Malta and the Internet

Yippy I'm going on holiday. . Back to the point, I can't leave my trusty Jornada 720 at home and I can't ignore HPC:Factor for two weeks . What is the best way for me to connect to the internet while I'm out there? I don't know if there are WIFI hotspots, or internet cafe's out there (i'm still on the hunt) Has anyone been to Malta? I have my GSM card but to make a phone call home every day to connect to my ISP would be ridiculusly expensive. What is the cheapest way to connect abroad?

Nick

Unless you can find an Internet cafe, it'll be pricey.

You will either find the hotel do one of two things.

Require a deposit for activation of the telephone line "per day" and then bill by the minute. Or they'll just bill by the minute.
Be aware though that many hotels will have rates along the lines of 30p a minute for picking up the receiver and then the charge for LOCAL calls - so if you have Compuserve of AOhelL you would have a spinning cashregister on your hands, especially on a bad line where you have to dial 4 or 5 times to connect. Worse if you're dialing International.

It does really depend on the hotel / chain. In the USA they're usually very reasonable about it. Even to the point of offering 24 hour DSL access just for $5 / $10, which in a Hotel is very reasonable.

South America isn't generally so good, Europe.. depends which bit. No idea about the far east and the UK... well, here hoteliers just see you coming a mile off.

I'll start googling (slow process) , But thanks for your help, Anyone anyother ideas?

Nick

Or you can cruise around public libraries ... they have free internet terminals with high-speed access! Some areas even have free wifi coverage

Or worst case, go airport wardriving ...

Erm airport ideas out of the window the nerest airport is 1 hour away from where i'm staying

Could do the Libary idea

I've found a Cocktail bar that does free internet so I think I'll use that.

The Hotel may have access anyway.

Nick

Only a few weeks to go...

I'd really prefer to use my HPC though, show off beside the pool always had its advantages

Does anyone have FULL Europe or Malta Maps for Destinator 3? We're hiring a car so getting lost will be more painfull than getting lost in the UK

Nick

i don't have malta
i do have the full europe CD's but they don't include malta.. sorry

So Nick, have you actually gone for your hols?

Ohhh, so you still haven't gone yet lol

As for the original question... can you get local dial-up access? Or do you really have to have wireless

And where is Malta? I am so bad with places

where's Malta?! oh of course you don't live in Europe... it's there, a nice little island in the Mediterranean Sea... i'd like to visit it sometime, Nick is so lucky

No, I haven't gone yet. Only a few weeks to go.

I wasn't planning on dial-up access. Maybe WiFi or Ethernet. If I can't get those forms I'll buy a SIM card and use my GSM card.

Yep, I am so lucky

No maps!!! So annoying. Ah well.

Nick

Edited by Nick Charlton 2005-08-02 5:26 AM

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!! Seriously I have been to Malta, it was some time ago though, around 1996. One thing I would recommend is catching a ride on the remaining AEC and ThorneyCroft buses, if there are any left! Most have recently been replaced with more modern Low Floor buses (Kneeling one - If you are in a wheelchair, the driver would see you at the entrance and "lower" the entrance level - just like modern UK buses, infact, they ARE UK buses, with forgen chassis!).
As for the internet situation, I am not sure on that, atleast I don't remember seeing a telephone jack in the hotel I was in. Many places should theratically have Wi-Fi, not sure where but have a snoop around Valletta since that is the captial of Malta.
Oh, beware, I think Malta runs off the 2 pin 220v AC system! As I said, I was there ages ago, way before Wi-Fi was even a twinkle in someones eye!

Malta for comparasion is a rock, not too far from Sicily, about 60 to 100 miles, in fact. Now one place I have been to that I would love to go there again, the other being Teneriffe!

Map of approximate place:
(if it doesn't work: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/image?id=M0065500&path=a4malta.jpg )

(yeah, I know, I should get my lazy fat butt to sign in! )
I hope this helps