Mobile connection options for Australia and around the world

Regular travelers know that getting access to the internet on the road or in the airport can be costly. Wireless hotspots and hotel broadband access are convenient but can quickly mount up. Try these comparatively affordable mobile broadband services that you can use wherever you are in Australia - and with some services, around the world. Save time and hotel phone bills car hire shopping (and the rest!) online.

Vodafone Mobile Connect

Connect to the net at seven-times dial-up speed (384bit/s) in Victoria, NSW, ACT and Queensland. In other Australian states you’ll be restricted to dial-up speed as the service uses the older GSM network. Vodafone roams at high speed in 17 countries and dial-up speed in 59 countries - it’s A$10 a megabyte. A laptop card is A$299. Service in some countries explains the A$40 billion loss this year! www.vodafone.com.au

Optus Wireless Connect

Optus shares its 3G network with Vodafone so it offers the same coverage areas for high-speed wireless internet. It’s advantage is 100 Optus and 500 Azure WiFi hotspots at no extra cost. Optus roams to 13 countries at high speed and 65 at dial-up speed - with a 14-day money back guarantee so you can check coverage. Laptop card is A$299. www.optus.com.au

IBURST

iBurst uses a data-only wireless broadband network to offer speed of about 17-times dial-up (1000Kbit/s). Coverage in Australia is well-suited for business travellers (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Gold Coast) but no network in other areas and no international roaming. Laptop card is A$299-450 according to ISP. www.iburst.com.au

Netconnect

This one is LOW cost - the card is free if you take a 12-month service contract. However if you roam onto 3’s backup network - which is the dial-up speed through Telstra - you’ll be up for an extra A$1.65/MB on top of your monthly fee. No high-speed coverage in NT or Tasmania, and international roaming coverage is limited - 11 countries at high speed and six at dial-up speed. Business users (but not personal) get a 45-day money back guarantee period as a test run. www.three.com.au

Telstra Bigpond Wireless

For use within Australia only, BigPond’s wireless service can’t be beaten for coverage. Minimum speed is about three-times dial-up (144Bit/s) across Australia, with a speed of about nine-times dial-up (512bit/s) in capital cities and many regional centres. The price for coverage is higher on a mandatory 12-month contract - there is a money-back guarantee for a 10-day period, no risk. Laptop card A$299. www.bigpond.com

And saving money getting on the road

CentralCarHire.com offers smart technology to compare multiple prices, and the security of top tier car rental brands - Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. The low prices come from access to distressed car rental inventory Australia wide. You compare prices and real time vehicle availability for the car rental location and date you choose. You can also search for specific cars or for special car hire deals. You’ll only see the vehicles available for you to book now - no waiting for quotes or email replies. We confirm your booking and you pay on pick up. You can cancel the rental any time prior to pickup - no fees or penalties. Our partners include Avis Car Hire, Budget Car Rental, Hertz Car Rental, Europcar Hire and Thrifty Car Rental. Through these partnerships, we are able to offer a cheap car rental rate on a full range of quality vehicles Australia wide.

Why not book a vehicle now?

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These are a few things you should know before you hire a car in Spain:

* What’s included in the price and what ISN’T. You can come across some amazing looking prices but when you look at the detail you find that they don’t include unlimited mileage, local taxes or insurances.

You may not be doing much driving in which case unlimited mileage may be unnecessary but insurances are a must and do add up. We usually found these cheap looking prices were really not cheap at all and could be regarded as a pretty underhand and misleading tactic.

Make sure all of these are included in the rental:

Third party insurance.
Airport fees.
Breakdown cover.
All local surcharges.
Loss/collision damage waiver.
Unlimited mileage.

* Air-conditioning is important.

It may sound obvious but DO check that the cheap price you have found applies to a car with air-con. Temperatures in the summer can often be in the 30’s sometimes the 40’s (over 100 degrees fahrenheit).

* Book ahead.

Don’t just arrive at the airport in Spain and go to the car hire desks. They are often incredibly busy and chaotic with long queues and stressed staff. It is far better to have a reservation with a reference number so at least you know they will have a car waiting and if they don’t have your requested car they will have to upgrade you for free. You also tend to get a better deal by booking ahead.

* Don’t penny-pinch.

Some of the models in Spain differ from those in Northern Europe. We had an experience where the boot was far smaller than the same model of car we owned in England. Do consider the large amounts of luggage you will have and maybe go for the next size up and just treat yourself rather than traveling round on your holiday like a sardine. The price difference is usually small.

* Child seats.

You can hire these as an extra for about

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For any visitor that comes to Ireland, Cork should always be on ones travel iterniary as a place to visit. Being Irelands largest county, Cork is located in the South West of Ireland and offers many different attractions for visitors of all ages. If you are keen on Irish history then Cork has many historic sites to visit and to learn of times that have past. Such historic places include the Blarney Castle, where you can kiss the Blarney Stone for Good Luck but other places include the stone circles of Bohonagh, the famous Abbeystrewery and the tombs of Labbacalle.

In 2005 Cork was awarded the European captial of Culture which comes as no surprise for those who have experienced the culture of Cork first hand and seen that Music, Dance, theatre and film play a huge role within the city of Cork. You can be sure when visiting the city of Cork there are always things to do and see, whatever your interests are and there is no better way to getting around than using a car rental.

If you are someone who loves sports then you will not be disappointed when seeing sporting games being played in the area. Cork have some very strong GAA teams and have won many trophies over the years but the area of Cork also takes pride with some of the greatest golfing greens in Ireland and the best Salmon and trout fishing to be found in the area.

The best way of site seeing in Cork would be to hire a car either in the City Centre or Cork Airport, giving you more options of places to visit in such a wonderful county.

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