We will be travelling to London and Reading, England for 14 days at the end of this month. We have a laptop computer we can bring along. Is it better to bring it, or to go to local wifi-cafes (I've heard of Nero) and just pay a fee to use theirs?

Here in California, most hotels have wifi access in their lobbies and even in each guest room. Is it the same in London & Reading area?

Many hotels in Europe have a computer in the lobby for guests use. DEPENDS, of course! Or internet cafe.

For convenience it'd be nice to have your own,,,,,but it IS a nuisance and an extra to carry, and unless absolutely necessary, it's just a hassle.?_ Also depends a lot of you are moving around much or staying in just 1 or 2 places!!

This question comes up about once a month and the replies are usually split 50-50.

There are those who will let into you, calling you an idiot for wanting to bring one along. Admonishing you to let it go, as you're on vacation, citing anecdotes about troubles or hassles lugging one along, risk of getting it stolen, and myriad other reasons to NOT bring a laptop.

Then those who will chime in saying laptops are a valuable vacation tool for storing photos, writing trip reports, keeping track of travel info, surfing the internet from the privacy of your hotel room to look for travel or dining info, etc.

In the end it's a personal decision - there is no right or wrong answer, despite all the rhetoric you're likely to read here.

Can you ask the hotels you'll be staying in whether they have wifi, where you can access it, whether there's a terminal guests can use...?

Check the hotels you're staying at. Some provide good services, some poor services an many VERY expensive services (I recently paid $39 for one day use in Switzerland - the alternative was about $12 per hour).

I've been to Europe twice in the past year and took my laptop both times. I need to get online as I run multiple websites and I can't just leave things for a couple of weeks at a time.

If you don't NEED a laptop you can get along without one. But even if my business didn't require it, I'd take one anyway.

Some hotels who advertise an 'internet center' have one creaky old Pentium 1 in the lobby. There were half a dozen recent computers
in the lobby at the Moevenpick in Amsterdam but they always seemed to be in use. So having one's own is certainly a boon.

Also, although many European hotels
advertise internet access they'll often charge 12 euros a day or more so watch for that. I've always found MANY open wifi networks. On Ile St Louis in Paris last summer there were 9 open networks in range. In Athens this spring there were 6. ;^)

I have a 12 inch Dell that only weighs about 3 pounds. But with the charger, plug adapter, cable lock, extra battery, mouse etc it has to be at least double that in the shoulder bag. Still, I've seen women carry bigger purses. And I always
travel with a carry on roller suitcase only so I really don't find
carrying the laptop and accessories a problem.

I also have a really tiny Asus EEE
that will ideally be my travel computer in future but I hadn't time before my last trip to get it set up
the way I need it. It's almost small
enough to put in a jacket pocket.

So unless you plan to lug a 17 inch
monster... take your laptop! ;^)

Rob

Hi TK,

Is there a major reason why you NEED to schlep a heavy, expensive, fragile, easily stolen piece of luggage?

What did you do before 'lap tops'? If you do bring one, keep a log of its use. Let us know the results. London is as wired as any USA city, I don't know about Reading.

I always bring mine now.
It's 2.2 lbs so weight is not an issue. I write, download photos, use skype, look up info as needed, log on to Fodor's, etc.

Let's put it this way:
Cost for me to bring laptop: $0
Not having to pay to sit in some unairconditoned, cigarette smoke filled internet "cafe" to read my email: $0
Calling my husband from Cambodia and being able to not only speak to but see eachother via webcam for free using Skype: Priceless.

It's personal preference. When we're on vacation we don't even use a telephone, including cell phones.

Other people might have to be connected for their business (how sad, but some jobs do require it), and some are addicted to being "connected," while for others it's what they have grown up with and can't conceive of how to get along without one.

Our son is generally somewhat disgusted with our primitive use of our cell phones (in a busy week I might make and receive 5 or 6 calls on my cell phone), while we are generally puzzled by him and his friends calling each other constantly with nothing of any importance to say.

If you want to carry a PC around, do it. If you don't, don't.

I bought a laptop last year and I took it with me on my first trip since buying it. While it did come in handy, I found it more of a nusiance and a worry. (Is it secure, etc). Since then, I've been on several trips but I haven't travelled with it.

I do prefer to use my own laptop, since I feel it is more secure than computers at hotels, internet cafes, etc. If security is an issue (it depends what you'll be using the laptop for) I would take the laptop.

If you do deceide to take it remember to have the right electrical adaptors so you can recharge the battery.

".. I've always found MANY open wifi networks. On Ile St Louis in Paris last summer there were 9 open networks in range. In Athens this spring there were 6..."

I have been roundly chastized for <b><font color="red">stealing</font></b> wireless from private unsecured sites, so make sure you're using the free Paris city wifi program...

I was just in Torino, Bellagio, Mantova and Milan. I was surprised at the few number of internet cafes I saw. I'm wondering if wi-fi is becoming so abundant that it makes internet cafes needless. Yet i can't imagine lugging around my lap top - i bring along too much photo stuff. Maybe if it was one of those new thin MAC lap tops. Saw a couple of teenager's in the hotel lobby in Bellagio on their lap tops - the father coming in asking them to join the family for lunch (ah - teenagers)

Of course I was using the official
Paris wifi network!

Great! I hope I can 'see' some free Wifi (legal) from my hotel next visit, b/c 8&euro;/hour is too steep for my wallet. Couldn't locate anything from the room back in April'07.

We did take the laptop over to a cafe that gave an hour with purchase of a cup of coffee.