Is Wi-fi very common around Rome, Florence, and Venice? I'm debating about buying an Ipod Touch before I go and would love to be able to use the internet capabilities it has when in Italy - it would be very useful for Google maps, checking email, etc...
Has anyone used an Ipod Touch there or have any advice?
Posted by
Wilmington, DE, USA
712 posts
Do you mean I-phone? Have not heard about Ipod touch. If it is an I-phone check how you would be billed in Europe. Met a lady who had run up a HUGE bill on a trip to Europe last summer.
Posted by
OP
Pleasant Grove
11 posts
No, I mean the Ipod touch...it does not have the phone capabilities. It is an ipod with free internet when there is Wi-fi around which most areas have nowadays.
Posted by
San Juan Capistrano, CA, USA
98 posts
Leslie:
My husband and I just returned from a trip to Italy this week. My husband was able to use his Ipod Touch in Milan, Rome and Venice by purchasing a certain amount of time at our hotels (for instance, in Rome the fee was 10 euro for 3 hours worth of time). Check with the hotels that you will be staying at to see what they offer and what the cost will be. Since the time was paid in advance there were no surprises as far as high costs...we knew what we were getting up front.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
There are several places online that list free Wi-Fi hotspots around the world. Once place is...
http://www.wififreespot.com/europe.html
...which lists several free hotspots around Italy.
If there are this many free spots there, I'm sure there are quite a few more available for a fee.
For instance,...
...lists 5,290 Wi-Fi locations in Italy.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
In some areas there are actually so many WiFi signals, that it causes my PDA to crash-requiring a reboot. Some newer hotels have wired broadband instead of wireless. So you might want to pack a small Ethernet cable.
Posted by
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
1127 posts
By law all wi-fi networks are supposed to be password protected and all users must be registered so I don't think you will be able to walk around and pick up a signal. Of course in Italy what is mandated by law and what actually happens are two different things.
Posted by
Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
606 posts
SamSn said, "By law all wi-fi networks are supposed to be password protected and all users must be registered..."
Good point. That's probably about terrorism. I know they make you show your passport sometimes at Internet Cafes. They don't want you going online if you can't be traced.
I imagine some places are free, but you still have to register. Also, some hotels and restaurants have free wi-fi, but they don't want non-customers using it, so registration would be required.
Posted by
Newburyport, MA
683 posts
Altho we didnt use a laptop bcuz the hassles of bringing one along far outweigh the convenience of using internet shops, in Italy especially you cannot use a computer without showing a passport. We therefore doubt that wi-fi access (if available) can be had without at least requiring identification or , as mentioned above, registration
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Most WiFi hotspots are not free, and charge for access. One pays for this access by entering your credit card info. Since the CC data identifies the user, this make most all WiFi hotposts compliant under Italian law. So I guess what I'm saying is using WiFi in Italy, is no different then anywhere else in Europe or the world for that matter.