Travel Tips: Internet & Computer Guide

Using a Computer in Austria, Germany,
or Switzerland

The biggest difference between internet access in Europe and in North America used to be that local calls are charged by the minute in Europe. But ever fewer internet users have a local dial-up connection for which they pay for each minute online, as in the “old days.” Most people in Germany now have flat-rate high-speed DSL, and German telecom charges have generally come down in recent years. They can even be quite low, especially in the late evening or on holidays.

A German computer keyboard (Tastatur) is QWERTZ rather than QWERTY. And where’s that darn @ key? See link on right > PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Wi-Fi and High-Speed Access in Germany
Wi-Fi (called W-LAN in German) internet access in Germany and Europe is still a bit spotty. Most German business hotels offer Ethernet or wi-fi high-speed internet access for either an hourly or a daily charge. For example, the last time I was there, the Kempinski Airport Hotel in Munich charged 20 euros per 24-hour period for unlimited access via its Ethernet (room) or wi-fi (lobby) connections. But a hotel in Munich offered free internet access in its rooms, something fairly rare in Germany. Smaller hotels and pensions are more problematic. Sometimes there are problems even getting a dial-up connection (hard-wiring, different jacks, etc.) It’s wise to ask before booking if you will need internet access from your hotel.

ISPs in Germany

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Internet Service Providers in Germany
The largest German internet service provider is Deutsche Telekom’s T-Online. There are also hundreds of local and regional ISPs in Germany, such as gmx.net, snafu.de, or Web.de (DSL).

T-Online (Deutsche Telekom)
T-Online is the online service of Deutsche Telekom and, like AOL or MSN, offers its own content as well as internet and Web access. See the T-Online Web site (in German) for current information.

AOL Germany
In January 2010 AOL announced it was closing its offices in Germany as part of a major restructuring, but its online service remains. AOL members in Germany can access AOL via the country-wide number 0-19-14 from anywhere in Germany at the local phone rate, with dialup. Broadband (DSL) connections are also available. > AOL Deutschland

Local and Regional ISPs / Cybercafes

Austria, Germany, and Switzerland have all gotten into the internet and the Web in a big way. In addition to the “big three” above, each country has an array of local internet service providers (ISPs) that offer a variety of services, including e-mail, home pages, and Web site hosting. Examples are eTel in Austria and snafu.de in Germany.

Web-based E-mail
With the advent of the “cybercafe” — see the links below — it is now possible to stay online while traveling without a computer. Business people and others have bought into the universal access offered by having a Web-based e-mail account with MSN’s Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, or some other free Web e-mail service. Many firms also provide web-based email for their employees. They can go into a cybercafe (or use a friend’s computer) to access their e-mail and surf the Web. Of course, a Web cafe doesn’t offer this service for free, but the cost is usually very reasonable.

Mail2Web.com (free) or your own ISP’s Web mail allows you to check your e-mail account on the Web service. It’s a fast and easy way to access any mail box from any Web browser anywhere you have internet access.

Modem Tips

Germany was one of the few countries in the world that once required modem users to register their modems with the telephone company. Because the law was widedly ignored—even by usually law-abiding Germans—and because the law was stupid, it’s no longer necessary to register your modem in Germany. But other problems persist for North Americans used to the standard RJ-11 phone plug and free local phone calls. However, RJ-11 phone plug converters can now be bought in Germany. Just go to a department store or telephone shop (anywhere mobile phones are sold) and ask for a connection cable with the RJ-11 connector for your laptop/notebook modem on one end, and the German connector on the other.

Hard-wired connections and different dial tones are only two of those problems. I highly recommend a phone line tester that comes with plug adapters. It could save your computer! Thankfully, as DSL replaces dial-up, this is less of a problem.

A word of caution for business travelers!
Many German hotels charge high telephone fees (even for local calls)—sometimes up to 7 times more than the regular Deutsche Telekom rates! To avoid a nasty surprise later, always check the rates before you go online from your hotel room. The good news: some American hotel chains in Europe, such as Marriott, do have RJ-11 phone plugs in their rooms. Also be wary of digital (ISDN) phone lines that can fry your modem!

Some German hotels also offer computer access for business travelers, but usually at a high price. However, during a recent stay in a respected business hotel in Germany, I discovered that the hotel’s sole computer (one, eins!) for public use was kaputt and unavailable at any price. It may be wise to bring your own.

NEXT > Cell Phone Tips

MORE > The iPhone in Germany

Web content ©1997-2010 Hyde Flippo

Related Pages

• The Shocking Facts about German electricity and appliances
• Cell Phone Tips
• The iPhone in Germany is also available without a contract (unlocked)!
• "Expat, Phone Home" - Helpful tips from the GW Expat Blog!
• Telephone Tips - Do you know how to use a German coin or credit card phone?
• Television Tips (PAL)
• The Germans, Deutsche Telekom, and stocks
• Expats Page - Learn from those who have already been there, done that.

Related Web Links

NOTE: The German-Way and More is not responsible for
the content of external internet sites.

• AOL Germany (in German)
• CompuServe (CIS) Germany (in German)
• MSN Deutschland (in German)
• T-Home - Deutsche Telekom (in English or German) - DSL and other internet services
• T-Online is Deutsche Telekom's internet service. (in German)
• World Wide Phone Guide by Steve Kropla. Tells you how to hook up a modem abroad and other international phone hints. Important, since hooking up a modem in Europe can be more difficult than in the US. - For cell phone info, see our Cell Phone (“das Handy”) page.

Internet Cafes

NOTE: The German-Way and More is not responsible for
the content of external internet sites.

• Cybercafes.com - Find internet cafes all over the world.
• Cyber Cafés of Europe - Find the street address, e-mail address, and URL for cybercafes in Germany and other European countries
• Cafe Einstein in Vienna, Austria (Rathausplatz 4). Also in English. In addition to the food and drink, you can rent or use a laptop here.
• Cafe Stein Internetbar in Vienna

NEXT > Cell Phone Tips