IPad ?

Yes, if you have access to wifi it works great. BUT if using 3G it can be and most likely would be very expensive so don't use that feature. Turn it off if you have 3G on your ipad.

Susan, the wonderful thing about email is that it doesn't care where you are to work. So long as you have some connection to the Internet, your email can generally be sent. On rare occasions there is some glitch with one connection, but find another Internet source and you're usually good to go. I recommend using an email address that permits mail being sent and received over a secure connection (SSL or TLS or HTTPS). With a secure connection, every email you send or receive is encrypted for the trip. Gmail does that by default now. I sometimes use a Comcast address when traveling and it likewise can be set to transmit only on an encrypted connection.

Yes, as the others have stated. I read on Trip Advisor Rome forum that prepaid data sims are pretty cheap in Italy, so check that out if you have the 3G model and want to use it outside wifi locations.

At least here in Rome, there is little public wi-fi. McDonald's and some of the more "hip" cafes ("bars") will have it, but there number is tiny compared with the much greater availability in the States of public wifi signals. So just keep that in mind, especially as you are looking for a hotel -- make sure to check that they actually have wireless and not something requiring a cable, which I presume wouldn't work with your iPad.

If you use wi-fi great. 3G will depend on contract.
S