Necessary Gadgets

I travel with my iphone. That's all. If I need more internet, I've been able to find a cafe to surf for 30 min or so. Last 2 trips to Europe I was able to access free wifi on my iphone.

I did just purchase the Nook ereader. I know I can also read books on my iphone, but the screen is just a bit too small for my old eyes. The Nook with be with me on all future trips.

As far as texting. That is the only way I communicate now when traveling. I keep it to a minimum, but it's cheaper on my plan to send a few texts than to call. It's 50¢ per text (incoming, or outgoing)

Cindy,

To begin with, one comment on the IPad. AFAIK the cellular interface installed in the IPad is only capable of data, therefore you won't be able to make voice calls or text with it. If you're accessing data networks in Europe, the costs could be VERY expensive (although you could use the Wi-Fi portion of the IPad where possible).

As you already have a quad-band (GSM) phone, I'd suggest taking that for occasional voice calls and texting. Contact your Cell network for rates on texting, as some networks offer text plans which reduce the costs somewhat. Incoming texts are always free. For the other uses you mentioned, a Netbook would probably be the best device to pack along.

Happy travels!

When I traveled last year I took only my iTouch to check and respond to emails. It worked great. Most of the German hotels I stayed in had wireless in the lobby. If they didn't, they usually had a computer room where I could use their computer free of charge. And on one occasion in Rothenburg, we found an internet cafe for 2 Euros per hour.

We're planning to travel again next month as a family. Very different this time. While I still will only need my iTouch, my son plans to take his laptop so he can upload photos and video each evening.

Great advice from everyone! I have been thinking of either buying a netbook or the iPad...will have to do a little more research. One question...how do you 'unlock' a cell phone?

With the iPad, you can only run one process at a time...no multi-tasking. Anything you want to import into the iPad needs a special adapter (purchasable from Apple of course) which means you cannot plug ANYTHING in. The lack of a solid cover scares me. And they're a heck of a lot more expensive that netbooks that can do much, much more.

Last trip to Germany/Austria, I never called home at all. I had an international phone card and found plenty of land lines, but because of the time difference, we are rarely available to talk at the same time. We communicated entirely via email. Works better that way. I write when I can; she reads it when she can.

However, I used my netbook extensively for keeping up with the Graffiti Wall, checking rail schedules, updating my website, downloading and organizing pictures, keeping expense report on spreadsheet, etc. It's all I needed.

Cindy, the phone is unlocked via a code. Your carrier is required to give you this code if you request it, though they may balk. Once it is unlocked you can substitute your current SIM card for one you purchase in Europe. It will have its own phone number; you won't be using your regular number. This can be good and bad - you need to inform those who need to know that you have a special number during the trip, but you won't get calls (like appointment confirmations from the dentist) from people who don't know you are traveling.

Cindy,

A few additional comments to my previous post.

The "unlocking" method for GSM Cell phones varies somewhat. Many Cellphone models can be unlocked by entering a code, while others require connection to a PC. Once the phone is unlocked, it will operate with SIM cards from any cell network. Check with your Cell network as they may be willing to unlock the phone for reasonable cost (especially if you've been with them for a few years).

With an unlocked Cell phone, you have a few options:

You can use your home cell network (no unlocking required) in "roaming" mode while in Europe. The costs are often a bit "steep" however these can be minimized to some extent by using a roaming plan (check with your carrier for details).

You can use a "Travel SIM" from firms such as Cellular Abroad, Call In Europe, Roam Simple, Mobal, Telestial or others. The costs for these tend to vary to some extent, so it's important to review their pricing structure carefully and make a well informed decision. One advantage of these plans is that you'll receive a new number with the SIM card, so if you provide this ONLY to a select group of family & friends, you won't have to worry about the dreaded 03:00 call from some moron that "forgot" you were travelling and didn't bother to check the time.

You can also pick up a PAYG SIM card from a European network when you arrive. While these are often very reasonably priced, keep in mind that if you use the phone outside the country where it was purchased, the costs will increase as you'll be "roaming". Again, it's important to review their rate structures and familiarize yourself with the "top up method".

Netbooks are a good alternative for travel purposes, as they're very compact and have built-in Camera, Microphone, Wi-Fi, etc. The keyboard will also be familiar (some Euro keyboards are "difficult"). I'll be buying one before my trip this year.

Cheers!

Last summer I took the iphone and my macbook. I knew I would be taking a lot of photos and that I would want to work on them while I was there. Actually, the best photo work time I had was the trip home! If i weren't a bit of a camera nut I would probably leave the mac at home. Pam