a painfully slow connection, and doing your business in public, that works too.

9 times out of 10, I use the internet at where I’m staying, and I’m staying somewhere cheap, so the internet access is relatively cheap too. My reccomendation, stay in hostels. You’ll meet more people anyways. Hostelworld.com tells you if the place you’re going to stay in has the internet, and they generally tell you the price of it too. If it doesn’t say FREE WiFi, then there is probally a small charge for it.