Camera Battery logistics.

I used regular lithiums on a trip to Spain last year, and one set lasted almost a week. Five sets seems excessive to me, but too many is better than too few, I guess.

approx 1400 pics between two cameras (wife's and mine), and used 1 set in hers and two in mine. She took more than half of the total pictures. We did start out with fresh lithium batteries, in both cameras and took an extra set for each camera, a total of 8 batteries for two cameras for four weeks. Her camera and batteries are still going two months after we got home. Grandson's visit for a week, many pictures! My camera broke near the end of the trip, wouldn't flash, which wasn't a real problem, but it's retired now and I have a new camera that uses proprietary batteries, I have purchased a spare battery and will now be taking my charger along when I travel.

So, I ramble a bit, but it does seem that you are taking more than you will need.

Good to know. What brand?

Two sets it is. Also, I'm not afraid to buy some with Forints or Korunys.

Your plan sounds about right. My camera can accept either AA-size or the CRV3-size lithium batteries. For our two-week trip last month, I had a recent CRV3 in the camera, and I brought along a couple more CRV3's. They were all the Energizer E2 brand. As I recall, I had to change batteries only once during the entire trip. I took about 600 photos, and I made heavy use of my camera's LCD and its 12X zoom lens, so I was happy with the battery life.

I saw some lithium batteries (both AA and CRV3) for sale in several stores in Paris and Italy, especially camera/photo stores. So don't panic if you happen to run out.

They sell all kinds of batteries in Europe. A bit more expensive but the same kind they sell here. The TSA does not want unpackaged lithium batteries in your luggage. Lithiums last a long time but when they die they die quickly so always have a back up with you.

Unless you need some exotic, specialty battery, it makes no sense to me to bring more than one set of spares along. Standard Duracell AA batteries are available EVERYWHERE. Yes, they tend to be excessively priced if you buy them at a stand right next to, say, the leaning tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower, but I'd still rather pay the convenience fee reather than lug a brick of batteries from home. I suspect the TSA would probably frown on that, too.

I have a good bunch of rechargables that I use at home, but for a foreign trip like yours, I'd just bring one set of fresh batteries in the camera, and one spare set in my carry-on. If/when the batteries in your camera give up the ghost, pop in the the ones you brought along, and buy another set that day to carry along. Depending on your gear and your usage, you might never need any more than what you brought. It would be a bummer to haul 5 sets of extra batteries half-way around the world and then bring them home. The little suckers are heavy, and all that stuff adds up. Just my 2 cents.

The regular lithiums that I used are Energizers. And keep in mind what another poster said: lithiums are not allowed in checked baggage, only in carryon.

UNPACKAGED (loose batteries) lithium batteries are not allowed in checked luggage.

Yes, you're right, packaged batteries are allowed in checked baggage.

Batteries arent heavy; take all you think you will need. I have always taken more than I need. Only once have I bought replacements. That was in Moscow; because of the exchange rate I paid less for my batteries than I do at home. I also paid less for 35mm film.

Guess it depends on what kind of batteries you need. I make sure my camera, for example, will use AA's in a pinch, and then I don't worry about taking anything extra--unless I know that the battery in it is about ready to expire. In that case, I would either take one extra, or switch out to the new battery before I left home. Once in Paris I had to pick some up at a photo shop, but that was barely an interruption.

But my camera will last a long while on one battery (that's something else I looked for when I bought it). I have had one that could chew through a set of batteries on a day trip. Ugh!

I highly recommend the E2s (but I haven't seen or tried the Panasonics). I took 3 sets with me on a 4 week trip and one set lasted about 3 weeks. The second set lasted the rest of the trip plus quite a while at home. I will never put regular batteries in my camera again (unless it's a dire situation with no other options). I believe the packages say they last 7x longer than regular batteries - I would believe at least that long, if not longer. Regular batteries are crap in my camera and rechargables have just frustrated me. Take 2-3 sets of batteries and forget the rechargeables and/or many, many packs of regular batteries at home. I took about 1,500 pictures and always have my camera view screen set to on.