will you bring an iPad (or other expensive electronics)?

We take a netbook with us on every trip, and purchased it largely for that purpose. We use it for skype, to access internet, look up restaurants, maps etc and generally be connected. However, we do not take it with us when we are out for the day but would leave it in the apartment or hotel. Anything that we need written down, I would simply jot down in a tiny notebook which is always in my handbag. I have recently bought an e-reader and would also take that with me, but primarily to read books. I guess you could use it for accessing guidebooks on the go, and time will tell if I do use it for that. Other stuff I always take - a small camera, an ipod and my phone - but they are in my handbag pretty much every day at home anyway. Specifically re the ipad - I don´t have one and have no plans to buy one but for me they are a bit big to carry about - but maybe in a backpack? Being relatively new they are more conspicuous than other devices - and more expensive. I am not too concerned about the possibility of having anything stolen - partly as it hasn´t happened (in a lot of travelling) and it is more the loss of data on the device than the device itself which would concern me. Any individual item I take could be replaced for $200 or less.

my iphone does everything the ipad does, albeit on a much smaller screen. for tasks requiring a larger screen, i just locate a internet cafe or the like. the form factor makes it probably the greatest tool on a vacation, apart from a good guidebook and a wallet full of money.

Mike, I've been travelling with various electronic gear for many years. At one time back in the '90s, this included one of the antiquated Motorola "brick" cellphones and a 35mm SLR Camera. My gear list has evolved over time, but there are still some "essential" items that I always take. At present this includes a Cellphone, Netbook, DSLR Camera and kit, GPS and an iPod Touch. Each item is chosen because it has some practical or useful function to make my trip easier in some way. The Netbook is a recent addition to my list, but after my experience with it this year, it will absolutely be packed along for every trip from now on! The DSLR is a "must have item", as photography is one of the things I most enjoy about travel. The Cellphone is a good method to keep in touch with family and friends back home, and good for confirming hotel reservations, etc. One thing that I still prefer the "old fashioned approach" with is Guidebooks. I find a paper book to be much easier to use when I'm out day touring, and I always find room to pack along one or two books for the countries I'll be spending the most time in. I don't find them difficult to carry, and there's less to worry about in terms of theft or damage (and don't have to worry about the battery going flat). In terms of "safekeeping", I normally leave the Netbook and GPS locked up in the Hotel room while I'm out touring, and have never had a problem (I sometimes throw the GPS in a pocket if wandering around an unfamiliar city). The Cellphone and DSLR are always with me, so less chance of theft. There's a "rider" on my home insurance that will cover the DSLR, as long as it's not used for "professional" use (in that case, I'd have to buy supplemental insurance). Happy travels!

iPad is the greatest innovation for travel since someone figured out putting little wheelies on a suitcase. It is nothing like a netbook.

Rick would probably be aghast at the expensive toys we take on trips. We also take a netbook for the reasons given by Liz and also to download and process photos for sending along to our friends and family. We don't take it out with us during the day unless it's to go to a wifi hot spot. I usually toss a guidebook in my day pack along with my cell phone and camera. I've taken my dslr to Europe with no problems, but I probably won't again given the excellent photos that small point and shoot cameras take these days. Our iPhone is very useful in Europe. The Skype, Michelin Restaurant and English-French dictionary apps, plus the ability to search the internet for local attractions, opening/closing times, etc. make it a handy tool. And it has the ipod built in. It's necessary but not difficult to manage data usage to avoid large roaming charges using an AT&T international data plan. We have an unlocked phone to use with local sim cards as well. My wife loves her Kindle, so we take that, too. As for safekeeping, when staying at a hotel, use the in-room safes or leave valuables with the front desk if they have a safe. Otherwise, take it in your day bag and keep a close eye on that.

Ten things a Netbook does better than an Ipad: http://tinyurl.com/2b6vjrw

My wife's kindle caused her a bit of trouble with airport security at CDG. They seem to treat it as a laptop. And required her to take it out of her carry on and go back through. We've had similar problems with our diving regulators when we go on dive trips. Some airports don't care. Others want them removed from carry on. It's been added to our list of things to ask airport security before sending our carry on through X ray.

I can see both sides of the argument. Three times we traveles extensively through Europe with a family and no electronics at all. We were fine. We lugged around multiple guide books and sometimes even (gasp!) carried them in hand with us walking down the street. The most recent trip, however, we took a very good quality small laptop with us and I will never go back to the old way. We used to worry about not having enough memory cards for our camera. No more. We used to worry about not carrying a cell phone with us (we still don't). No more. We email. No more paper guide books. No more big floppy atlas. No more folder full of paper documentation. Instant access to virtually every piece of information you could want. We also enjoy blogging about the trip. The only caveat is that you do need to be sure to keep your focus of attention on the trip and not matters at home. If all you really need is paperless books, the Kindle works best. It's cheap and no one is going to care enough about it to want to steal it. If you want good, easy web access, the iPad is your best bet. Once you try it for more than a few minutes, you will fall in love with it and never regret it despite what the apple-haters say. It is still a novelty in Europe though, so I would hesitate to be overtly "public" with my use of it there, unless you used one of the many covers available for it (which I would recommend for drop protection anyway). It's small & light enough to fit in almost any bag or pack. While it's on you, it's no theft risk. You might also consider the newest version of the iPod Touch (with the very high resolution display). I just got one and the new display makes all the difference for web searches. The old ones were annoying to use and see on such a small device. No more. It does almost everything an iPad does and fits in your pocket, too.

Yes, and a MacBook Air and camera gear. I hope more guide books and maps will be released on either kindle, ibooks or as ipad apps. If you have a 3G ipad you can add an international plan for a month at a time. Get a rider for electronics on your homeowners or renters insurance and don't worry. Many hotels have safes or lock it into your suitcase and lock that to something in your room if you feel that is needed or try a pacsafe bag. There is much downtime when traveling the iPad is the ultimate anti boredom machine as well as information appliance, game playing and entertainment too. I wouldn't think of traveling without mine.

I bring my iPhone and it does everything I need. Makes a phone call, Googles a good pub, has GPS and a map, takes a picture, sends an email, and it fits in my back pocket.

If you choose to take your iPad, I would purchase a day bag it will fit in, that is more theft proof- like paksafe. That way you'd be comfortable carrying it around, bu not worry about theft quite as much.

I liked having my mac with me on my last two trips. I too am waiting for that iPad and will likely switch to it for travel. Hey, Rick takes his computer with him to Europe. Of course, he's working. I wonder if he's gotten used to having it with him and would take it on a leisure trip. I find it's easy to dodge the work side of the computer by not ever putting work on my personal lap top. I'm helped by the fact that my company insists on only letting us use our company computers for any info and work. Pam

When I watch some of RS videos he's shows a big late 90's laptop that probably weighs 8 lbs. Now with iPads and little netbooks it's a whole new world of communication and information on the go.

"And it doesn't have to cost $500+, netbooks go for around $200 or less now." Not only does a netbook cost less than half, if I want I can add 16 GB of storage as many times as I want. With the iPad, if you didn't buy it with 32 GB, so sorry. Hey, I just saw something online called a ZAGGmate. It sells for $99, for an open shell with a keyboard. You can put your iPad in it and it holds it up at an angle where you can see the screen while you type on a real keyboard. Then, when you're done, you can fold it up and the shell protects the screen. Sound familiar? It's called a netbook and it cost hundreds less.

You really have to experience an iPad to realize the simple elegance and usefulness of it and how it differs from a netbook. It's not the same, it can be more useful in some ways and less convenient in other ways but it really is a different very personal type of device.

I recently got back from an extended overseas trip, where I took my iPad. Short version: I loved it. It's a nearly perfect travel gizmo, and I expect it to be a part of all my international travels, saving weight/bulk and providing lots of benefits. This past trip was actually to SE Asia, not Europe, including remote isolated locations, as well as urban centers, but the same things hold true for my next trip to Europe. I was really won over by the iPad's abilities. About me: a professional technologist (of a sort), and I do have gadget lust. I also loathe Windows PCs - waaaay more hassle than they're worth. But I see no reason to lug along a Mac laptop (or, god forbid, a Windows-based netbook - ewww). The iPad did everything i wanted, and more. I loaded it up with LOTS of videos for the long trans-oceanic flights and periods where we were (literally) off the grid. I also loaded it up with reading materials, multiple thick novels and other items that would have weighed a ton in analog format. Useful apps for traveling, too. Having the model with the built-in GPS is great. So easy to get around (pull up a map, zoom in for as much detail as I wanted), restaurant reviews, etc. And my entire iTunes music library. Easy to get online, for general web surfing or email. And battery life that's measured in days not hours. It's a wonderful travel device. Shortcomings? I just wish Rick would release his books in digital format (hint hint...). My iPad could easily save me 10 pounds of weight and lots of space on my next trip to Europe. I am sold. Totally.

Can you download pictures ot an iPad or other tablet device? I looked at one - very briefly - at Sams Clun the other day and I didn't notice a USB port anyplace on the device, but seems like there would have to be one. Like I said -- I looked only very briefly - I was being rushed by an inpatient friend.

A coworker just bought an iPad... then he bought a little plastic Apple bracket so it would sit upright on a table... then he bought a leather Apple folder to hold it, so the screen was protected. That's not elegance. I used a subnotebook (pre-netbook) on trips to Europe in 2001 and 2004, and will again in 2011. Using a PCMCIA GPS and MS Autorout it guides us on our drives, and even extended walks in places like Paris. It tracks our budget, stores our photos, logs our experiences, finds hotels, campgrounds, sites, restaurants, etc. This year, it will hold Lonely Planet guidebook chapters. It is indispensable. It's carried everywhere, in a very small daypack (a Black Diamond Bbee http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/mountain/packs/bbee/ this time.) I think it's safer with me than back at the hotel, and certainly than back at the campsite. By using a short strap with a Fastex fastener, I can secure the pack w/PC to a cafe chair or subway seat or whatever. Security hasn't been a problem.

Yes, you can download your photos to an iPad. You have to buy the $29 usb/sd card adapter twin pack. It does save the photo files as full size files you can manipulate on screen using a variety of apps. This is one difference from the tiny iPod Touch which can NOT store photos like that even though it has the same 20-pin connector. The Touch can only deal with mini-photos downloaded from a computer AFTER putting your camera photos on that computer. I don't like this situation, myself. It is my biggest irritation with the current design of the iPad. I'm hoping for an improvement in v2 this spring.

The people who seem determined to dis the iPad amuse me. They don't seem to understand or appreciate the fact that people who try them (with an open mind) LIKE the experience. It's the experience they are buying, not the raw specs. It's like a car lover talking to a small airplane owner; "That's so expensive!" "Yea, I know. I really enjoy using it." "It doesn't even have headlights!" "I don't fly at night." "What if you want to haul a trailer?" "I find a way not to." "I'll bet I can turn a sharper corner than you can." "I suppose you could, if that was important to you." "You'll never catch me using one of those things." "Well, that's your choice." "The only place you can go is where they have airports! Roads go everywhere." "...Except up, of course..." It's about what it IS, not what it ISN'T.

Last 2 trips this year to France and Village Italy I took my Samsung netbook and it worked well at the majority of hotels that had wifi. During the day I leave my netbook locked in the safe. On our last village italy trip someone had a Ipad which did not seem to work well in the small villages. I used to try to find an internet cafe in various towns however having your own computer is invaluable. I appreciate my american keyboard and not having to deal with a european computer.

Last 2 trips this year to France and Village Italy I took my Samsung netbook and it worked well at the majority of hotels that had wifi. During the day I leave my netbook locked in the safe. On our last village italy trip someone had a Ipad which did not seem to work well in the small villages. I used to try to find an internet cafe in various towns however having your own computer is invaluable. I appreciate my american keyboard and not having to deal with a european computer.

To add to my previous reply, I also have a few comments on the Netbook vs. iPad debate. I'm also a big fan of Apple products and use Mac computers exclusively at home. I looked carefully at the iPad prior to purchasing a Netbook for travel, and while it works well for many applications, it also falls short in some areas. For photographic applications, the most significant drawback for me was the storage capacity. 64 GB of solid-state RAM is NOT adequate when dealing with large RAW files (I probably have more capacity in Memory Cards than that). My Netbook provides a 250 GB Hard Drive, which works well, and it was about half the price of an iPad! Regarding the OS, I had to use Windows XP at work so Windows 7 was not a huge adjustment. I've found that it's an improvement over XP and works reasonably well. Another benefit of Netbooks from my perspective is the Keyboard. I was trained in touch typing in the '60s (primarily on the IBM Selectric, for those that remember that sort of thing) and that's the method I use on computers. I find the Keyboard somewhat "awkward" as I can't "landmark", so much prefer a conventional type of Keyboard. I had great hopes that the new 11" MacBook Air would provide a Mac OS allternative to Netbooks. Unfortunately, once again the memory capacity is an issue (not to mention the price, again at least twice the cost)! The "bottom line" is that although the iPad does some things well, it will not be suitable for all people; Netbooks are still a better choice in some cases. It depends on the intended uses. Cheers!

For those still undecided about a Netbook or Ipad, this flowchart will help you out: http://tinyurl.com/384456q

"The "bottom line" is that although the iPad does some things well, it will not be suitable for all people; Netbooks are still a better choice in some cases. It depends on the intended uses." That's a perfectly sensible statement. The issue of limited memory on a device is a little like the issue of packing light that we hear so much about. Probably 75% of the traveling world thinks using carry-on only for a long trip to Europe is insane and can't imagine how they could get by with so little. The other 25% have done it by making reasonable choices and would never go back. I have a 500GB portable hard drive the size of a deck of cards I can use for my little Macbook Air if I want to. I'm not yet sure I'll need it. It cost $50 on Ebay. Problem solved (if you want to call it a problem at all). Regarding the iPad, I'll say again; it's a new multi-media experience. It's not a laptop. It was never meant to be. Apple never pretended it was. Apple users never pretended it was. Only Apple-haters seem fixated on making that comparison. There is a reason they are selling by the millions. Regarding the price and the prospect of saving a couple of hundred dollars; I'll bet almost everyone here has personally spent over $3,000 on a vacation and over $10,000 for a family of four or more. For a device that has such a major role to play in the execution of a trip such as this (as well as the time you spend at home), I find dickering over a couple of hundred bucks a little absurd. ...and I'm a big-time penny pincher.

Randy is spot-on. How did you know I also own a small airplane? :) Regarding photo storage on iPads: yes, you can. But I don't. I take along a separate, dedicated photo (and video) storage device (PSD). It's about the size of a paperback book and holds half a terabyte. It's a far, far better solution for someone serious about photography (and videos) than an iPad or netbook or any small computer you might be crazy enough to drag around the world with you. And it was cheap. When the media cards are full, dump their contents to the PSD (I typically do that before bed every day). It's a great solution. So I can't run Photoshop - I don't want to while I'm away. The iPad is so good at the things I want when traveling. And it's incredibly light, compact, and the battery life is unbelievable. After one 3-week international trip, I cannot imagine traveling without it. I'll just have to scan the blue book and put a PDF of it on the iPad until Rick releases electronic versions. No more heavy, bulky books for me when I'm traveling.

David, "It's a far, far better solution for someone serious about photography (and videos) than an iPad or netbook or any small computer you might be crazy enough to drag around the world with you". Which PSD are you using? I have used an (older) 40 GB PSD on some past trips, however now that I have a Netbook I can dispense with that, which slightly reduces the amount of gear that I have to "drag around the world". The Netbook also provides a display and the ability to select and post photos on my Blog. Cheers!

My netbook is so good at the things I want when traveling. And it's incredibly light, compact, and the battery life is unbelievable. After 10 overseas trips, I cannot imagine traveling without it. My netbook frees up a lot space in my bag. I use it to store travel documents, pages from guidebooks, ebooks, and maps. I can also use it as a nightlight, white noise machine, stereo system, mini-cinema (in hi-def and widescreen), alarm clock, and make cheap calls back home via Skype. ...and it's smaller than a Bible, and yes I can store a Bible in my netbook as well. The drive also has every episode of The Office, Battlestar Glactica, and NPR's This American Life. It worked great on my 15+ hour non-stop flights from Newark to Beijing and Hong Kong. It's the ultimate multi-media device, like a hi-tech swiss army knife!

Ken, For my current PSD, I got a "Hyperdrive Album." It's basically a small hard-drive enclosure with a nice color screen. I bought one without a drive in it (they sell them with and without) - it's basically just a plastic case the size of a small laptop drive, with a screen, a couple of buttons, and slots of CF and SD cards. Then I went to Fry's and picked up a 500BG laptop drive cheap. Popped it in, and presto - a really nice PSD for not a lot of cash. It works great. Yes, I can review images on it. It's reasonably fast to display images, data transfers from cards are quick and reliable, it holds a half terabyte of data, and is tiny - about the size of a paperback book. I actually prefer this setup (iPad for other stuff, dedicated PSD for photos and video - I'm shooting large numbers of RAW images and lots of HD footage, so it piles up - this setup handles it nicely). I don't have any need (or interest) in uploading photos while I'm traveling - YMMV. Regarding typing on the iPad, I was very skeptical at first, but quickly became completely comfortable using the onscreen keyboard - I can type on it as easily and and fast and as accurately as any other keyboard (and I expected to hate it). Randy from Minneapolis did a great job of describing the experience and how different people often react to it. My advice is, give it a try. I expected to hate it. I didn't. Quite the contrary. Personally, I think the iPad is very awesome - and I expect they'll get better and better (this is a first generation device - and it rocks already). But if a netbook makes you happy, great. Life is too short to use gizmos that annoy you. Happy travels!

So now you spend $230 for a HyperDrive plus the cost of a hard drive to go in it, to go with your $500+ iPad, just so you don't have to admit you made a mistake with the iPad in the first place.

David, Thanks for the info on the PSD. I wasn't aware of that particular product, but it certainly has sufficient capacity for large RAW files and HD videos. I'll have a closer look at the iPad Keyboard next time I visit the local computer store, but I doubt that it will work for me as it lacks the "tactile" benefits of a standard Keyboard (such as the small "tab" on the "F" & "J" keys). I suspect this would make it a bit awkward for someone used to touch-typing. As you mentioned - "YMMV". Cheers!

Randy, "The objection some people have to the touch-typing issue may be largely generational" That's probably a lot of the issue in my case. I'm well over 40, and in the "old days" I had to use the "handwritten notes / typewriter method" for Theses and other lengthy documents (that was painful!). As you can appreciate, I was an early adopter of computer technology, which was a good fit for the way I had learned to type. Although I've been a devout fan of MAC computers for many years, I'm not against using other technologies if they're more suitable to the application. I had to use Windows products at work, so I'm quite comfortable with that as well (and have found that Windows 7 works quite well). While the smaller Keyboard on a Netbook is a bit more of an effort to use than that of a full-sized Laptop, it still provides the aspect of "tactile feedback" which isn't possible with an iPad Keyboard. I will have a closer look at iPads, but frankly I'm not sure it would provide any benefits over the Netbook. It would also force me to buy another expensive device to provide the photo storage function (and pack along two gadgets, chargers, etc. instead of one). To paraphrase a point I mentioned earlier, which device to travel with largely depends on the required applications, which are somewhat unique to each person. For my purposes at the present time, the Netbook is the most suitable device for the task. Cheers!

Lee's nightmare day: having to use TripAdvisor on an iPad.

I have a hyperdrive, iPad, MacBook Air. I didn't make a mistake buying any of them. I have bought and used netbooks that were pretty useless, underpowered with a crappy track pad and extremely hard to press buttons. Everyone has their own idea of what is acceptable to them. 10 million iPads in 8 months is an indication of what an important product it is.

You can't type on an iPad without looking at your fingers. If you do look at your fingers, it's quite easy and comfortable - certainly just as easy a learning curve as trying to type on one of the quirky undersized netbook keyboards. The objection some people have to the touch-typing issue may be largely generational. Very few people under 40 today are good no-look traditional typists. They didn't grow up having to write papers longhand and then transcribing them to a typewriter. They grew up writing while sitting at the computer, thus making blind typing mostly irrelevant. So they don't walk up to an iPad glass keyboard and see any problem.

I am a techno-phobe and proud of it. Nevertheless, my husband and grown sons deem me teachable. On my birthday last spring, shortly before our trip to Italy, my husband said he had a surprise for me and drove me to the Apple store. There, I had the chance to try an iPad. He thought it would be good for me for reading books, as I have eye issues that make using a Kindle difficult and eye-straining. The iPad screen is so bright and crisp it was perfect. I took it to Italy and discovered what a great travel tool it is. We had wi-fi everywhere we stayed, and it is so fast and easy to use for the internet. I keep several websites "up" and just have to touch to go between them. Enlarging the print is a flick of the finger. Typing on it was odd at first, but I quickly got used to it. I had my e-mail (with reservation confirmations, etc.), Trenitalia schedules, Tripadvisor for restaurant searches, and other needs all instantly available. But the best of all is the map function. It is so much faster, sharper, bigger, and easier to use than Google maps on a standard computer. No mouse clicks and arrows; I can slide the view left and right by touch, and enlarge and focus in with a quick motion with thumb and index finger. Touch a spot to a pin and then get the street view, and I can roll all around the scene just navigating with my index finger. I am probably only using about 1% of the capabilities of this thing, but I absolutely love it. And no, there were no issues taking it through security---they never even noticed it.

I think Randy's explanation is great. At least it makes sense to me. I have used several netbooks and a tablet computer. The netbooks were more useful than the table (especially the latest one that is faster and has a big hard drive). But if I have to carry the thing for any length of time, I still prefer the tablet. There is something wonderful and intuitive about a touch screen. I love it on my Android phone and won't go back (but I am nerdy enough to carry a basic flip phone for when I need to use the phone as a phone). I can see why an iPad would be attractive. If I had a real iPad, I think I'd take it traveling over the netbook . . . at least when I'm traveling overseas and adhering to the "travel light" philosophy. To me, the weight and size of the thing is the primary consideration in that circumstance. For that reason, on my next trip, I doubt I'm taking any computer at all - netbook or tablet - other than my phone. It does what I need, is super light, and doubles as a phone. If I find it lacking in some way I'll go back to the "old fashioned" way of doing things and find a PC at an Internet cafe or library. But, to each his own. Whatever works best for you is what you should do.

I was in an electronics store today so I checked out the iPad and liked it a lot. We have an iPhone so I immediately knew how to use it. I think it would take me longer to type this post on an iPad, but not that much considering the typos I've had to correct using what passes as touch typing.

"Lee's nightmare day: having to use TripAdvisor on an iPad."
In a rental car.

With a 40# roll-aboard in the trunk.

Staying in a Hilton

... which is nowhere near Germany ....

I think you all are a little too familiar with one another.... just sayin....

As long as he can fly there on Ryan Air, it is all good.

d'ya think, Randy? Whatever give you that idea?

We are too fortunate enough to be going to Italy this September. We also want to use our ipad (#1, 3g-wifi) as a navigation device, browser, web access, etc. (Do the map apps work in Italy? Ie do they have Italian maps?) We will be driving some & taking the train some. Pardon my American ignorance this is my first trip to Europe....actually my first trip abroad! And I barely understand sim cards. So more info then less will be helpful. I know....sigh. What I think I know...is that an Italian sim card will hook my iPad up to Italian 3G (and wifi?) so I can use my map apps, safari, google etc. just like I do here. Right? We are flying into Pisa....and will be mostly in Northern Italy....Is there a good place in Pisa to acquire a sim card. And which card? What I am hearing is that I should find a Termini Station and get a TIM sim card....which a rep will install in my iPad and activate. Or do you all recommend a TRE sim card? Or something else? I will leave my ATT sim card at home. Any advice would be so very useful.... Thank you. We're all so excited, Italy has been on our "must do list" for years. Grazie. CM

I'm probably the least qualified person to speak to this, but.... We took the Ipad to China and loved having it. An Ipad is so much lighter and portable than a laptop. (It's difficult to type long e-mails on, but I don't care to do that on vacation anyway.) Our hotels all had WiFi, so the sim card wasn't an issue. My husband told me that I would need to use a sim card if we used the 3G. Sim cards are available at gas stations and other little stores. We did buy a cell phone to use on trips that use sim cards. That was good to have because pay phones are often hard to find. I have a Kindle which I mostly use on vacations. I was able to download the New York Times while on a train in China --amazing. My husband did buy the Rick Steves Paris guide for his Kindle (we had to change plans during the strikes and stay in the city). I would not plan to buy the guidebook on the Kindle again. It's just too "putzy" or awkward. With regards to safe-keeping, nothing is ever 100% secure, but we do leave our electronic devices at the hotels. Keep in mind that an Ipad is difficult to read outside.

iPad is the greatest innovation for travel since someone figured out putting little wheelies on a suitcase. It is nothing like a netbook.

Micheal 1 interesting analogy as I and many others think that putting wheels on a suitcase is a very very bad idea as it encourages over packing including the bring along a ton of expensive, heavy, and useless electronic devices such as Ipads.

Ok ed, you can go back to old fashioned luggage you have to lug around.

Ed, you apparently have not tried an iPad. They are neither heavy nor useless. As for expensive, that is relative. And wheeled bags are great if you get the right ones.

Off topic slightly, but based on the last few replies, by what standard have people overpacked if wheeled luggage happens to allow them to take a little more on their trip? If they can easily manage it, how is this overpacking, even if it differs from Ricknik dogma? I've said it before and I'll say it again- not everyone wants to wash their clothes in the sink while on vacation.

Apple and Microsoft thank you all.

Since Carla resuscitated this thread, I'll try to answer some of her questions (and I understand "too fortunate"). First of all, I'm no iPad authority, so I don't know for sure the way to 'turn off' your SIM (airplane mode? yank the SIM?), but you can get by on just your wi-fi - unless you want access At All Times to Google Maps, etc. You can find wi-fi at many places, but not everywhere; if you can postpone gratification, you can get online later...OTOH, if you need/want that map NOW, you might really need a SIM card. And here's where I get off of this train--someone else will have to answer. In fact, if you haven't already, you might start another thread on this topic; you'll probably get more responses. Like whether or not iPads need to be 'unlocked' or not...or if they may be... (cont.)

(cont.) You said "What I am hearing is that I should find a Termini Station and get a TIM sim card..." If that's exactly what you meant to say - I offer some clarification: "Termini" is the main train station in Rome; it's not a SIM store or something. And "TIM" IS a SIM store ('Telecom Italia Mobile', I believe). Therefore, you may find a TIM store to sell you a SIM at Termini. And for Tom - if someone wants to bring their wheeled luggage - however heavy if may/may not be - I don't care (don't run over my toe, use up all of my space on the airplane, constantly ask me to help you with it). If they are a newbie to European travel and have a 'hop on/hop off' train trip planned for 3 weeks of travel and all they know of their wheeled luggage is airports and the path b/n their car trunk and the hotel elevator, THAT'S when I'm going to start tooting the 'backpack' horn. As soon as an iPad allows multiple windows to show at once...then I'll bite ;-) Flash would be nice, too. I'm thinking I should start looking at other tablets...LOL! And finally to answer the OP - I treat all of my belongings like they're expensive/precious. If I've deemed it worthy of lugging across the Big Blue, I don't want to lose it. Therefore, iPad = lip balm. I never lose anything. Ever.

Eileen wrote: "I never lose anything. Ever." Eileen, you obviously are not afraid of tempting Fate. You are a braver soul than I.

I personally love my Ipad and it is not heavy or useless, expensive - yes, depending on size and 3G or not - but what is expensive and what is not depends on a persons perspective. and as far as not being able to see them outside an anti-glare invisa-shield screen protector will take care of that.

I didn't bother reading all the replies, cause frankly I don't care what others do, but I take nothing. I travelled for years in Europe before all that stuff was around and did just fine, I read maps, I ask questions, I can use payphones( yes, they still exist in many places,, and I do not need to be in constant contact with home or work, thats funny, no one did years ago either,, holiday was just that,, holidays. )

We didn't have these things back then and we managed, but am not against someone not needing technology with them or wanting to carry whatever makes their traveling easier. Personally, I prefer to have the iPhone and iPad when we 4 travel for numerous reasons. It's not all about being in constant contact with friends or even family. Traveling recently with my daughter, I needed help from my husband. It was so much easier to be in contact especially since I was ill at one point. Sure you can use a phone card or Internet cafe, but why do that if you have your own and it's more convenient? Heck, why rent a car? You drive at home. Why not give that one up too? The amount of help we have had with these items far outweigh the inconvenience one might perceive in taking them. We have proven it time and time again. Most of the time we locked ours in suitcases. Left in safe a few times. Sometimes take along on trains. Never been a hassle, but always a God send to be honest. To each his own.

Soon all travelers will need to bring their own electronics when traveling. Cybercafes are disappearing; public phones are scarce; some hotels have an internet terminal available, but for how long? I've been carrying my small laptop the last couple of years and find that wifi is widely available and usually free. I'm used to carrying a small backpack, so don't have a problem taking the laptop with me. When it's not on my person, I feel ok leaving it locked in my luggage in my hotel room.

Swan, you make a good point. We have used ours in the airport when there was a problem with our reservation showing up. Also helped a couple in Gent because the hotel did not receive confirmation of their reservation, but they had the confirmation in an email. I saw the distressed look on their faces and offered to let them pull up their email as proof. They were very thankful!

I'm not into technology, but bought an iPad 2 for our trip in June. Loved, loved, loved it!
I kept a blog for my parents, downloaded our pictures, surfed the web, checked email, used Skype, music, movies, had all my contact information, copies of emails for confirmations, maps and directions, had all my notes copied from the RS site recommendations, etc. It gave us everything we needed and fit nicely into my RS Civita bag. We didn't get caught up in the entertainment factor, we enjoyed our trip and left it aside. I would highly recommend it! It was really fun to write the blog at the end of the day to remember all the details of the days events. A great way to keep memories.

For many, many years we traveled with nothing more than a paper book. We have begun taking our laptop, and it has proven invaluable. We winged the last two weeks of a trip through Central Europe this spring, and used it daily for everything from train schedules to weather forecasts to hotel reservation with wifi ( I think they call it weefee) in every place we stayed. Now we want an iPad. But I still carry my guidebooks. Even we Luddites can change, albeit at a slower pace, but I can't fathom roaming some medieval cathedral without my well thumbed,papery, dear books.