Best way to access internet overseas?

Internet cafes??

You might plan on a strategy of using internet cafes when you first arrive, until you figure out the local ISP's better. It really varies from country to country, and not all local phone lines might be up to snuff.

When staying in Ukraine a few years back, I left my laptop in my apartment and merely took a floppy disk with completed emails to quickly upload in a "cafe" (run by the local telecom). I'd download new emails directly to the floppy, then read and answer at my leisure back at the apartment.

You might check out AOL - they have limited sevice in quite a few places, for an additional charge of $6 / hr.

 

I used to have an AOL account just to be able to connect when overseas but yes, you do have to pay extra and it depends on them having a local access number in that country for you.

I cancelled it last year when I got my PB since in many places it's as easy to find a wireless connection. You might want to investiagate whether there's any local hotspots? Then again, I guess since you're going to be there for nearly a year, getting a home line set up is a little easier than when you're just somewhere for a few weeks!