Guest Peter James Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Have seen Mc Donalds mentioned but not had much luck with Mc Donalds Wi Fi in France or Spain. Had much more success parked near a 'Buffalo Grill' ;-) So thought it may be worth a mention in case it hadn't been mentioned before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I have found like you that McD is not so successful now. It seems that you need to be inside the building and by the time you manage to log on to the system you have finished eating/ drinking etc. I do sometimes frequent Buffalo Gril, mainly when travelling as they allow you to overnight in the car park. I always ask first but have never been refused. However, I have never thought to investigate wifi there, so thanks for that tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I am on Buffalo Grill Wifi Now - works a treat. I parked directly in front of Mc Donalds, but nothing. In Spain and France I have only had success at about 1 in 4 Mc Donalds, and then only intermittent. But picked up the 'Buffalo Grill' from 100 metres away. They asked for an email address, thats all (presumably to bombard with spam so I gave a false one ;-) ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Patricia - 2013-03-03 8:35 AM I have found like you that McD is not so successful now. It seems that you need to be inside the building and by the time you manage to log on to the system you have finished eating/ drinking etc. My problem with that is my laptop battery only lasts a few minutes so it needs to be plugged in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 My Samsung Galaxy S2 works for hours and emails come through much quicker on that than on my laptop. I had a laptop with the same battery problem but I think batteries are much cheaper now, on the internet at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly58 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 In the past 6 years of touring France I have never encountered any problems with McD I have all McDs as Poi's on my tom tom and just try to park as near as I can to the building even when they are closed I have had a connection . We will have to see if we encounter any problems this year there is always the Office -de-Tourism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 The "Flunch" chain of French eateries is another option for wifi. http://www.americansinfrance.net/travelplanner/flunch.cfm Other information that may be useful: http://www.americansinfrance.net/TravelPlanner/Free-WiFi.cfm http://www.journaldunet.com/wifi/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 No problems with McDonald's in France/Spain either. Once you have gone through the registration process and logged on, the phone picks up the McD wifi automatically once within range as it would do at home or any other 'known' wifi source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean.clarke Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I found truly "free" WiFi almost impossible to find, in my mind if you need to sign up via an email it is not "free". This thread has reminded me to get a throwaway email address for this purpose... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I've found a few McD where I need to use the long range aerial even when parked outside. If its a problem just pop inside a couple of cups of coffee for about a euro and sit sit there for an hour no one ever bothers you. Also picked up wifi outside some of the DIY stores can't remember which ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean.clarke Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I found truly "free" WiFi almost impossible to find, in my mind if you need to sign up via an email it is not "free". This thread has reminded me to get a throwaway email address for this purpose... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I have had no difficulties in obtaining free WiFi in France whether its been McD or others. I have found that they may require a mobile phone number or email address to send "code for the day" and it works well, even my local McD are using O2 for this. Not been bothered by any follow ups as a result of providing info and even then you can unsubscribe so no problems. Have just changed to BT which will allow me to use the FON network in France. Additionally I have a WiFi booster which means I can easily sit opposite McD if required but I enjoy a coffee and nobody worries although if you were taking up seats at peak times I would feel obliged to leave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 kelly58 - 2013-03-03 9:08 AM In the past 6 years of touring France I have never encountered any problems with McD I have all McDs as Poi's on my tom tom and just try to park as near as I can to the building even when they are closed I have had a connection . We will have to see if we encounter any problems this year there is always the Office -de-Tourism. We drove around Germany last year looking for M.D,s we desperately needed to get on to Tom tom home !! and we weren't successful even the manager tried with his mobile to help us out!! we ended up having to buy a new T.T . so now we have two!! internal card was corrupted!! One said something about " if your with T mobile you can connect" we aren't so I don't know the ins and outs of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 maggyd - 2013-03-03 12:42 PM kelly58 - 2013-03-03 9:08 AM In the past 6 years of touring France I have never encountered any problems with McD I have all McDs as Poi's on my tom tom and just try to park as near as I can to the building even when they are closed I have had a connection . We will have to see if we encounter any problems this year there is always the Office -de-Tourism. We drove around Germany last year looking for M.D,s we desperately needed to get on to Tom tom home !! and we weren't successful even the manager tried with his mobile to help us out!! we ended up having to buy a new T.T . so now we have two!! internal card was corrupted!! One said something about " if your with T mobile you can connect" we aren't so I don't know the ins and outs of that.[/ So it was your TT that was the problem and not McD ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bojitoes Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Just back from Spain & France, no problems logging on at McD's at all. In fact if you register once then the system remembers your log in details and connects automatically. We came across something in one McD's I had not seen before, every table had an Ipad from which you could log onto the net instantaneously- unfortunately I did not discover this until I had got the laptop out and started to set it up! Cannot remember where in france it was but we did not see it in any other branch of McD. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minicamper Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 We got free wi-fi when staying in Royan at the Intermarche near Vaux, just parked up in the car park. Not sure if all stores are the same, does anyone have experience of Leclerc, Carrefour etc with free wi fi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Thanks for all the replies. I like 'Flunch' restaurants - will try there.:-D I am beginning to think my roof mounted Wi Fi aerial is allergic to Mc Donalds . Because in some instances I have been able to use Mc Donalds Wi Fi using the Laptop Built in aerial, but not the roof one - which provides a much stronger signal for all the other networks except Mc Donalds. Just had a look at the place where I bought it from. Seems they don't do the type I have got anymore. There is a new type at £69, whereas the one I got was only about £25 last year. http://www.motorhomewifi.com/product/high-gain-omni-directional-antenna/ PS: posting this from B&B Hotel Wifi at Chartres. Just had to give a mobile phone number to join. Again am parked directly in front of Mc Donalds but no signal at all. Yet B&B Hotel giving full strength signal from about 120 metres away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 maggyd - 2013-03-03 12:42 We drove around Germany last year looking for M.D,s we desperately needed to get on to Tom tom home !! and we weren't successful even the manager tried with his mobile to help us out!! we ended up having to buy a new T.T . so now we have two!! internal card was corrupted!! One said something about " if your with T mobile you can connect" we aren't so I don't know the ins and outs of that. For wifi at German McD they text logon code to your mobile only problem is has to be a German number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petra Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 We have difficulty connecting connect to BT Fon in the UK so would be surprised if it works in France. Does anyone have any recommendations for wifi extenders for a netbook? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Present phone contract came with free access to BTOpenzone. Despite several visits to Vodafone shops and even their HQ in Newbury I have patently failed to make this feature work even the once. Contract ends Dec so I may jump service provider after some 20 years to A.N.Other. Any recommendations? C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 sshortcircuit - 2013-03-03 12:53 PM maggyd - 2013-03-03 12:42 PM kelly58 - 2013-03-03 9:08 AM In the past 6 years of touring France I have never encountered any problems with McD I have all McDs as Poi's on my tom tom and just try to park as near as I can to the building even when they are closed I have had a connection . We will have to see if we encounter any problems this year there is always the Office -de-Tourism. We drove around Germany last year looking for M.D,s we desperately needed to get on to Tom tom home !! and we weren't successful even the manager tried with his mobile to help us out!! we ended up having to buy a new T.T . so now we have two!! internal card was corrupted!! One said something about " if your with T mobile you can connect" we aren't so I don't know the ins and outs of that.[/ So it was your TT that was the problem and not McD ? Yes and No :-D we needed to get on the internet to sort the T.T drove up to about half a dozen McDs and couldnt connect to the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 lennyhb - 2013-03-03 2:31 PM maggyd - 2013-03-03 12:42 We drove around Germany last year looking for M.D,s we desperately needed to get on to Tom tom home !! and we weren't successful even the manager tried with his mobile to help us out!! we ended up having to buy a new T.T . so now we have two!! internal card was corrupted!! One said something about " if your with T mobile you can connect" we aren't so I don't know the ins and outs of that. For wifi at German McD they text logon code to your mobile only problem is has to be a German number. I suspected something like that, there was a notice on the door about it but new Ididnt have the right mob supplier! and as I said the manager tried connecting our notebook to his phone but no luck!! I have never tried in France though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I was having difficulty with FON but decided today I would not be beaten as it is part of my plan for France so put some effort in. I found out that I had to join FON which is another user name and password. When I log on to a FON spot I am now treated like an old friend with the usual "Welcome back Hamish" and a list of options to purchase internet access. I thought I had full access being a BT broadband subscriber so after calls to Asia I eventually spoke to FON support in UK. The reason I was having a problem was logging in as a FON subscriber when I should have logged in as a BT subscriber. When in France I will connected to "SFR WiFi FON" and/or "Neuf WiFi FON" and then choose "fonero" and then use my normal BT username and password. If the above is incorrect I would be most grateful for feedback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Hamish, I would be interested too. I am thinking about ISPs and the FON part of the BT package appeals but only if it works (and there are sufficient access points) in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wints Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 sshortcircuit - 2013-03-03 5:58 PM I was having difficulty with FON but decided today I would not be beaten as it is part of my plan for France so put some effort in. I found out that I had to join FON which is another user name and password. When I log on to a FON spot I am now treated like an old friend with the usual "Welcome back Hamish" and a list of options to purchase internet access. I thought I had full access being a BT broadband subscriber so after calls to Asia I eventually spoke to FON support in UK. The reason I was having a problem was logging in as a FON subscriber when I should have logged in as a BT subscriber. When in France I will connected to "SFR WiFi FON" and/or "Neuf WiFi FON" and then choose "fonero" and then use my normal BT username and password. If the above is incorrect I would be most grateful for feedback I'm with BtWifi, and they say they have millions of hot spots around the world, many in France, that I should be able to use. But, I've just driven south through France and tried to connect to several. I've told the internet site / computer that I'm with Bt, put my user name and password in, and always get the same reply...wrong name and / or password. OrangeFrance also say they handshake with Btwifi, but not with me! Even though Btopenzone comes up on Oranges drop down menu I still can't connect. regards Allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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