Getting online using Skype Access while you travel

When you are traveling to a foreign country, and you need to get online with your laptop, what do you do? In most big cities in Europe, there are hot spots everywhere. The catch is that it is very expensive to use their service. For example, this service in Amsterdam charges you €5.95 for 50 mins of Internet connection. That’s a lot of money, if all that you want to do is to check the email, and google something quickly.

You can avoid a lot of headaches and save some money too, if you use Skype Access. Now, most people know Skype, the king of VOIP programs. But, relatively few people know that the newer version of Skype comes with Skype Access service. Skype Access lets you use the hotspot service using Skype credit, which means you do not have to give away your credit card no. to some suspicious looking hotspot page. Besides, it charges you according to the minutes that you use, so you do not have to pay for 50 minutes when you need only 10 minutes online time.

To use Skype Access service, first connect to the wifi signal(those networks do not require password, so you should be able to do it without problem). Then, go to Skype menu Account>Skype Access Beta. You will see explanation about the service. Check how much they charge you. In this case, it cost €0.14 per minute, which means 7 euros per 50 minutes. So, if you use it for 50 minutes, it is cheaper to get online using the service provider’s webpage. But, you will need it only for 10 minutes, so you go ahead with Skype Access.

Skype Access provides Internet access for more than 100,000 hotspots around the world. But, it does not mean that every hotspot is covered by Skype Access. For example I tried to get online in a small german train station, and I’ve got this message.

Skype can be very handy when you are arriving at an airport, and you cannot find the one who is supposed to pick you up. If you buy a telephone card, it costs a lot, and you will not need it in the future, so it is a waste of money. If you get online using Skype Access, then you can check the email to see if there has been any change, and you can even make phone calls using, well, Skype. If you travel a lot with your laptop, it can be really handy.

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