On the internet access issue:
All western european countries have ultra modern digital telephone
systems. However, internal hotel systems may occasionally pose
problems.
1) Hotel system could be 100% digital.. i.e. there is no analogue
line, if you connect your modem you'll be connecting it to an ISDN
line and potentially doing it dammage.
This is usually the case where there is an RJ45 connector (like an
ethernet connector, fatter than a regular US phone plug)
2) Each country in Europe uses its own standard of phone connector, a
couple use RJ11 like the US (Ireland & Spain for example) however, the
rest use completely incompatable connectors.
There are some easy sollutions:
a)Buy an adaptor locally.. most computer shops will be able to help as
RJ11 (US phone plugs) are used a lot on the back of modems.
b) Find a normal phone unplug the line cord from the phone itself
(typically the connector will be either on the back or under the
phone)
You'll notice that the phone's cable has an RJ11 (US Style) phone
connector on one end (at the phone) and the national phone connector
on the other end (at the socket)
If you plug this cord into your modem it should work..
HOWEVER (there's always an however) if you get no dialtone:
To save costs many phone manufacturers may choose to wire the RJ11
connectors on their phones to suit the connector in the country that
you're visiting (it simplifies manufacturing by removing the need for
cables to cross-over etc etc)
Anyway, it means that occasionally the line may not be carried on the
same terminals as it would be in the USA/Canada even though the
connector is physically identical. In this situation you need to buy
an adaptor or a cable wired in the normal US Style.
Also if one particular phone's cable doesn't work, it doesn't mean
that all the phones in the country are wired that way, other phones
(particularly generic brands i.e. not branded with the phone company's
name) may be wired the standard way.
BT (British Telecom) Branded phones are notorious for this. The UK
uses a crimp-on modular connector, similar to, but not the same as the
US type RJ11.. The UK connector carries the line on a different pair
to the USA (the outside pair instead of the centre pair) so to make
wiring easier they re-assign the terminals in the phone and crimp the
connectors (RJ11 one end and UK type on the other) onto straight
cable. HOWEVER, BT to RJ11 (US/Irish) adaptors are very easily
available cheaply in any computer / electronics store in the UK.
--- In Ireland (and Spain) you can just plug in a US / Canadian modem
and it will work.
BTW: Generally, electrically there are no signifigant differences
between the phone networks.. a modern modem will cope just fine on any
of them the only hurdel is the plug!
---
Cellphones / Mobile phones:
GSM 900 and 1800 Mhz is universially available in Europe
as is GPRS (High speed data service).. You could buy a prepaid SIM
card to check your mail etc via your cellphone at more reasonable than
roaming rates.
Also, more and more WiFi points of presence are popping up around
airports, train stations, hotels etc..
So if you have a WiFi card in your laptop you might be able to log on
at broadband speed in these areas.
