Access to US Internet Sites?

We have never had that problem and use an iPod Touch accessing internet through Wi Fi connections.

Are you using your own laptop/netbook, tablet, or smartphone, or are you using a computer at an Internet cafe? Each connection to the Internet (computer, phone, etc.) has a unique address. The addresses are tied to specific companies (such as your cable company) and specific parts of the world. Some Internet sites (google, ebay, amazon, etc.) look at this address and determine where you are located. When they see you looking at ebay from the U.K., for example, they direct you the the U.K. version. You can get to that version from the U.S. by typing in the U.K. address (ebay.co.uk). What you are asking is whether there is a way to do that in reverse? There are ways if you can fool ebay and google into thinking you are located in the U.S. If you are using your own device to connect to the Internet, you can connect using an Internet proxy so it will look like you are connecting from the U.S. (A VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection is one way to do this.) It requires a bit of work to do this and some knowledge, but it can be done. How important is this to you? Let me know and I can provide more details.

Debbie probably had problems accessing the english language versions of some popular websites. I get around it by using the UK version of the site by modifying the address. Instead of http://maps.google .com I would use http://maps.google. co.uk etc.

Just note down the address of the website you want to look at, and you should be able to order it up. They're right that the European computers have cookies that pull up things relating to Europe. I find the European computer keyboards to be slightly different (than U.S. keyboards) and they can be very frustrating to use. I'm going to Italy next week, and I'm just carrying my regular heavy laptop. I just don't like the format that my favorite programs show up in on a notebook.

I have only experienced that problem once. I was in Innsbruck several years ago, and they have free wireless Internet access all over town. I had no problem getting on and accessing other websites (like this one), but, for some reason, I could not get to my hotmail account (which I use when I am out of town because my email through the Internet provider only connects through my DSL line, not the Internet). I don't think it had anything to do with my equipment. I'm guessing they block certain URLs to keep some people from tying up the system. Later that day, in Innsbruck, I found an Internet cafe and was able to access Hotmail without a problem. Other than that one time, I have never had a problem accessing the Internet or a particular website in either Internet cafes or hotels. And I've used three different portable computers all running Windows. In 2008, I used a T-Mobile aircard to access the Internet in Germany via G3 on my Windows netbook. Except in the Alps, where the signal was weak, I had no problem getting to the Internet, and when I could get on, I could access everything.

Thanks for all of the helpful responses. We will be using our own device & will follow your suggestions on our upcoming trip.--Debbie

Probably more related to your computer and its software for connecting. Two years ago we used a Triple e notebook and we were lucky to connect half the time. Last year used an ipad and it always connected. Once connected with either system had no problem accessing anything on the internet. You should make sure your software is up to date.

For google, you can use the address www.google.com/ncr When you use this, you will not get redirected to the country specific google website. That is the only one that I know off the top of my head, but Michael's suggestion to try the .co.uk domains is a good one when you don't know the alternative.

I find I usually have to do a Google search for something like "Google US version" or something like that for whatever site I want. That will find the version displayed to you in the US, or Canada, Mexico, or whatever country you want. Many of the major websites key off your IP address or Internet Service Providor(ISP) to prompt display of a page specific to your area. Typing in just "www.google.com" usually does not work, since the rules will redirect you to the local page. So using some addendum is needed. I find this relatively easy in Europe, in Mexico though, it was a struggle since I kept being redirected to a local page regardless of what I did, meaning the ISP must have had some firm rules.

James,
While your response was reassuring, however crude.

I suppose I understood the question. Sites like Google, Yahoo, many airlines will automatically redirect you to their localized version in some weird language by checking your IP (the physical address, simplifying a lot, of you internet connection). Usually, you can get around that easily by: - clicking in some version/language button
- changing the domain to .com instead of .it, fr., .co.uk or whatever

For Google - look at the bottom right of the page and click on "Google.com in English" For Yahoo - click on a link that shows up on a tab towards the left side (above the headline news articles) which will have "Yahoo.com" Both of these will get you back to the US versions.

Those links don't always show up, and when they do they don't always redirect properly.

When my husband and I were in Europe this past fall, I can't remember if this was in Germany or Austria, we found we weren't able to stream pandora internet radio. It could tell we were oversees and apparently it's not licensed in the country we were visting. You shouldn't have trouble with sites like google, but streaming sites might have licensing problems, like Spodify in the US until recently!