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Kindle in Italy?

Hello Everyone from snowy Ohio:

We are going to Italy in May (Venice, Florence, Assisi and Siena) and I wondered if anyone has insight into whether my Kindle will operate there. I would rather take it along to check email, etc. than an expensive laptop.

Thanks!

Margaret

Posted by
3387 posts

As long as you have a wi-fi connection it should work just fine! So much better/lighter than a laptop.
Wi-fi is extensively available in all of Europe. Whether you are staying in a hotel, b&b, or apartment, it's almost a basic expectation that wi-fi is available for guests. Check with the individual places you are staying to see what the wi-fi status is for each.
If there is no wi-fi in the place you are staying then there are many cafes that have it as well.

Posted by
11613 posts

Some hotels also have a courtesy computer if you need it. Almost every hotel or B&B has wifi, at least in public areas.

Posted by
33 posts

Thanks, and somebody please make Spring get here soon!

Margaret

Posted by
32171 posts

Margaret,

As the others have mentioned, your Kindle should work just fine in Italy. However a few points to mention.....

  • You'll probably find that even in hotels, you'll have to obtain a password from the front desk. I've found that in some cases the password expires on each log-off, while in other cases it's good for 24-hours.
  • Depending on the facilities at the hotel, you may find that Wi-Fi is a bit "spotty" in the room, but works fine in the lobby or other common areas (ie: breakfast room).
Posted by
7737 posts

Margaret, I'm doing the same thing - taking along a Kindle Fire tablet to check emails, surf the internet, etc. As mentioned, you will need to have wifi to do either of those, but of course it will function perfectly fine as an ebook reader without wifi access, once you've downloaded the book.

Posted by
23177 posts

Check your input on your charger BUT the probability of needing a converter is very, very close to zero. You will need an adapter for the plug.

Posted by
7977 posts

You don't need a converter for virtually any electronics e.g.computers, kindles, phones, cameras. Check of course, but today virtually everything is dual voltage. All you need is a cheap plug adapter.

(and for any device that heats like a flat iron, either get a European one or a dual voltage one in the US -- using one of those flimsy tourist converters is a good recipe for burning your hair off or blowing the fuse system in the hotel)

Posted by
7977 posts

You don't need a converter for virtually any electronics e.g.computers, kindles, phones, cameras. Check of course, but today virtually everything is dual voltage. All you need is a cheap plug adapter.

(and for any device that heats like a flat iron, either get a European one or a dual voltage one in the US -- using one of those flimsy tourist converters is a good recipe for burning your hair off or blowing the fuse system in the hotel)

Posted by
11613 posts

As Frank said, I think an adapter plug should do it - it's what I've used for all the electronics I bring (four years now): iPhone, iPad, camera.

Posted by
101 posts

Hi Margaret, Since you'll have your Kindle with you in Venice I'd recommend downloading Emily Hammond's "Venice Italy Heaven" eBook. It contains seven self-guided walks, plus a lot of other great information, that we found to be a wonderful way to discover off-the-beaten-path sites while wandering through Venice's different neighborhoods. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B901XUG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00B901XUG&linkCode=as2&tag=italyheaven-20