Archive for the ‘Travel’ Category

It’s time for broadband on the move!

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

Right, the time has surely come for mobile broadband in my life.  I want to be able to access o2_mobile_broadband_modemthe Internet from my laptop where ever I happen to be.  Whether it’s out and about on client sites or while camping in the top left corner of Wales.

Mobile broadband is now well and truly with us and its popularity is growing at an incredible rate.  It can now boast decent speeds and affordable prices.  In the past the expense just wasn’t worth it.  PC Plus magazine once worked out that you could download 20GB for the price of a semi-detached house!

So which operator is best?  Do I go with O2 (my phone provider) or Vodafone, Orange, T Mobile or 3?

After initial reading in the PC mags I had decided that Vodafone would be the best bet.  My respect for that company changed dramatically after my partner’s experience of Vodafone’s customer service when she tried to get a PAC code.  Read all about it in her blog.

O2 joined the mobile race a little later and it took them a while to get up to speed.  I am now expecting that speed is no longer an issue on their network.  I’m currently favouring O2 as my mobile provider.

Contract or PAYG is the next option to ponder.  Currently around £15/month for a contract or £15/month pay as you go.   Since my usage is going to be sporadic, I reckon that by not using the thing at all for a couple of months will save me £30/year.

That’s it then!  Let’s try an o2 PAYG modem!  A review will no doubt follow.

Update: 23/03/2009 – Got one!  I’ve not put any credit on it yet but the software seems good.  More details to follow.

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Family travel to Paris on the Eurostar. First Class or Standard Class?

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

It’s been a good few years since I was last on the Eurostar.  On previous occasions I was either travelling alone or with my partner.  This month I have done the return journey from the new St Pancras station to Paris Gare du Nord with a family of six.  Yes; that includes four small children!  The outward and return journies were very different experiences.  One was hell and the other was a real pleasure.

We travelled out in standard class and returned in first.  Standard class was crowded.  The seats were cramped.  My legs were locked in with the man opposite me.  The passengers were not tolerant of families.

You can’t keep four children silent for two and a half hours.  Other passengers got irritable to begin with and finished with down right rudeness.  What a relief to get off!

First class is a different story.  Bigger seats.  Plenty of room.  More relaxed and friendly passengers.  We loved it.  The kids loved it.

Of course, being loaded with champagne and wine throughout the journey also helps!  We even let the kids have Coke and got away with it!  The meal seemed to last all journey and certainly kept the children much more focused and better behaved.

It would normally make sense to economise when you have a big family but we’re sticking with first class in future.

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Back on the London Commute

Sunday, July 27th, 2008

What a delight it was to be in London on Wednesday.  Travelling from St Albans to Kings Cross St Pancras with the morning commuters and then on to Oxford Circus on the Victoria Line.

On one level it felt so familiar.  I realised that it had been 10 years since I used to commute across London on a regular basis.  This time was really quite different though.  I was in no real hurry.  I wasn’t following an imaginaery channel that my feet had worn over several months.  Dare I say it; I was ambling!  I was enjoying.  I was fascinated just watching everyone else.  No one ever looked back at me and I remembered that eye contact is (probably) illegal on the underground.

Once in Oxford Circus there was time for breakfast before my 10 O’clock appointment.  A warmed ham and cheese panini, a Cappuccino and no change from a tenner.  Not that I’m much of a money-watcher these days.  Time once again to sit and people-watch.  Much more fun than the unread copy of Metro that accompanied me.

The point of my journey was for a gathering at Tiscali’s head office.  A relaxed and informal exchange of ideas about the launch of the new Pipex business products.

It looks like we’ll be doing it all again soon.

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