Do you take your laptop when you go to Europe?
 

I am trying to decide if I should take my laptop when I go to Spain.

Advantage:
--Can watch movies on the plane
--Can use Skype to call back home (assuming the hotel has internet)
--Can check hours, phone numbers, etc

Disadvantage:
--Could be stolen
--Another thing to keep up with
--Could be a distraction from actually getting out and doing things if I spend too long surfing what to do ;-)

Thoughts?

We never take a computer on vacation.

I like to sleep on a plane, we don't call anyone when we're away, and I do so much pre-trip research that I have as much information as I can manage before we get there.

This question comes up from time to time here on Fodors and the replies are usually split 50:50.

I'm in the group that says yes. I take good precaution with data and laptop security and I can live without the laptop should anything happen to it.

I like to have internet access for emails, finding travel info, keeping up with news, and yes, even checking in on Fodors. I like to download pictures from my camera every day or 2, catalog them, send some to friends & relatives as I travel, etc.

No. I am on vacation.

Yes. I am always working and need to keep in touch with clients and family.

Only when on business.

If it's all vacation you couldn't pay me to take it. I turn my phone off most of the time too.

On vacation I want to avoid contact with home - not encourage it.

Always. It's our contact with the family and then I never have to worry about something going wrong and no one able to get ahold of us.

We also empty our cameras into the computer every evening.

Yes. Since I rarely use a computer at work, I don't associate my laptop with working / "not being on vacation" at all. I have a tiny laptop just for travel-- it's about 6 by 8 inches and fits in a handbag.

The main reason I bring it is so I can get all of my travel companions' photos right away. And to back up the photos from my own camera.

Mdm Fifi, which brand of mini-laptop, ultraportable or whatever term you use do you own for travel? I've been looking online at several brands the past two days... (ex. Acer Aspire One, ASUS eeepc...)

I love loading in my photos at the end of the day. I thought I was the only who did that ;-)

I'm a writer so I wouldn't dream of being without it. But I also love being able to check info about places I'm considering visiting.

Mme Fifi, I'll second Travelnut. I am interested in getting just that small a laptop for photos, internet and writing extensive notes on my travels. I'd especially like to get one that can run my usual Windows-based programs - does yours?

Yes, it isn't work, it's fun. I have an old one that we got for my daughter when she went to college seven years ago, and it is falling apart, literally, so I don't worry about having it stolen. It fits easily into my carry-on luggage.

I e-mail my friends and family when I want to, and my e-mails can form the basis of a trip report.

More and more hotels and apartments offer free wi-fi, my new favorite amenity.

It's great for looking up the phone numbers for calling a taxi, checking the schedules for movies and theater and other events that I can then choose on the fly.

I really can't see any downside. Well, maybe the thing about getting distracted from getting out and doing things, but I haven't really found this to be the case. Even on vacation, maybe especially on vacation, I like my down time.

Funny this comes up now. I've never taken mine, even though I'm self-employed. Internet cafes, my Blackberry and the occasional laptop in apartments have been sufficient.

However, I just <i>today</i> came to the conclusion that I probably have no choice on my upcoming trip the end of October. I have multiple projects going on that I didn't anticipate when I picked this timeframe to take off.

I am totally bummed about lugging it around (even though my DH will do the lugging:)). Of all trips to have this problem, we are taking four--count 'em--four flights to get over, two trains, two countries and four cities. Oh, and four flights again. We carry-on only so this means I have to do away with my second piece. UGH

Yes to a small laptop. It helps a lot -- movies, downloading from camera, checking places to go, writing Fodors trip reports (!), etc.

NO, however, to my husband's latest &quot;want&quot; which is some gismo that will allow him to watch (via the laptop) our home cable t.v. and beloved Dodgers (lose!!!!). The husband's ultimate remote -- no way, no how, he's bad enough at home or even with the local t.v. in a hotel room. We don't usually get into fights (heated discussions), but I said he might as well not go on vacation at all with that kind of distraction.

Travelnut and artsnletters,

Mine is an old Toshiba Libretto, but now you can get the Asus at a much better price.

I take it when I travel to just one place, not if we're traveling around. I just don't want to lug it around. I have a smart phone for getting emails, texts and phone calls when need be, though. I watch the news on local TV. Once in awhile (for ex., once on a 16-day trip to Egypt, Madrid and London), I might catch up on internet stuff (Fodor's included) at an internet cafe, but usually that's only because one of my kids wants to do that.

My laptop goes with me everytime I travel. I like being able to do email in my hotel room, downloading photos, keeping in touch with family owned business at home, and checking the bank accounts. I never turn it on while on the plane. It stays in the overhead bin in my bag. I prefer to try to sleep on the flight.

I have always taken a &quot;laptop&quot; (6 trips since 2000). It's a valuable tool. When I start to plan a trip I create an Excel workbook - worksheets for my itinerary as well as one for every day of travel with train or bus schedules, and worksheets with every town I am going to visit, complete with hotel info, maps. When I am finished with my planning everything I need to know is in that file.

I set up a worksheetfor my expenses, including a detailed log, record of my expenses by category, and one with my projected expenses, so the last time I go to the ATM, I know what to get.

Every morning at breakfast I download my pictures from the day before, sorting them into folders so I will remember where I took them. Lastly, I keep my journal, in Word format.

For my first trip I took a Compaq LTE - too heavy. Then I got a handheld MobilePro, and used it for four trips, but software was limited. Last trip I used a Toshiba Protege I got used from Ebay. Now I have just purchased an Acer Aspire One (just 2.2# with built in Wifi). If you don't get anything big, heavy, or expensive, you don't have too much to lug around or too much to worry about theft- in it's carrying case it's so small thieves probably think it's just a guide book.

I take a small laptop with me. It is separate from my home computer. I keep all my personal data on a SD memory card. If the hotel has a large in room safe, I keep the laptop inside while I go out. If the room safe is not big enough, I keep my SD card in the safe. When I am in transit, the memory card is kept separate from the computer. Even if the laptop is lost, I do not lose my data.

I download my pictures onto the same memory card, so even if I lose my camera, I only lose one day worth of pictures.

By far, the most used application on my travel laptop is Skype followed by Firefox.

Larry, you are a perfect candidate for the software program WorldMate Live. Check it out:

http://www.worldmatelive.com/home.php

I thought it was interesting that you record every expense. Once I decide to go, and since air and hotels are generally paid in advance, I couldn't care less what I spend. I keep track the same way I keep track at home, which is not at all :)

The only reason I can see that makes sense (for me) is to download pictures, but I just take enough cards not to have to do that, or having access to Fodor's and other research on the city/place I'm in.

Another vote for Yes. I always take mine. I love to be able to download my photos and write. If I have interent access, even better!
I also admit to sneaking a peek on the forums here even while traveling.

I now carry a 2.2 lb Toshiba Portege which is about 4 years old. It's not &quot;fancy&quot; but it gets the job done and it's smaller than most magazines. :-)

Yes.

Only if I'm working. I'm much to busy while I'm on vacation to log on. If I need information that only the internet can provide I'll go to an internet cafe.

I like to use my plane time for reading, napping or doing crossword puzzles.
I use my cell phone to call home if needed.
I don't want to lug it around.

I almost always take a laptop when traveling. If it is just one night or two, then I might make do without it, but even then. If traveling for work, I will sometimes bring two (work and personal). When traveling with my wife, we will both often bring two.

As to what I bring,
- We have a Macbook Air, which is usually the first to make the cut.
- I have a black Macbook, which I bring with less regularity.
- We both have some HP thing from work that we will take if needed.

I just purchased the Acer Aspire One and I love it! It's a mere 2.2 pounds, has built in wi-fi and webcam, plenty of room 120 gb) to load my pics, and a multi-card reader - including an xD slot, which is hard to find.

The screen is 8.9&quot;, but it hasn't been a problem yet. The keyboard takes getting used to, but even my dh, who claims to have &quot;fat fingers&quot;, can use it.

I'm in the US. I bought converter plugs. My laptop has voltage 100-240. The tech at Walmart said that the Hz could be a problem and he recommended using the voltage converter.

Any experience with this?

&gt;Any experience with this?
Yes
&gt;Hz could be a problem
No problem, no converter needed

I'm confused. What kind of problem could the Hz cause?

A year ago I bought a cheapie Acer from Microcenter.com. It was 379 bucks and another 80 bucks upgraded it to 2gigs of memory. I bought it solely for travel usage - primarily to upload photos each day and as time permits to start sorting.

It's cheap enough so that if I lost it I wouldn't be too bummed (but for the photos - but those don't get deleted from my card until I get home anyway - and the risk that someone might have access to my photos isn't a big deal to me - yet...)

It's also pretty sturdy and small enough to fit into my carryon. I take it on the plane wherever I go, now - the beach house, overseas, anywhere...

fieldtripcoordinator,

Here's a tip... never take computer
advice from a Walmart employee! You're not speaking with the most tech savvy of salespeople there.

Logos999 is most likely correct... look at the power brick for the computer. If it says &quot;110-240 v&quot; or similar you should also see &quot;50-60 hz&quot;. If it will handle 240 volts it will also handle 60hz.

The real bottom line on this is checking your manual or customer support of the manufacturer.

As for me, yes I take a laptop. I have to as being self employed work cannot just stop. But it's a 12 inch Dell that is easy and light to carry and comes in very handy for non work related use as others have noted.

On our trip to France in August our 16 year old daughter took my tiny Asus EEE and found it easy to carry and fun to stay in touch with friends.

Rob

Thanks, Rob!

I don't travel with mine. I like to pack very light and wouldn't want the hassle.

I watch whatever movies the plane provides. I don't call home when I travel. When I am already IN a city I can find information like business hours easily enough in other ways.

That said, I'm not *against* the idea just it's not worth it for me.

I do stop into internet cafes every few days to send and receive email, or if there was really some piece of information I needed available only online.

No, we don't take our laptop with us. We do carryon only, and if we are on vacation we have no use for it.

<i> I like to pack very light and wouldn't want the hassle.</i>

Anyone contemplating a computer for travel should shop for light weight, small size, and battery life. I have carried a 2-pound, 10&quot; laptop for years, and I haven't any idea of what &quot;the hassle&quot; means.

<i>p.s.</i> If you dump your pictures at EOD, make sure you have a backup - in a separate place. If your computer gets broken, lost, or stolen, losing all your memories as well would heighten the disappointment.

Travelnut and artsnletters,

Have a look at the Dell Mini 9: http://www.dell.com/content/products...amp;ref=homepg

The specs look good, and I have the 16GB version on order.

We take ours with us. The phone is turned off, but we check our mail daily so that if there is important news from the home front we get it that way.
Since we tend to wing it on holiday having it is useful for looking for hotels and restaurants. We also download the photos to it, along with to an image tank that also goes with us. The GPS log also gets downloaded to it daily.
We have a deal that it is only connected to the net just long enough to check the mail for important messages, everything else goes unread, and to find a hotel or whatever if we need one. If we didn't agree to that then OH would be online all the time, and working and generally behaving as he does at home.
In Europe we drive so luggage isn't an issue, and if we go long haul we check baggage always. The laptop stays quite happily in the hotel room whilst we are out for the day, on full show what is more.

<i>p.s. If you dump your pictures at EOD</i>

Maybe it's too early in the AM for me, but what's EOD?

Generally - yes. We typically go to one place for a week or so. I would find it very difficult to be without it and internet cafes can sometimes be hard to find, have odd opening hours or can be relatively unsafe. I also have to access documents.

What I use it for varies depending on work commitments and the time of the year etc - checking e-mails, checking timetables, phone numbers, skype and sometimes just surfing the internet, reading papers etc.
Especialy now that wifi is so commonplace.

Occasionally for watching a dvd or tv show I have downloaded. Never for photos but am not much of a photographer.

I am seriously considering buying a small and cheap laptop just for travel purposes.

EOD = End of Day

We never take a computer on vacation. If I did, it would not be vacation.

I have to take my laptop on my next trip. Part of the trip is professional, but I can't just then chuck the laptop for the vacation part. I thought of taking a lesser-quality laptop, but I decided I needed the full-scale one with everything set up perfectly.

My main concern is the risk of getting it stolen, even if it's small. Most of the time I am staying at a hotel with a laptop safe, and the one night I'm not, I will take it around with me. I'll be extra-cautious going on and off trains and in crowds.

Has anyone lost their laptop or had it stolen?