AAA Batteries

They're definitely more expensive here than in the US. If you can bring some, I would.

Ok, next question is do I have problems with TSA?

No.

Have you thought about rechargeables? Once you have the charger and a few, there is much less weight and less stress.

Was going to suggest a couple of sets of rechargables - have one charging while using the other, maybe carry a few alkaline as backup...make sure if your camera has settings under battery type for alkaline vs nimh (nickel-metal hydride)vs lithium (so your camera knows power draw and doesn't drain the type you are using too fast...)...if your camera has this option, should be under tools on your menu. This should sound obvious, but make sure you are taking the right size batteries - my lol story - didn't check, thought my camera took AAA (it took AA) and I took a ton of AAA (I am still using them up 4 yrs later). I prob spent $50-60 on batteries over my 18 days...be warned - the closer you are to a tourist site, the pricier the batteries...I ran out outside Coliseum, paid like 7-8euro for a 4 pk, then just down the road, they were 3euro...and I would sometimes go thru 4-6 batteries in a day...don't cheap out - duracell aren't necessarily the best - they just have a bigger advertising budget... I have a camera that takes 4AA, have 2 sets of recharge, used it in NYC all day and didn't have a prob with batteries running out thru the day (I had some regular as backup, and the other set were charged overnight at our B&B). Get ones (and I think most are this way now) that don't have a 'memory' so they don't have to be fully drained to recharge...just charge at the end of the day (I work in a camera shop, sorry for the long-windedness)

Have you tried lithium batteries? They may cost more, but they last much longer. I used them the first time on my last trip and I don't think I had to change batteries once. Batteries are not an issue in your carry-on. There are some types which are not permitted in your checked luggage.

Traveling with a large pkg of AAA batteries (from Costco) in your luggage is no problem. I've done this all over the world.
Happy Travels.

Thomas, Could you provide a bit more information about your Camera that "eats batteries"? Which brand and model are you using? AA Alkaline Batteries are often not the best choice for use in digital Cameras, as the discharge curve is different than for rechargeable batteries. The Camera may falsely indicate a "Low Battery" condition when there is in fact lots of power remaining in the battery. Rather than haul a crate of AA batteries around Europe, you'll probably find that rechargeable batteries are ultimately a better and less costly option. Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) are a good choice. Having two sets of batteries will allow you to always have a fully charged set with you. Happy travels!

I have a Cannon Power shot. Reviews did say that one of the drawbacks is that battery life. I just didn't realize how bad. I was using AA Duracell. I'm going to go with Energizer ultimate litium. Think the 16 I got should hold me. Problem with charger is it make a third thing to plug in, iphone & blackberry. Thanks for all the advice Thomas

Thomas, Thanks for the additional information. I gather you've already bought some Lithium Batteries for the trip? Those are not the cheapest option, so you may eventually want to consider buying rechargeable batteries for use both at home and while travelling. That will be a much more cost effective option! Regarding the aspect of having to charge more than one electronic device, I don't find that to be a problem. You will of course need Plug Adapters for whatever devices you'll be charging. It's also important to ensure that the Chargers are designed for operation from 100-240 VAC. You mentioned travelling with an iPhone and a Blackberry. That raises some other concerns. Which cellular network are your iPhone and Blackberry with, and have you considered the costs of data roaming? Are you planning to disable the data capabilities on both devices and just use Wi-Fi for accessing E-mail or web browsing? It would be a very good idea to consider this, as the costs of data roaming can be horrific! Cheers!

Thomas, I think you will notice a big difference with the lithium batteries. I have an older model Canon powershot and used to mostly use rechargeable batteries. The rechargeable batteries never seemed to last more than a day or two. I used to always keep a spare set of regular batteries as backup. Last year, I brought some lithium batteries as my backup. I put them in one day when the rechargeables died and they lasted the rest of the trip.

Laura, A few additional comments on rechargeable batteries. Not all rechargeable batteries are created equal. Can you recall what type you were using (hopefully not Nickel Cadmium)??? When choosing rechargeable batteries, it's important to consider a few details, such as capacity and type. A few things to keep in mind: > Capacity - Batteries with 2300 maH or higher will provide the best service. Some cheaper models may be <2000 maH, so these won't last as long. > Type - NiMH are one of the most common technologies for Cameras which use AA batteries. These are reliable, but may self-discharge if left in storage a long time. It's a good idea to "top-up" the charge from time-to-time. Li-Ion Batteries are among the most reliable in terms of "holding" a charge and they also have an excellent power-to-weight ratio. However this technology is more commonly used in the proprietary batteries in newer Cameras (I've never seen any AA Li-Ion, but of course some may exist). My Canon DSLR and P&S both use proprietary Li-Ion batteries, and these are VERY easy to travel with. > Lifespan - It's important to remember that ALL rechargeable batteries have a finite lifespan, typically determined by the number of charge/discharge cycles. The capacity will eventually decrease to the point where the battery should be replaced. Cheers!

Ken, I just looked and my rechargeables are 2500mAH Nickel Metal Hydride. However, regardless of whether these are the best batteries or not, this Canon Powershot that I have is the absolute worst camera I've ever had in terms of battery life. Before this, I had a much larger Panasonic with a proprietary Lithium-ion battery and the battery just lasted so much longer. I bought the Canon because I wanted a smaller camera for vacations and I thought it would be great to have a camera that took AA batteries rather than proprietary batteries.

Laura, Thanks for the info on the batteries. 2500 maH is definitely a good capacity, so if the batteries were reasonably new they should have lasted awhile. Perhaps it's time to upgrade the Camera to one of the newer PowerShot models? I've been packing along an SD-870 (now discontinued) for several years, and it's provided great service!

Ken Yes I bought the Lithium batteries, 16 total. Based on other comments that should last me. The rechargeable is seems a little less reliable. As for the iPhone & Blackberry. I upgraded from the 3g to 4s iPhone & taking the 3g. Will jailbreak it & buy a sim card when I arrive. Wife got new Blackberry for work & going to use old one jailbreaking it & buying a sim card there. I bought an adapter that is also a surge protector so I should be OK with the chargers Thomas

Thomas, my previous cameras were "battery hogs", but I had no problem bringing a couple of sets of 2500 nMh rechargable batteries and a charger. The charger is almost lighter than the charger for my Iphone; check it out (16 batteries is too much to lug around.......) A couple of unlocked GSM phones are great, but I also had to carry my US phone so I could receive important calls from home. I just signed up for my carrier's International plan, and that kept the cost low. In fact, on our last trip, I skipped the unlocked phones, and just used Skype, and texting (on the International plan) for communicatations.

Thomas, Could you provide further details on the "adapter that is also a surge protector". The "surge protector" wording raises some VERY definite "Red Flags"! Regarding your plan to purchase PAYG SIMS for iPhone and Blackberry, a few further questions and comments.... > Which cell network was your "old" iPhone 3G attached to? > Which cell network was the "old" Blackberry attached to? > Have you checked the Chargers for both devices to ensure they're designed for operation on 100-240 VAC? > Have you purchased appropriate Plug Adapters for Italy? > While you may be able to easily buy PAYG SIM cards to allow voice and text, I'm not sure it will be easy or cheap to get SIM's that provide data use in Italy. There has been a lot of discussion on this point recently, so you might want to review some of the posts in the "General Europe" section of the HelpLine. Cheers!

I, like Ken, saw red flags waving and heard alarm bells when I saw surge protector. If you search you will see several posts by both Ken and I, and others, warning of smoke, flame, and general 4th of July stuff if a device with that type of electronics is plugged into European 240 volt plugs. There have even been cases where the adapter was nominally suitable and still went phut! I strongly suggest using dumb adapters, avoiding like the plague any with built in electronics. Dumb adapters into world capable chargers is the way to go, perhaps using a dumb 3-way plug in between.

The All-in-one adapter w/surge protector is from Travel Smart Conair. Tried it out with my netbook & it had no problems. Didn't get hot & charged OK. As far as who our carriers are it doesn't really matter, but it was AT&T and Verizon. Will not be using them while in Italy. All I want is to be able to call & or text my wife & my reservation. We don't need data. Have a netbook w/wi-fi for data issues. Thomas

Thomas, Thanks for the additional info on the "All In One Converter Adapter". It seems like a rather complicated way to perform a simple function, but I'll defer further comment on that for now. Regarding the Cell phones, you stated earlier: "Will jailbreak it & buy a sim card when I arrive. Wife got new Blackberry for work & going to use old one jailbreaking it & buying a sim card there." If the iPhone was attached to AT&T, it should work in Europe if "unlocked / jailbroken". If the BlackBerry was attached to Verizon it likely won't work in Europe as it's a CDMA device and therefore not compatible with GSM networks. This could vary by model. In your most recent post, you stated you wouldn't be using these in Italy, so I wasn't sure whether you're still planning on "buying a SIM card there"? Cheers!

Vernon, I wanted the surge protector, just to protect my netbook & other electronics. The Blackberry is a Storm. So if I unlock the Storm and put in an Italian Sim card it won't work still? The iphone 3g is too slow to be worth using it for surfing the net or streaming videos etc. All I want the iPhone & Blackberry for is to text and/or call with the wife or to make reservations etc. When i want to surf the net etc. I have a netbook with wi-fi & I believe that out two apartments & B&B has wi-fi.

Thomas, First regarding the Surge Protector. It's possible that the product you're using IS equipped with Surge Protection that's designed to operate at 230 VAC. There appears to be several different models of the "All In One Converter Adapter" but all seem to be equipped with a switch to select the Voltage range (ie: US or European). Just don't forget to set the switch to the "Europe" position, as if you connect it while it's set the 115 VAC position, there could be disastrous results! Just to note, I always travel with just a simple Plug Adapter, and have never had problems with Surges. Regarding the BlackBerry Storm, AFAIK the Verizon model is equipped with quad-band GSM radios, so you should be fine using that in Italy with a local SIM card. You'll have to contact Verizon to determine how to "unlock" it. I've been travelling with a "basic" Cell phone for several years (similar to what you're planning to use the iPhone 3G and BlackBerry for), and it's definitely a great travel accessory! I've recently upgraded to an iPhone, so will have to deal with that prior to my trip this year. I agree, a Netbook is a great way to access the internet while travelling. I've been packing a Netbook for the last few years, and it's now part of my normal travel gear ("don't leave home without it!"). Cheers!

Ken, Sorry about calling you Veron. The all in one device has different plugs that come out the back depending the the country selected so you really can't miss. Actually I wish I could bring my 4s (only a couple month old & don't want to void the warranty by breaking it). Word Lens app won't work on the 3g & Google Goggles isn't very good. Thanks for all the advice. Thomas

Thomas, I had a look at the "All In One Adapter", and that's what suggested that it may be equipped with Surge Protection that's designed for 230 VAC. If I find any additional information on it, I'll post another note. One cautionary note regarding the "All In One Adapter". Some of the Conair models appear to have a built-in Voltage Converter and that could be a problem if it uses electronic voltage conversion, and is used with electronic devices such as Camera, phone chargers or Netbooks. Electronic voltage converters used with electronic devices is sometimes a bad combination! Transformer voltage conversion is the best type to use with electronic products. I don't know if the Adapter you're using has a Voltage Converter, but thought it would be prudent to mention it. One additional point to mention. TSA does have restrictions on placing Lithium-Ion batteries in checked luggage, however these are allowed in carry-on bags. I'm not sure whether this only applies to rechargeable models, or ALL Lithium batteries??? Have a look at This Website for details. Hope you have a great time in Italy!

Well none of the packaging says anything about a converter. We are following RS's advice & doing the carry on for the two weeks. All our friends think we are nuts.

Thomas, I wouldn't be too concerned about your friend's opinions. If you think you can manage with carry-on only, go for it!

LOL Thomas re:friends thinking you are nuts...our 1st trip to Europe, 18 days...co-workers were like...you're ONLY taking a carry on?????!! They think you're cuckoo...but I'd love to see them struggling on and off trains and up and down 3 flights of stairs in old hotels with no elevator with huge bags (I still rem on poor soul in a German train stn with three big bags and having to take them downstairs under the tracks and back up...that's asking for someone to grab one and run!).

On a trip to Portugal 7 years ago, I had a camera that used AA batteries, and I was always recharging, buying batteries and always running out of "juice". After that I acquired a small Kodak camera that charges like any other electronic device. Elimnates costly batteries and untimely dead batteries. I've yet to ever run the battery down to zero. You can probably buy a decent digital camera for around $100. How much will you spend in batteries, not to mention the risk that you won't be able to take pictures if you run out of charged batteries? Plus you won't take up valuable carryon space with batteries, and charger.....