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Hi all!
I finally have time to look into the problem of where to stay while I'm doing my practicum in Mannheim in February.
There's a place called Bed & Breakfast Mannheim which gets mediocre reviews on TripAdvisor. It's apparently an unregistered hotel, which makes me kind of ~_~. It might not be bad (and it's cheap -- two weeks would be under 500€ (about $650 at today's exchange rate)) but some reviews said it was dirty and there's mold in the shower, or the beds have hard foam mattresses. So I don't know.
So I looked on airbnb, and there are a couple rooms at similar reasonable prices, but I have no idea how I feel about using that service. The first one (a WG) is further from the GI, but about 20 minutes by transit (if I could take a direct route by foot or bike, it wouldn't be bad, but it looks like highways). The second one is closer and more expensive.
Do any of you have experience with airbnb? Is it worth it to stay in the closer flat, or should I take my chances in the WG? The flat has more reviews, too. It would run me about $760--more than the B&B (which is really a furnished room with shared bathroom & kitchen).
Mobile phones
I'm trying to figure out what to do about my phone. I want to use a German SIM in an old phone, but I'm having problems with my existing phones. My HTC One X would be great, except a) it doesn't read SIM cards anymore (which is why I have a One now) and b) it's technically still under contract, so I'm not sure AT&T will let me unlock it. I have my old Captivate, but a) it's running a ROM, so I'd need to do a factory reset to unlock it, b) it's a piece of shit, and c) it uses the old, large-size SIM cards (2.5x1.5cm/1x5/8in). I have no idea if you can still even buy those.
I want to get a prepaid, and it looks like T-Mobile has the best plan (Xtra Call; the triple whatever one would be great but it looks like it's a monthly service, and I just want to put money on the card as needed), though Vodafone has highly competitive rates. Both providers have prepaid phones you can buy, but I'd rather avoid buying yet another goddamn phone. Especially because the ones that use the non-monthly service are crappy old phones just like the ones I already have. (Like my old RAZR flip phone. Just newer.) I'm going to be back in Germany in June, so I can use it then as well.
The main thing I can't figure out is if the XtraCall option is available in the old, large-format SIM (not micro- or nano-) card. Do any of you know? Or can you wander over to a Telekom shop and ask? (Or a Vodafone shop for the CallYa Talk & SMS one.)
Also, do the minutes/does the money expire?
Are there better plans with better coverage? How does o2 compare, for example?
(Also what is with all this Denglish? Oy.)
I finally have time to look into the problem of where to stay while I'm doing my practicum in Mannheim in February.
There's a place called Bed & Breakfast Mannheim which gets mediocre reviews on TripAdvisor. It's apparently an unregistered hotel, which makes me kind of ~_~. It might not be bad (and it's cheap -- two weeks would be under 500€ (about $650 at today's exchange rate)) but some reviews said it was dirty and there's mold in the shower, or the beds have hard foam mattresses. So I don't know.
So I looked on airbnb, and there are a couple rooms at similar reasonable prices, but I have no idea how I feel about using that service. The first one (a WG) is further from the GI, but about 20 minutes by transit (if I could take a direct route by foot or bike, it wouldn't be bad, but it looks like highways). The second one is closer and more expensive.
Do any of you have experience with airbnb? Is it worth it to stay in the closer flat, or should I take my chances in the WG? The flat has more reviews, too. It would run me about $760--more than the B&B (which is really a furnished room with shared bathroom & kitchen).
Mobile phones
I'm trying to figure out what to do about my phone. I want to use a German SIM in an old phone, but I'm having problems with my existing phones. My HTC One X would be great, except a) it doesn't read SIM cards anymore (which is why I have a One now) and b) it's technically still under contract, so I'm not sure AT&T will let me unlock it. I have my old Captivate, but a) it's running a ROM, so I'd need to do a factory reset to unlock it, b) it's a piece of shit, and c) it uses the old, large-size SIM cards (2.5x1.5cm/1x5/8in). I have no idea if you can still even buy those.
I want to get a prepaid, and it looks like T-Mobile has the best plan (Xtra Call; the triple whatever one would be great but it looks like it's a monthly service, and I just want to put money on the card as needed), though Vodafone has highly competitive rates. Both providers have prepaid phones you can buy, but I'd rather avoid buying yet another goddamn phone. Especially because the ones that use the non-monthly service are crappy old phones just like the ones I already have. (Like my old RAZR flip phone. Just newer.) I'm going to be back in Germany in June, so I can use it then as well.
The main thing I can't figure out is if the XtraCall option is available in the old, large-format SIM (not micro- or nano-) card. Do any of you know? Or can you wander over to a Telekom shop and ask? (Or a Vodafone shop for the CallYa Talk & SMS one.)
Also, do the minutes/does the money expire?
Are there better plans with better coverage? How does o2 compare, for example?
(Also what is with all this Denglish? Oy.)
