Exploreseville

Internet and Internet Cafes in Seville

Gyms in Seville
Getting connected to the internet while on the road has become a necessity for many. It's the way to keep in touch with family or find a bit of information for while you travel. If you are a study abroad student chances are your program has a computer lab for you to use. You'll find more than often that the hours of use do not always match your needs. Thankfully the digital age is here and booming. Internet cafes are now less and less common as cafes and hotels offer free WiFi. There are now a lot of free WiFi access points all over the city of Seville. If you have one to suggest, please let me know the details (Name and address are the basics, any descriptions, etc. would be helpful!). If you would like information about getting connected at home check out my Living in Seville section.

Topics in this section

What to expect

lo que encuentras

Internet access is availabe in just about any hotel or hostal. This is the most common way to connect when you are traveling. While not the rule, I've found the higher category hotels are more likely to charge you for internet access. From 3* and below internet access is much more likely to be free. Several hotels offer computers for guest use and then there are a few very wired hotels which have a laptop in every room. These are Hotel Petit Palace Canalejas, Hotel Petit Palace Santa Ana and Hotel Petit Palace Santa Cruz. You see the trend: they are all part of the Hi-Tech hotel chain which promise a wired and wireless connection in the room, as well as WiFi in all of the common areas. If you want to be really connected these are good choices. Also good if you don't have a computer with you. Otherwise you can find one of the few cyber cafes left in Seville. Many cafes are open throughout the day and some until late at night. Expect to pay anywhere from 2-3€ per hour. Don't forget that the keyboard will be different in Spanish. Like the shift function on U.S. (English) keyboards, you'll need to master the art of Ctrl-Alt to access the third characters on the keyboard (keep this in mind when looking for the @ key). Other letters or characters are simply in different places.

Cyber cafes in Seville

ciber cafés

Most cafes do a poor job promoting themselves online, and many online lists of cyber cafes do a worse job of keeping up to date on closings (and openings) of internet cafes in Seville. I think the internet cafe as we knew it is no longer a viable business option. Just about every hotel and hostal have an internet connection, and many will have a few computers for guests use. The two biggest internect cafes in Seville just closed their doors in 2011: Internetia and Sevilla Internet Center were the best options in town. I've included the few which are still limping along. Instead refer to my WiFi section for plenty of places where you can connect for free or the cost of a coffee.

Correos!
Address: Avda Constitución
It's hard to imagine that the Spanish Post Office has moved into the 20th century, or should I say the 21st. But things are improving since the time I sent three boxes home only to get one of the three some two months later. That said, Correos has now opened a kind of locutorio with internet access. A few modern computers, flat screens and reasonable rates are what you can expect. They are open from 10 or 11am until 11 or 12 midnight depending on the day. You can also call home (the U.S.) for something like 6 cents per minute. Add this to the fact that it is a convenient location in the center and you have to start liking what Correos has done.

Cyber Alcazar
Address: c/ San Fernando, 23 - 2ºA
Just across the street from the University of Seville. They do everything, including sell mobile phones and calling cards. They cater to students and have agreements with several study abroad programs to offer discounts to their students. Being close to the University it is also heavily traveled with Spanish students.

Planeta Verde
Address: c/Trajano, 10
Internet access. Just a block or two from Plaza del Duque. You can also buy calling cards. Rates are very reasonable.

Cyberama
Address: c/ San Luis
Small outfit with internet access close to the Macarena church. Flat screen monitors and some younger kids hanging around.

WiFi in Seville

WiFi is popping up in more and more bars and restaurants. In just about any neighborhood in the center you won't have to search for too long to find a place to connect. There are also some WiFi hotspots for free in several plazas around the shopping district. Even a few parks have WiFi, and there is a plan to add WiFi to some newsstands. For a full and up to date list I recommend using the Exploreseville.com WiFi Hotspots in Seville Map. For these hotspots you never need to have a subscription or sign up for anything in advance. For those types of connections you can try a service like Boingo. There is also Tempest Telecom although I am less familiar with them. For now, the following places are your best bets in the center:

Starbucks
Address: Avda Constitución (Centro - just next to the Cathedral)
Address: Avda Constitución (Centro - just in front of the Archivo de Indias)
Address: La Campana (Centro)
Address: Puerta Jerez (Centro)

Address: Nervión Plaza (Nervión)

The first Seville location on Avda Constitución near the Cathedral. For those seeking a smoke-free place to enjoy coffee they also have a non-smoking section. This location Cathedral offers wireless internet access (WiFi) but at a price. The new location in Puerta Jerez also offers WiFi, as the droves of American study abroad students with laptops will indicate. The location in Nervión does not offer WiFi at this time.

Texas Lone Star Saloon (Tex Mex Bar)
Address: c/ Placentines (next to the Cathedral)
A favorite spot for American's aborad now offers WiFi.

Maya Soul
Address: c/ Betis, 41 (Triana)
A place in Triana catering to students with live sports on a big screen TV. They also have wireless internet access at a price, or you can hit their happy hour of 16:00 - 21:00 when they let you connect for free.

Merchant's Malt House
Address: c/ Canalejas, 12 (Arenal / Plaza de Armas)
A pub which caters to expats, whether it's a sporting event, trivia contest, Halloween party or the ever requested WiFi connection.

WiFi Hot Spots in Seville

If you find one, please report it to me. Below are places you can connect to open connections most of the time. I am not responsible nor in any way recommending you connect to someone else's network, but...

Plazas in Seville with Free WiFi
In some plazas in the central shopping district they have added free WiFi with a time limit (between 30 minutes and an hour, you can jump from plaza to plaza if you need more). The plazas in Seville with free WiFi are currently the following: br>
Address: Plaza Salvador
Address: Plaza del Pan (behind Salvador church)
Address: Plaza de la Pescaderia
Address: Plaza Alfalfa

Address: Plaza de la Encarnacion


Finally, don't forget places which offer connections for laptops. I think many people forget about this in their crazed search for wireless access. In the end you probably: 1) have to plug in your laptop unless you have an extra battery and 2) need someplace like a desk to surf and write comfortably. Is it that different to just plug a network cable into your computer at a workstation somewhere?

Internet Tools and Resources for the Traveler

Herramientas y recursos de internet para el viajero

Whether you're here for a short time or an extended stay knowing the tools you can use online to manage your life makes things a lot easier. Below are some recommended links with a few descriptions.

Using your ISP abroad or securing one before traveling

This is an option which may work for some, although I would recommend using a cyber cafe over trying to connect through your existing ISP. Working out the logistics, signing up to be eligible to use your ISP's plan and a whole host of other issues make this a less than preferred method in my book. Let's add to that the generally high cost of broadband outside of your network. Your best bet is the above mentioned boingo.com, which can give you plenty of hotspots in Sevilla (around a 100 total, although many are outide of the city center). They also partner with some service providers so you may be able to get a discount for use.

Email

Most will sign up or use an existing webmail service such as Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo!. I prefer Yahoo or Gmail because they give you a lot of space and the interface of either is better than Hotmail. More space is great in case you cannot check your mail for a while. All of them offer some kind of file storage (if not just email yourself something). If you keep a calendar and task list in Outlook you can also synchronize it with Gmail and Yahoo using additional software. Free and easy solutions to check your pop email can be found on sites like Mail2web. This is handy if you don't have one of the main webmail providers and forget how or where to log-in to your webmail. Sites like Mail2web allow you to put in just about any email address and password and check your email from anywhere in the world. You don't need to know any of the server information in most cases.

Skype and other VoIP services.

As a regular user of Skype with a good USB headset, I can vouch for the service. I have been very pleased with the quality of computer to computer calls, as well as calls to regular phones for just a few cents a minute. This has cut our phone bill by about 20 Euros a month! There are some practical considerations for using Skype, like if you connect in a cyber cafe your conversations may not be that private. But using this with a home internet connection or outdoors while connected to an open/free wireless connection is better. And using it on your mobile phone with an internet connection is ideal. If you use it with a 3G or better connection you'll have to pay the data fees and in some cases the call quality is not that good. Of course Google Voice is now in the game, and there are plenty of other services out there that let you make cheap calls. But I have had good experiences with Skype, and like giving my business to the first one who brought quality service to the masses.

Chat, Conferencing and Remote Access

Most everyone is familiar with instant messaging, so I won't go into this too much. It's worth mentioning that most any messaging software will allow you to chat using a micrphone and webcam. You can use a webcam on Yahoo and Windows Messenger, although the windows application is often picky about what type of camera you are using. Remote access to your home or work computer is simple if you're bringing a laptop or have access to a computer where you can install a program. PCanywhere is simple although you may need to do some firewall tweaking. For many work connections this may include installing a VPN client, (Virtual Private Network) to allow you to securely and safely access your work computer using this program. You can transfer files as well as do anything on your computer as if you were there. GoToMyPC is another software/service like PCanywhere but they charge a monthly fee. You've likely seen their banner ads which are on almost any page on the internet. Best for simple tasks is the free service Logmein.com, which allows you to connect to an unlimited number of computers from anywhere in the world. If you have Windows XP professional through Windows 7 (and I am sure 8) installed on your computer you can also enable Remote Desktop and connect to other computers. Again, some firewall tweaking or talking with your network administrator may be necessary.

Online Fax

The need for faxing still exists for many people, including myself! There are a lot of email to fax and online fax services which are fairly cheap. I have used popfax.com for many years and have had more or less a positive experience. You can send faxes through their web page or download and use their print driver which allows you to send a fax using the print option and chosing fax option from the list of printers. You can get a local fax number in many cases which allows you to receive a fax to your email. And there are many plans to choose from depending on your needs.

Web Pages and Blogs

I use my page not only to tell people about Sevilla but also keep in touch with family. Reading my semi-daily entries keeps me from writing a lot of emails or sending pictures. There are a ton of options for blogs out there, and if you have a web site you don't need to know html to make a page anymore - many come with some basic templates to upload photos, write messages, etc.

Online Banking

I think every bank now offers online banking and if yours doesn't then it's time to switch! For a short trip it may be enough to look at your balances and transfer from one account to another while you travel. If it's a longer stay and you need to pay bills make sure your bank offers a bill pay system so you can take care of it online. One thing to beware of when entering your information in a cyber cafe are programs which track keystrokes. Not a big threat, but a few employees of cyber cafes in Europe have been arrested for installing these key trackers. They got banking information and either managed to withdraw or transfer funds around, causing a problem for people on the road. Credit card companies offer online access where you can pay your bill or view transactions. If you plan to stay more than a month it can be helpful to keep your payments up to date. You can also send emails to customer service if you have questions or report lost/stolen cards, although it is best to do the latter by telephone.

Links

Here are some links to sites which may be helpful during your stay in Seville or anywhere else. You can see more links on my Links page.
Currency Converter - convert any currency into another, even the now defunct peseta.
Time Zone Converter - find out what time it is now anywhere in the world.
Online Conversion - convert any measurement to another. The largest list online.
Locate an ATM - find any Visa/Plus ATM throughout the world.

 

Safety tips when using a public computer

Seguridad con ordenadores públicos

Pay attention

The rest of the items below mostly have to do with the computer use. However, it is easy to become so involved with what's on the screen that you don't pay attention to your bag or other belongings which you have set down next to you. Always try to guard your belongings and keep them in a place where they are difficult for others to reach while you are using your computer.

Login information

Be sure to always log out of any web page by using a log out feature rather than simply closing the browser. Closing the window while leaving other windows open may allow someone to log back into your account because your session has not expired. Always uncheck any boxes which offer to remember your log-in and/or password.

Don't leave your computer unattended

If you have to leave your seat but are not ending your time on a public computer you should log out of any web pages and close all programs.

Who is watching you

Some internet cafes offer more private, cubicle style desks for surfing. Others are more open for anyone to view. In either case it's still possible someone can see your screen and/or keyboard to obtain personal information such as log-ins and passwords, even a credit card number.

Delete your history, cache and cookies

Many internet cafes automatically delete your history and cache when you end your turn. However, just as many don't. To delete these files in Internet Explorer
    1. Select Tools and then click Internet Options.
    2. On the General tab (the default), look under the header Temporary Internet files and click Delete Cookies.
    3. Under the same Temporary Internet files header click on Delete Files.
    3. Under History, click Clear History.

Avoid entering important or sensitive information

Sometimes you have to check your bank balance or make other important transactions online on a public computer. Still, if you are able to avoid online banking and or credit card transactions on a public computer you will protect yourself even more. While clearing your history, logging out and some of the other steps above will help protect you, there have been some (rare) cases of software such as keystroke capturing programs being installed in internet cafes. These essentially record every keystroke you make and save them to a file. The installer can then retrace any of your steps and obtain your credit card number, log-in information, etc.

 

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Editor: Jeff Spielvogel
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