Chances are, you won't care much for surfing the internet while vacationing in Playa del Carmen. However, you just may need to get online at some point during your vacation, either to check email or change travel plans. You'll probably run into a little trouble with this... internet access isn't as readily available here as it tends to be in the United States.

Here's what you need to know about internet access before coming to Playa...

Your Hotel Probably Doesn't Have Internet Access

First things first ... don't trust the hotel reviews you'll find on the big travel sites. Even if the hotel claims to have internet accessibility, for all practical purposes you're probably not going to be able to use it:

• The hotel may have a business center with internet access. However, you'll be forced to use a public computer and the fees are outrageous. You'll also have to wait in line, as these computers tend to be very busy.
• They may claim to have wireless, but you'll likely have a very hard time connecting to it.
• You may be able to get access by using a dial-up line. However, it is very expensive and you'll need to get your own dialup number (not easy in Mexico).

Your Options

This isn't to say that you'll have a problem connecting at your local hotel ... but be prepared for the possibility that you won't be able to.

First, come prepared. Print out your travel itinerary as well as a map of the town, and keep them in a safe place. You may want to bring a travel guide (although there are none that do Playa del Carmen any justice), or print out some of the pages from this website. Also, write down the foreign numbers for your airline as well as the American consulate. And finally, a spanish dictionary or phrasebook can come in handy - if there's no internet, you can always call around.

But you can't be prepared for everything, so your sure-fire bet is to visit a local internet cafe. They are located throughout Playa and they are very cheap ($3 per hour is an average price). There are usually a lot of computers and no waiting, and they also offer air conditioning, food, and beverages. This is a great solution if you just need to check your travel plans or look up a phone #. The hours vary. In general, you'll be able to find an open cafe at any hour of the day (except possibly between 2-4pm, during lunch, or after 8pm).

If you absolutely need to connect with your personal laptop, then an internet cafe might not work. Just hop in to your local bar and use their wireless network. The Tequila Barrel is centrally located and there's no fee to use the wireless network (but you should certainly order a beer at least to be polite). The downside is that there is no printer, so you won't be able to make hard copies of anything. Be sure to bring a pen and paper.

Finally, you'll almost always have the option of connecting through your hotel room phone line. The catch here? Your hotel might not be able to provide you with a LAN cable or phone code. You can ask ahead of time, but many hotel employees aren't familiar with the English terminology, so it's best just to pack both.