diff --git a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_download_data.py b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_download_data.py
index 93791c7..c65edb9 100644
--- a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_download_data.py
+++ b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_download_data.py
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@
 def test_downloads():
     for downloader in (fetch_rrlyrae, fetch_rrlyrae_fitdata,
                        fetch_rrlyrae_templates, fetch_rrlyrae_lc_params):
-        data = downloader()
+        try:
+            data = downloader()
+        except (URLError, ConnectionError):
+            raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                           "data download test skipped")
         assert data is not None
 
 
diff --git a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
index 5cc8a12..1a089e2 100644
--- a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
+++ b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@
 
 def test_rrlyrae_lightcurves():
     for partial in [True, False]:
-        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=partial)
+        try:
+            rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=partial)
+        except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+            raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                           "data download test skipped")
         lcid = rrlyrae.ids[0]
 
         if not partial:
@@ -34,21 +38,33 @@ def test_rrlyrae_lightcurves():
 
 
 def test_bad_lcid():
-    rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    try:
+        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
     lcid = 'BAD_ID'
 
     assert_raises(ValueError, rrlyrae.get_lightcurve, lcid)
     assert_raises(ValueError, rrlyrae.get_metadata, lcid)
     assert_raises(ValueError, rrlyrae.get_obsmeta, lcid)
 
-    rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=True)
+    try:
+        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=True)
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
     assert_raises(ValueError, rrlyrae.get_lightcurve, rrlyrae.ids[0],
                   return_1d=False)
 
 
 def test_rrlyrae_pickle():
     for partial in [True, False]:
-        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=partial)
+        try:
+            rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae(partial=partial)
+        except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+            raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                           "data download test skipped")        
         s = pickle.dumps(rrlyrae)
         rrlyrae2 = pickle.loads(s)
 
@@ -58,7 +74,12 @@ def test_rrlyrae_pickle():
 
 
 def test_rrlyrae_templates():
-    templates = fetch_rrlyrae_templates()
+    try:
+        templates = fetch_rrlyrae_templates()
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
+
     filename = templates.filenames[0]
     tid = templates.ids[0]
     t = templates.get_template(tid)
diff --git a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
index abc4279..bbe18b4 100644
--- a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
+++ b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@
 
 
 def test_rrlyrae_generated():
-    rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    try:
+        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
+
     lcid = rrlyrae.ids[100]
 
     gen = RRLyraeGenerated(lcid)
diff --git a/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py b/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
index bb85aa1..465f428 100644
--- a/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
+++ b/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
@@ -9,7 +9,12 @@
 def test_basic_template_model():
     template_id = 25
 
-    templates = fetch_rrlyrae_templates()
+    try:
+        templates = fetch_rrlyrae_templates()
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
+
     phase, y = templates.get_template(templates.ids[template_id])
     model = UnivariateSpline(phase, y, s=0, k=5)
 
@@ -38,7 +43,12 @@ def test_basic_template_model():
 def test_multiband_fit():
     # TODO: this is a long test.
     # We could artificially limit the number of templates to make it faster
-    rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    try:
+        rrlyrae = fetch_rrlyrae()
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
+
     t, y, dy, filts = rrlyrae.get_lightcurve(rrlyrae.ids[0])
     t = t[::10]
     y = y[::10]
@@ -63,4 +73,9 @@ def test_multiband_fit():
 
 
 def test_bad_args():
-    assert_raises(ValueError, RRLyraeTemplateModeler, filts='abc')
+    try:
+        assert_raises(ValueError, RRLyraeTemplateModeler, filts='abc')
+    except(URLError, ConnectionError):
+        raise SkipTest("No internet connection: "
+                       "data download test skipped")
+
diff --git a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
index 1a089e2..ae55220 100644
--- a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
+++ b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae.py
@@ -2,7 +2,16 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.testing import assert_equal, assert_raises
 from .. import fetch_rrlyrae, fetch_rrlyrae_templates
-
+from nose import SkipTest
+
+try:
+    # Python 3
+    from urllib.error import URLError
+    ConnectionError = ConnectionResetError
+except ImportError:
+    # Python 2
+    from urllib2 import URLError
+    from socket import error as ConnectionError
 
 def test_rrlyrae_lightcurves():
     for partial in [True, False]:
diff --git a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
index bbe18b4..82cd976 100644
--- a/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
+++ b/gatspy/datasets/tests/test_rrlyrae_generated.py
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 from numpy.testing import assert_equal
 from .. import RRLyraeGenerated, fetch_rrlyrae
 
+from nose import SkipTest
+
+try:
+    # Python 3
+    from urllib.error import URLError
+    ConnectionError = ConnectionResetError
+except ImportError:
+    # Python 2
+    from urllib2 import URLError
+    from socket import error as ConnectionError
+
 
 def test_rrlyrae_generated():
     try:
diff --git a/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py b/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
index 465f428..abda305 100644
--- a/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
+++ b/gatspy/periodic/tests/test_templates.py
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 import numpy as np
 from numpy.testing import assert_allclose, assert_raises
+from nose import SkipTest
+
+try:
+    # Python 3
+    from urllib.error import URLError
+    ConnectionError = ConnectionResetError
+except ImportError:
+    # Python 2
+    from urllib2 import URLError
+    from socket import error as ConnectionError
 
 from .. import RRLyraeTemplateModeler, RRLyraeTemplateModelerMultiband
 from ...datasets import fetch_rrlyrae_templates, fetch_rrlyrae