Madrid: good internet cafes?

Hi,
Can anyone recommend any good internet cafes while in Madrid? I'm going to be staying in Chueca neighborhood and would like to blog while in Madrid as a way of staying in touch with friends from home.
Thanks!

One thing to look out for is signs for 'locutorios' - phone centers that look like little shops, where cheap calls are usually made by the immigrant population in Madrid. These places nearly always have very cheap internet access as well, and there are bound to be a load around chueca. Have a good trip!

I always go to Locustorios to call home and to check my e-mail when I'm in madrid. You get 1 hour internet access for €1.

Locutorios, or you mean call centers are having a cheap internet access, i agree with sallyanne.
ciao

Bigg Internet off Metro Sol 2 or 3 stops from Chueca above KFC

I'm going to revive this thread since I'm interested in this topic. Can anyone name any new internet cafes in Madrid or add to the one already listed here? Gracias!

Can I add to this and expand the question?
I am taking my laptop and want to know what plazas or terazzas have free wifi?

I can tell you both that cybercafes - as we used to know them like easyInternet and the like - are quickly disappearing what with the growing number of locutorios.

I believe the "Bbigg Internet & Games" on Calle de Alcalá, 21 still exists though.

While I prefer cybercafes to locutorio, I will say that locutorios are cheaper, usually 1 Euro per hour or thereabouts. Can't beat that. But I generally don't like locutorioes because of the low-grade-quality of the equipment, the never-cleaned keyboards and mouses, and the suspect security of XYZ locutorio. Before leaving, I always "clean out" the history file and cookies of the browser but I always feel weird accessing bank account information or other sensitive information.

On the UP side to locutorio, they generally have the PCs sitting right there so you also have access to their USB ports, something you rarely have in Cybercafes. In cybercafes you usually only have a screen, a keyboard, and a mouse and maybe some audio/microphone connectors built in but oftentimes no USB ports.

laduque, free wifi is a rare thing in Europe, I think. One exception that I've found is inside (or just outside) the VIPS restaurants. There, many have free WiFi.

Few terrazas or even plazas have free wifi because if you're occupying a table in a terraza and only sipping one drink you're causing XYZ bar to lose money where most terraza prices are higher and terraza tables are more popular in nicer weather.

Saludos, MadridMan

There are actually quite a few cafés in the centro that have free wifi (sometimes you have to buy something they give you a code, others are completely open). One of the nicest is Faborit on c/Alcalá. Others off the top of my head: La Cabra en el Tejado, Angelika,, Cafe Panini... Also, the Plaza de Santo Domingo has free wifi. I haven't tried it for a long time, but Plaza Colón also used to have free wifi.

If you are going to be around La Latina, there is a huge network called FON:

http://www.fonlalatina.com/conectate2.php

You get a certain amount of time free (and can sometimes get a pass when you are in one of the participating restaurants). To use it longterm, you can pay a low hourly, daily or 5-day fee (10 euros according to the site). It works virtually anywhere in La Latina since so many people belong (members share out their connections).

Thank you Madridmadridmadrid, I had heard from another member on the board that there was wifi in plaza chueca too, my brother in law in Madrid also mentioned something. I just wanted specifics and you sure gave me some good info to start.

Thought some of you may be interested in a report in 20minutos.es today saying that Chueca is the first "barrio" in Europe to go completely wifi ....

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/397083/0/cobertura/wifi/madrid/

Steve .

That's great. It looks like those of us who are "foneros" in other neighborhoods get to connect for free and for non foneros there's a low fee--or is it free for everyone. I think soon the whole city will be wired with Fon--it's such a great system.

I would really not recommend using an internet cafe or any other public computer for making purchases or accessing bank account or personal information.

Even if, as MadridMan does, you clear the history and cookies, if the owner of the computer is that way inclined, the data can too easily be recorded (quite easily using an auto backup facility) or recovered (much harder but technically possible).

Mike F, if you bring your own laptop, you'll find that most hostels in Madrid offer free wifi to their customers.

Whenever I wanted to use the internet I would take a laptop to Giangrossi's. It is a "fancy" ice cream place that has wifi. They never charged for it (when I was living around there last year- but may now), but I would always buy a sandwich or a coffee beforehand.

Or there is a locutorio on c/Fernando de Catolico and c/ Valle Hermoso just near the market on that corner- that is pretty nice (if my memory serves me correct)..They have A/C and it smelled like bubble gum which is much better than the usual arm pit like many other places.

Hi all, this is my first post and will be arriving in Mardid in late May 2009. I will be staying at the Husa Princesa which is on Calle de la Princesa road and need to know where all the Internet Cafes are that are close to the Hotel. Wifi fees are very expensive at the hotel, so I want to skype my family back home in Australia while I am in Madrid.

Cruiser .. The Husa Princesa is a five star hotel so no wonder the charges are huge for internet ( and all other services ) . Whilst i´ve been in that area many times is not exactly my "manor" as we say in London . Maybe it would help other board members to help you to say that the Metro station is "Arguelles" .. There is no doubt they´ll be internet cafés evrywhere .. They´re very popular here in Madrid .
By the way , you will be very near to the teleférico ... A cable car that takes you 2,000 metres into the countryside outside the city with some great views . Great for picnics ! And the travel is cheap !

Hi Steve, I'm not sure what I will be doing on my days off while I'm there. I will have a car but its the first time I will be driving on the wrong side of the road. I have spent hours researching the web for info on Cybe cafes but can't find anything that is close to the Hotel. Also there is not info on Skype terminals in Cybe cafes.

You´re brave to be even THINKING about driving in Madrid ! It´can be a nightmare . Spain , and Madrid is lagging a little behind some other European cities such as London , Paris , Berlin etc.... . Many internet cafés are small and relatively unsophisticated ( They´re called "locutorios" ) . They are often run by people from Central and South America . It provides a cheap way of contacting relatives in Ecuador , Bolivia , Perú etc... . There is a very big internet café called "Bigg" in Puerta del Sol . I was there today . Maybe 50 stations . 30 minutes = €1:50 . They´re a big company .
Steve

Most WorkCenter's have public internet computers.

@Cruiser, I doubt they will have Skype as it can take a hefty chunk out of the bandwidth that you are sharing with everyone else on the network.

As mentioned before, the best bet really is to bring a laptop with you if you can.

OK! So if the Internet Cafes donot have Skype access are there wifi access points near (Husa Princesa Hotel) on Calle de la Princesa. I will have my laptop with me which will have Skype VOIP).

Maybe this can help.

I just got a free app for my iPod Touch. It's called "WiFi Get Free" Love it!

It shows you where wifi spots are on a map and also tells you if it's free or not. I typed in Madrid and up came a list of hot spots. Can't wait to put it to good use.