gasgobill Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Does anyone know of a list of free WiFi campsites, either in this country or abroad? Another website (UKcampsite.co.uk) does allow you to search for sites with WiFi, but there is no way of knowing if any are free, unless I ring up each one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyH Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Can't help you but fear that you will have a lost cause there. Campsites are in it for the money and you don't get owt for nowt in this world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 RoyH - 2009-03-22 10:42 PM Can't help you but fear that you will have a lost cause there. Campsites are in it for the money and you don't get owt for nowt in this world. That's true - and the same applies to companies (whether campsites or other) which provide a WiFi facility, they don't get owt for nowt as they have to pay their own WiFi supplier. A company can then decide whether to provide the service at no charge or at a charge. Companies like McDonalds and Wetherspoons choose a no charge model because they hope that by doing so their customers will visit their premises more often, stay longer and buy more of the other products on offer. Other companies (which include campsites) do not have the same opportunities for selling (at a profit) extra products/services so make a charge for WiFi usage to cover their outgoings. At the beginning of last year we bought vouchers for WiFi usage at a couple of CC sites. No quibble about the prices because they were only the same as we would have paid elsewhere for the same service but we looked at our annual usage (plus the fact that we sometimes want Internet access where there is no WiFi provision) and opted for a mobile dongle as a more cost-effective solution. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatterdog Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Both the european camping guides camping cheques and ACSI state on the individual site pages wether wifi is available and if it is free or chargable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter42 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Camping Albufeira on the Algarve give free connection, but its the only one I know of. A lot in Portugal and Spain will sell you cards but even so connection can be poor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1ntersun Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Camping Rosaleda at Coni de la frontera has free wifi Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 GJH - 2009-03-22 11:04 PM .......At the beginning of last year we bought vouchers for WiFi usage at a couple of CC sites. No quibble about the prices because they were only the same as we would have paid elsewhere for the same service but we looked at our annual usage (plus the fact that we sometimes want ........ Graham Bear in mind that if you are on a BT Broadband package, your 'free' Openzone minutes can be used at the Caravan Club site WiFi connection without the need to purchase time from the site. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Basil - 2009-03-23 3:17 PM Bear in mind that if you are on a BT Broadband package, your 'free' Openzone minutes can be used at the Caravan Club site WiFi connection without the need to purchase time from the site. Bas Good point Bas - we're on Virgin though :-D Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Basil - 2009-03-23 3:17 PM Bear in mind that if you are on a BT Broadband package, your 'free' Openzone minutes can be used at the Caravan Club site WiFi connection without the need to purchase time from the site. Bas Now that is useful info (I'm with BT). Thanks Bas. Don't suppose you know if the same is true for the CCC WiFi? I suspect maybe not because their WiFi prices are extortionate. 8o| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 everhopeful - 2009-03-23 7:12 PM Now that is useful info (I'm with BT). Thanks Bas. Don't suppose you know if the same is true for the CCC WiFi? I suspect maybe not because their WiFi prices are extortionate. 8o| Looking at the CCC web site it appears that their provider is BT. The CC provider is KeConnext (KeZone). BT Openzone and KeConnect have an agreement that will allow customers to both companies to roam and use each others WiFi hotspots across the UK. The prices for both BT and KeConnect are similar and it is those companies which determine what the CC & CCC have to charge. The target market of both companies for the voucher based access the clubs offer is commercial organisations - and that is why the prices are high from the point of view of people like ourselves. From the point of view of the clubs though they have no option because (AFAIK) there are only the two companies which provide voucher based access. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 When in Herefordshire go to Cuckoos corner campsite at Moreton-on-Lugg. Small Adults only site, toilets, showers and free WiFi - £10/night! Small private sites can offer free WiFi for very little as long as they have unlimited Broadband to start with. All they need to do is remove security from their domestic router and maybe add an external aerial. Excellent selling point that I'm sure will catch on. The CC and CCC will no doubt have to fleece us well after they've paid for the infrastructure, which, on a large site must be a considerable outlay. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Thanks Graham. I think you're suggesting that BT access may very well work on a roaming basis at CC and CCC sites. Good stuff. I suppose ones view of fair cost probably depends a lot on useage requirements. I only use the bare minimum when away from home, so a dongle copes quite well. I've just bought the Vodafone PAYG job and am very pleased with it. With my usage to date, even messing with maps and Google Earth, it'll probably last a full year at least on the £15 thrown in! Best thing is that the credit doesn't run out ever, as long as you use it at least every 6 months. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickydicky Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 hi, we got free wi fi at el berro campsite, in alhama de murcia, spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuwsmith Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I am at the moment at Dornafield Caravan site near Newton Abbot in Devon. This site is in the CC book but is an AFFILIATED site. They offer FREE wifi! unlike a proper CC or CC&C which are starting to offer wifi at what I personally think is a high charge considering they themselves probably use the service for administration purposes. Dornafield also offer low season deals for seven day stays. The site standard is every bit as good as any of the best CC sites and run by a very friendly owner/family. I can recomend this site. And the weathers good as well!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 A couple of posts have mentioned the prices which the CC and CCC charge for vouchers as being high. When we bought vouchers at CC sites at the beginning of last year we were charged the going rate for KeConnect vouchers wherever they were sold. A previous post mentioned the prices which the CCC charges for BT Openzone vouchers - remarkably similar to the prices quoted on the BT Openzone web site. We surely can't expect them to charge less than the rate their contracts impose can we? I have no idea what sort of contract privately owned sites have with their ISPs which allow free usage by customers but I believe other (catering) organisations pay a premium which they hope to recoup through encouraging customers to stay longer and to buy more. I suspect, though, that ISPs might well be willing to do a deal with individual sites but not large networks like the CC & CCC. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaleg Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Sat in the van on fallberrow park, Bowness in windemere where the wifi is free (using it to post this) we went to the ravenglass sight earlier in the week where it was £3.00 for an hour, the franchisee appologised and said the ccc club insisted that the charge for wifi. I bought a vodaphone broadband dongle for £39.00 included was a gig of conection (worth £15.00) surfed for 4 hours and it used 60p's worth, this pay as you go, it only got gprs at Ravenglass, like fast dial up. Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Can I just remind everyone that T-mobile is the same and works on GPRS or 3G but Three only works on 3G so that dongle would not be any good at Ravenglass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 The Vodafone dongle is unique as far as I'm aware, in that it's PAYG and your credit doesn't run out as long as you use it at least every 6 months. My ideal would be one of these on each network, but as the others expire it would waste too much. Since buying mine I've stopped searching for WiFi sites as it works in most places anyway. Even when using just GPRs it's quite workable for most things. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gasgobill Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Thanks for info about free WiFi sites. Good to know there are a few out there. Best I have come across is last December at Delft in Holland. You had to pay to use their WiFi, but acess to info about site and weather was free. Many times all I need is weather forcast, but I usually get it from my phone. I ordered a Vodaphone Dongle last week, but I'm still waiting for call from Vodaphone shop to say it has come in. I'm not up to speed on GPRS/3G etc. but is the Vodaphone PAYG the best for use in the UK? Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syd Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Camping Arena Blanca, Benidorm, Spain provide free internet conection but it can be rather slow Excellent clean quiet site Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 All these dongles of course work on the mobile phone signals and the signal coverage is not that good in rural areas. It is particularly poor where I live and some networks don't work at all. GPRS is similar to dial-up speed e.g. T-Mobile will operate on that system and often gets up to 56k so not too bad but if the signal is good it will also work on 3G which is like a fairly slow broadband speed. "Three" only operates on 3G and 3G+ which is faster still. This network also has a PAYG dongle but you would have to check how the price compares with Vodaphone. I have no idea what the coverage is like for Vodaphone or whether it will operate on the dial-up speed signals like T-Mobile. All the companies promise to improve the coverage but of course the local people often object to masts being built in their areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Whether the Vodafone PAYG dongle is best depends on how much you want to use it. If, like me, your camping requirements are modest, then it's for you. If you want to live life on line then go for a contract job. The Voda dongle selects the highest speed network for you, which can be GPRS, 3G or 3G+ if you're lucky. The only provider not to do this is 3 which can't downgrade to GPRS. This is a big problem for us campers, for, as Patricia says, we usually camp in rural areas where the signal is often poor. When you've nothing else but poor GPRS you won't worry that it's a bit slow. Don't be shocked, but I've found that sometimes quite an improvement in signal can be made by hanging my dongle out of the window! 8-) Our vans are earthed metal boxes which make a great radio signal screen. Up in the Heki rooflight is a good place too, but you need to be very very careful not to cook the dongle! :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuwsmith Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Given that sites that give free wifi access are few and far between and I personally would not pay the charges asked by the two main clubs, the vodaphone dongle thing interests me. I understand from this thread that there is no time limit on the credit bought other than using it at least once every 6 months although I couldnt find anything to confirm this on vodaphones site. Now for the possibly slightly silly question. Is usage of the dongle charged just on the amount of info "sucked" off the internet or is it time related as well. ie if a connection was made to say send an email, would the charge depend on the size of the email, the time spent to compose it and send it or a combination of both? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everhopeful Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 When using the Voda dongle you can have a little floating display that shows how much you've up and downloaded (you pay both directions of course) in that session. When not actually doing any sending or receiving the counter stops. You can also have a better but bigger display that shows the up and down speeds. That drops to zero in idle times. You get 1g for £15, so If you roughly reckon on 1m costing 1.5p, you can watch the cost as you go. You don't want to keep going on/off line anyway because each session rounds up to the nearest 1p! 8-) You can manually ask what your balance is at any time and it gives it in real money. My biggest problem was disbelief at how much this service WASN'T costing me. The only thing to be careful with is automatic updates. Antivrus, Microsoft, Java etc will all gobble your money if you let them loose. Updates are important of course, but I've set all of mine to just inform me, and I'll update properly when at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuwsmith Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 EverhopefulThanks for the reply and clarifying the vodaphones charging for their dongle usage. When I get home I will order one - it seems to be just the thing I need for the odd email sending and receiving that I mainly want to use the internet for when away from home. Thanks also for the updating warning, never thought of that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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