wifi availability in Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary?

Anyone have personal experience finding open or inexpensive wi-fi in any of those countries?  Debating my options for web and phone access for a trip of several weeks.  I'm betting Spain and Italy are pretty easy, no idea with Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary.  I'd expect them to be spotty, but maybe I'm in for a surprise. 

Any comments on Skype usage with their worldwide and internet phone # subscriptions?  I haven't tried any VOIP services so far. 

Exploring the idea of something comparatively inexpensive like an Ipod Touch with a one month Skype subscription package.  Clearly it'd be a paperweight without wifi access, but how dangerous a thought is that in those locales?    Phone would be awesome for getting or canceling reservations on the go, web would be great for.....all that the web is great for. 

Touch approach looks like a $300ish expenditure that would still be useful later, without having to lug a laptop in a backpack.  I'm not seeing any temporary package I can to my existing cell add that would even compete (counting added value of a device that continues to be useful).  Unless I look at a throw away Euro cell, and add the hassle of what, changing SIMS in each country?  And for how much money?  How do you Euro travelers do it? 

Thoughts, positive and negative, appreciated.  Maybe all wishful thinking. 

http://www.fon.com/en/

I travel a lot all over Europe playing shows with a German artist.
I have a Blackberry/ Ipod touch and also a Macbook ( in hotel )
Hot Spots on the move / on foot are sporadic and as for other connections. there are surprises.

Berlin's Tegal airport for instance has a free Vodaphone WIFI spot but most Hotels, even VERY
expensive Hotels want you to pay around €22 a day for a connection !!
Sometimes there is a free "spot" in the lobby if you're very lucky.
I find that to be outrageous and always voice my opinion with the Hotel chain.

You should find decent "hot spots" in Italy and Spain.

If you picked up an Iphone or Blackberry at least you would have your phone/ web in one gadget !
They both work well and basic web access is fine on anything with more than a 2 inch square screen.

I would expect poor connection in general and anything else is a bonus.

MM.

emrr said:

How do you Euro travelers do it?

Click to expand...

With a GSM cellphone, throwaway or not.

Some time ago I was in Florence, Italy, with a friend with an iPhone, and when looking to browse restaurant reviews we spent a lot of time trying to find open WiFi nets. Bear in mind that Skype+WiFi makes it hard for people to call you back, unless you're willing to spend the afternoon in a Starbucks waiting for them to get back to you.

If it were me I'd buy a EUR35-50 prepaid phone in the first country I'd visit, and make sure that international roaming charges aren't insane and that it's possible to buy extra credit online. An alternative is to find a cheap unlocked three(/four?)-band GSM phone in the States and either buy one European SIM if international roaming is cheap enough, or get a SIM per country. Most of my USAnian friends take this route when they come to visit.

JDB.

Damn...

I read the topic title as:

" wife availability in Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary? "

...well, now I feel silly!

Keef

if you come in Croatia told me, and you can use skype me or internet cafe usually have skype, hotels generally have a wireless network, a charge it, and some is free
bpucekov
www.akaj.hr

About the phone, I second what jdbakker said:
you can get an unlocked GSM 3.band in USA [the 4th band is not used in Europe if I remember well],
and then get a SIM in each country.
But in Italy, for that, they want always you to sign a contract, lot of documents, papers etc..
I know also that some companies do have roaming contracts not so bad, but only for 1-2 countries.
I think also you'll get more easily "throw-away" SIMs in Slovenia Croatia and Hungary.

As for the open wifi hotspots, yes here in Italy now is difficult, for a simple reason:
its at least 1 year that lot of new pseudo-cheap offers, contracts, from telephone companies, comes with a pre-configured WPA protected AP,
so there is less and less people who use open, not configured APs bought at commercial centers, with the flat-rate internet connection they used to have at home/restaurants whatever.

Business or pleasure ?
have a good trip

Thanks guys, I figured it was probably wishful.  More research to do.  Google "best inexpensive unlocked GSM phone", and check the SIM situation more thoroughly.  I don't have a phone contract currently, and don't really wish to sign up for another two years of anything jut yet.

I guess Keef was just doing his moderator job and monitoring the subject lines.  As far as I know, I'll still have a wife at that time, but you never know.  Keeping yer options open, Keef? 

The wife's sister is stationed in Germany, and wants to meet us in Spain for a week.  After, probably grab a flight to Venice, which we missed last time (8 years ago), and hop the train east. 

Branko, thanks for reminding me you are in Zagreb.  I think we will come through there.  Anyone else between Venice and Budapest?