Net-Friendly Holiday Destinations?

Marius Kjeldahl asks: "Am I the only one wondering about this? Are there any net-friendly holiday destinations/resorts? Parts of my job I can pretty much do anywhere, and while I am waiting for affordable cellular/satellite net-access, I would like to know if anybody know of any net-friendly resorts. These resorts should be able to offer minimum quality (preferrably better than dial-up) and affordable links. The best thing would be a ethernet outlet with DHCP, or possibly wireless 802.11b. I know most of the business type hotels offer some type of link, but they typically charge an arm and a leg, and no, using a infrared keyboard and the remote control does not allow me to get work done; I need to hook up my laptop."

Comments

Where do you want to go?

[VA Software]

It's no use /. suggesting the "Costa Del Internet" resort in Spain if you don't have a passport, are allergic to seafood and cheap wine and have no desire to learn Spanish

Decide where you want to go.
Find the resorts there - tourist towns have tourist information offices which can help you with this.
Then phone them up and ask if they have internet access.

Piece of cake.

have a nice holiday.

Re:Where do you want to go?

[VA Software]

I know (First Post!). You don't really think he's going to listen to that though, do you?

He's going to spend hundreds of dollars on plane tickets and hotel rooms. Then sit there for 2 weeks eating pizza, working, and looking out the window at all the people having fun on their holidays.

Re:Where do you want to go?

[Tackhead]

> He's going to spend hundreds of dollars on plane tickets and hotel rooms. Then sit there for 2 weeks eating pizza, working, and looking out the window at all the people having fun on their holidays.

Has anyone tried Geek Cruises?

Doesn't look like you have network access from your stateroom, but if you're looking for a geeky holiday, as opposed to getting work done while on holiday...

Ask Slashdot

[VA Software]

Food?
[Basic Living Skills]Posted by Cliff on 19:14 Monday 19 November 2001
from the Where's-my-mommy dept.

Hungry Guy asks: "What shall I have for dinner tonight? How do I cook it? How much salt shall I add? Which hand do I hold my fork in? Do I swallow before chewing or afterwards.
At the age of 46, I have just left home. My mummy used to cook for me, but now I'm all on my own!!! This is great when I want to bring my friend round to compile the latest linux kernel; but it means that I am no longer provided with hot nutrious food 3 times a day. Please reply quickly, my tummy is hurting." This is a prolbem that effects all g33k's when they first venshure out into the werld. Cna ne1 suggest a meel that Hungry Guy can cook for himself this evening?

Re:Ask Slashdot

[redrouteone]

Easy- Just go across the street to the Waffle House. Thats what I did.

Uh . . .

[pete-classic]

wireless 802.11b

Uh . . . as opposed to what?

Re:Uh . . .

[terpia]

wireless 802.11a

Re:Uh . . .

[pete-classic]

I can't remember ever seeing anyone miss the point so deftly.

The question was "wireless 802.11b vs. what?" In other words, what other kind of 802.11b is there?

Christ, almighty; I need a drink.

-Peter

Re:Uh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Wireless is just a noun in apposition. Since you clearly are unaware of what this is, I suggest you look up the word apposition at dictionary.com. Then, consider contributing something useful to the discussion instead of posting smug and snotty comments.

Re:Uh . . .

[Tower]

Well, it looks more like wireless (802.11b?) than (wireless?) 802.11b... at least, that's the way I read it, possibly the same take that terpia had.

Re:Uh . . .

[pete-classic]

Wow, you have quite a command of the language.

I prefer Merriam-Webster online. I find it to be more scholarly, which I guess you might appreciate.

Sure, it is a "noun in apposition." Does that make it less redundant? I wasn't questioning his grammar. I'm geeky. This is a geeky site. "Wireless 802.11b" is a distinctly un-geeky thing to say.

One thing I'm not clear on; why is it that you feel okay about posting "smug and snotty," but you don't think that I should?

Is it that you feel justified because I fired the first snot?

-Peter

Re:Uh . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

802.11g

give us a bit more...

[terpia]

I would have no prob doing some research on places Ive been in the past or would like to go in the future (this interests me too) - AND let you know what I find. But, what do you like to do? I'm not gonna do research on resorts with skiing or golfing to find out afterwards that you hate the cold or heat. And, what kind of work do you do? How much access do you need? Theres a big difference between pulling HUGE or small amount of source down from cvs nightly and compiling or just having to check and reply to lots of emails. Are you self employed, and this all has to be out of pocket? Or are you employed by some entity that will/won't chip for an upgrade in accomodations to meet your needs? Also, do you really *have* to connect your laptop to the net? Could you get some sort of removable storage and use access at a netcafe (not for company secrets!) and bring your data back to your room? Ive found this to be highly useful, and convenient in the past (even used a netcafe in tijuana one time). if this works for you, you may be interested in these two links: http://cybercaptive.com/ (its a netcafe locator/search engine) and also this book http://www.netcafeguide.com/ (its a guidebook for netcafe's and if youre a Douglas Adams fan, you can appreciate the cover)

My 2 cents

Followup from original poster

[kjeldahl]

I'm not picky about destinations, but prefer somewhere warm (I'm based in northern Europe). As for the suggestions mentioned so far the no-brainers that I'm already using include internet cafes and cheapo/dial-up links, but these are not sufficient for long time work (and I do check source code into CVS repositories, log in and sync web sites using ssh/rsync and more). And I fear the answers I would get if I dial up the local tourist office and ask for hotels with internet access ("yes, all the hotels have phones.."). So far I have received 0 suggestions, which indicate to me that there are few resorts offering _real_ internet access.

Re:Followup from original poster

[Bazman]

Holiday destinations are holiday destinations. They're not meant for working. They're meant for holidaying. Its your holiday. Stop working.

Of course business hotels with internet access are expensive - they're for business. Most people on holiday don't want to work.

Although the idea of sitting by the pool with a wireless laptop might be appealing, you will get a terrible tanline on your lap.

Enjoy your holiday without work. Use the local internet cafes to check your email for a while, but those CVS checkins can wait. You might even be more productive when you get back, after a nice rest. That's what I tell the boss.

Baz

Re:Followup from original poster

[jon doh!]

personally, i've always had a problem using my laptops in anything but indoor lighting. even leaving my office window shade open at the wrong angle will produce an unreadable screen. as much as i love the idea of sitting outside on a nice summer day and surfing the net, i'd much rather sit outside on a nice summer day enjoying a good book or just talking with my wife. like most people have said, vacations are for relaxing. if you can't break away for more than a day of not having to check email, you shouldn't be taking a vacation (imho).

Re:Followup from original poster

[terpia]

And I fear the answers I would get if I dial up the local tourist office and ask for hotels with internet access ("yes, all the hotels have phones..").

So...you fear the answers you'd get from the tourist offices *but* you think you'll get better answers if you post an Ask Slashdot? Can anyone here really say that any of the responses so far are unexpected in an Ask Slashdot like this? This topic interests me alot, but I think that not posting enough info in the first place and then not checking resources....thats like someone posting an "technical" Ask Slashdot question and not checking google first!

As an aside, I think that most major resorts do in fact have what they like to call a "business center" that usually consists of a fax, photocopier, and 1-3 computers with broadband access, and I dont think access at the room level in resorts will improve much in the next few years due to the dot.com bust and the unwillingness to spend money on things that wont have much *perceived* benefit as far as the resorts bottom line is concerned.

I think your best plan of action would be to decide on your desired destination, (since you like warmer climates, how about say palm springs, california for example) then, look at resorts, then after youve got an idea of what resorts are acceptable and offer the vacation you want - THEN find out which is the most wired. And dont be afraid to call the concierge desk of the resorts you are considering and asking specifically what they can do for you and your situtation.

Yes, I know this comment doesnt magically answer the questions you posed. But, I can say that I have never stayed anywhere outside of a business suites type place that had decent access, and although Im sure they exist, Im sure they cost just as much as a business suite somewhere. (i hope im wrong!)

Forget hotels.

[biglig2]

You answered your own question in a way - the only hotel that is going to bother to provide broadband internet access in the rooms is one that caters to businessmen. And they'll know how to charge for it too. I like the St Stephens in Dublin - but I wouldn't like to pay for it.

Only other possibility that occurs to me is to try to rent someone's holiday home or such and try and find one that's connected. Worst case, you'll get an analogue conenction charged at sensible rates that doesn't go thru a PABX.

Try some little villa somewhere, bring a server and a wirelss access point and cache all your CVS changes

Why?

[mooneyguy]

If I'm going to a resort (or anywhere) on vacation, I'm doing it to get away from the network, computers, work, obligations, and other day-to-day drudgeries.

Why would you want to "get away from it all" only to get connected back up again?

I get pretty impatient with my wife when we go away on a nice vacation and she obsesses about checking her voice mail and electronic mail. Leave it be! Enjoy yourself! Relax!

It's a VACATION!

[Tassach]

Come on, do you really want to be tied to a PC while you are on vacation? If you want to surf the web, just stay at home -- it's cheaper and you've probably got more bandwidth. If you are afraid of suffering email withdrawl, get an AOL account and cancel it before the month is over -- dialup is fine for checking email, and AOL has darn near global coverage.

There's a whole big world out there. Go out and enjoy it. When you go on vacation do yourself a favor and leave your laptop, pda, and cell phone at home. Get out and see the sights, flirt with the girls, get drunk, whatever. If you can't afford to take the time off work, consider a day trip or a long weekend instead. Leave the work at the office and enjoy life.

National ISPs

[Johnboi Waltune]

If you have an account with a national ISP (Earthlink, etc), you can 'roam'... Find out the local access number for where you'll be staying and just log on the same way you would at home.

So it's not broadband, so what... do you really need to be downloading warez and pr0n on your vacation anyway? I guess this advice is also not much help if you're going international. And many hotels do charge you by the minute for local calls. But if you need to get online, that's a way to do it.

Hotels with Internet connections...

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.geektools.com/geektels/

some cruise ships are getting connected

[GoatPigSheep]

I went on a carnival cruise last winter and I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite not having a computer or net access. But I heard that their ships were going to be outfitted with internet cafe's. So you might want to check it out.. I'm sure it will be rather pricey however.