My daughter who just graduated from college is leaving August 1 with a friend on a 6 week back packing/youth hostel trip to Europe. What is the best way for her to stay in touch with me? I suggested that she email me daily via Internet Cafes. I will be leaving for Europe on August 21. She will then have a list of my various destinations and can email my hotels.

Last year I tried to email from hotels in Italy and France. I found the key boards completely confusing. I couldn't even find the @ symbol. I am concerned that our idea of emailing might not be as easy as it sounds.

She will have a Costco MCI calling card. Would it be easier for her to call rather than email?

Dear RJ,

She is young and flexible. She is also a collitch grad. She will be able to master a European keyboard in no more than 8-10 hr.

Calling card is a good idea.

She can also buy them in Europe.

If you want to speak to her, arrange a time when you will be at the phone.

The little trip I used on a public computer, being lucky the person before me didn't restart, back arrow to his/her e-mail, and typed my name saving the @ symbol.

Maybe somebody here can help you with the @ as I was explained how to do it, but forgot, sorry.

You both should open "travel" accounts, maybe hotmail or yahoo... just in case... so if it gets broken into, no valuable information.

Make sure you log out and restart computers, if you log out only, on some computers the back button will take the next person into your account.

If you both travel, and you have a cell phone, then she can call you. If no cell phone (which can be rented if you don't have one) it won't be easy for her to remember where you are. Trust me, the kids of her age will have 1,000 excuses not to call

If you arrange to be online at the same time you can do voice conversation or messenger.
We speak to our son in China most days through msn.com and as there are web cams in their internet cafes,we even get to see him! Even better - it doesnt cost anything!

OK..I understand your concerns but you want her to e-mail you DAILY??????

Perhaps you could email HER daily!

Does she have a cell phone? We just went to Italy and Austria in early june. It was my husband, myself, and my 12 y.o. stepson. His mom back in chicago was very appreciative of quick daily text messages and pictures of him.

I have T-mobile service and the motorola razor phone which is equipped to work in Europe. Tmobile doesnt charge you for international service, they charge you for each call - about 1.99/min. It was well worth the piece of mind for my husbands ex-wife.

Dukey - you took the letters straight from my fingers

I've never had problems using an internet cafe. If you can't figure out something you just ask for help from the clerk. That said, daily might be a little bit of an inconvenience for her. Remember the time difference for telephone calls. What works best for me and friends in Europe is them calling me early morning, which is evening for them.

If you e-mail her first, she can just reply, without having to find the "@".

I forgot to mention---in Switzerland, at least, it was cheaper to call (with a Swisscom phone card) than to pay for internet time to e-mail.