Internet Cafes in London

Internet is everywhere and whether it’s checking your email or updating your facebook status, we even seem to need it on vacation now as well. Oh well. But finding somewhere good and cheap can seem difficult...

Luckily though, with a bit of knowledge it's incredibly easy to find internet access in London; indeed in the central parts of town you're almost always near some sort of facility.

Golden Rule: in 99% of London's hotels you're paying over the odds for wireless internet access. A short walk will almost always get you a much cheaper alternative.

You basically have two options: paid or (better still) free. Free services obviously tend to be a bit slower than the paid ones but many are still very good.

PAID:

Internet cafes

These may or may not be actual cafes. The biggest, and certainly brashest, operator is probably Easyinternetcafe – its lurid orange color scheme marks it out as being run by the same guy that owns the airline easyjet. They've got branches in key locations all over town and charge around £3 for two hours. The costs don't vary hugely from this in the other 'traditional' internet cafes - rooms full of computers, rather than cafes you can have a drink in - so it's a reasonable enough place to start if you come across one.

The Paddington end of the Edgeware Road has some very cheap internet access too. Less convenient than more central areas but rates are as low as £1 for 2 hours over 2 days as of Summer 2009. It's far from the most glamorous part of town but it's certainly cheap.

Coffee shops

Starbucks, Neros, Costas - in fact, just about every major fast food and coffee chain - all have paid-for wifi facilities. These can cost up to £5 an hour. Many independent cafes offer the service for free, and you're supporting the little guy so I tend to try and seek these out where possible. Of course, if you're using wifi you need to have a laptop computer with you.

FREE:

Local libraries

Every local library in London now has totally FREE access to the internet. The downside is that machines may be quite old and sometimes you have to wait for one, or sign up for (free) temporary library membership. BUT... they're still a great way of staying in touch and very useful too.

Where's my nearest?

To find out in advance the nearest library to your accomodation:

Find out the postcode of where you're staying - this is almost always on the website of your accommodation provider: try checking under the 'about us' 'find us' or 'contact us' section of the site. You'll end up with a post code like SW1 1XX. (If you only have the address but no postcode you can look it up the correct post code using Royal Mail's free postcode finder service) and then:
Go to the Yellow Pages site, put 'libraries' in the 'Search For' box and then the postcode in the 'Located in' box. A list of libraries will pop up, directing you to the nearest one.There's a map function too but it isn't very good. I'd always just note down the address of the libraries and put them into google maps uk.

If you haven't done this before you go then libraries are pretty common in London, even if usually slightly off the main tourist streets, so it's worth asking around where the nearest one is if you haven't checked it out before you go.

Free Wifi hotspots

The other main source of free internet is wireless hotspots - wifi. You'll need a laptop/portable computer with you but there are many totally free wifi spots in London – the Royal Festival Hall and the British Film Institute on the South Bank (near Waterloo station) and the Barbican centre (tube: Barbican) being among the more main, there are also hundreds of minor cafes and art centres which vary so rapidly I won't even attempt to list them here. You should know that most Mcdonalds branches in the UK also offer free wifi, but you don't really want to spend your time in McDonalds, do you?! Burger King, Wetherspoons and Starbucks also offer free wifi (though in Starbucks you need to buy a £5 gift card first, which you can spend on the coffee). Some libraries offer wireless as well as wired access for free too.

Some clever folks have tried to create a comprehensive list of venues offering free wireless internet, though the situation changes so quickly it's a near-impossible task to keep it up to date. Oh, and you have to buy a drink or snack in a cafe to get away with using the service, or risk the wrath of a (rightly) indignant proprietor.

Lastly, if you're taking your laptop abroad with you, make sure you have sensible travel insurance: you'll cry like a baby if it gets lost or stolen. I've got a guide on how to find the best insurance deal. And make sure you can stay in touch for a sensible price too.

This article is updated every six months and was last redrafted in Autumn/Fall 2009.

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