using the internet when in Europe

Yes, it's good. The cafes will have access to the web using familiar browsers including IE, Yahoo, MSN, etc, so it won't be a problem.

Jacque, I don't use GMail, but I've been able to access my Webmail (which is similar) from any computer with an internet connection. One point to mention is that Internet Cafés aren't as prevalent in Europe as they once were. Many Hotels now provide a computer for use by guests as well as Wi-Fi (sometimes free, sometimes with a small charge). If you're travelling with a Netbook, iPad, iPod Touch or other device, you probably won't need Internet Cafés. Happy travels!

If you intend to use European computers for that be aware that the keyboards are quite different and the key placement changes from country to country. For example, if I remember correctly, the @ symbol in the US is shift-2. In some of Europe it is two keys to the right of "L" and in other places others. Just leave a little extra time to get familiar. For us touch typists it takes a bit.

Last year I took my small Acer (Aspire One) to France and England. Most of my hotels had Wifi, and the Acer worked fine. The small hotel in Avignon lacking Wifi was not a problem. I just went down the street to the local bar and used my Acer there with their Wifi. My battery life was about 2 hours, so I re-charged my computer in my hotel room and had plenty of time to do what I needed. There was also a buffet-style restaurant in town where I was able to use Wifi. The cyber cafe I had previously used in Paris was closed this year. I think the availability of Wifi caused them to lose business. Hotel Leveque on rue Cler was charging for Wifi use. Hotel Jeanne D'Arc provided Wifi free. In 2012 I expect to take my Acer again. I think some of the newer devices (IPad, etc) may provide more info in apps, etc. I'm not there yet. With a couple of well-chosen electronic devices, books can be left at home. Chargers and adapters are needed.

Another tip, if you are not a heavy user of the internet, is to become familiar with the menus and options in Google (or whatever browser you prefer). When you open Google, based on the IP of where you are at, it will likely open the local country page, French for example, as opposed to the US version you are used to seeing. You can easily change the language displayed, but the menus will obviously be in French...so knowing what to click from memory will help. Try changing languages here at home a few times and you will be good.

An easy way to change back to the english language sites is to chop off the ".com" add ".co.uk" at the end of the address. This way you get the British site and of course that will always be in english. For example instead of "http://maps.google.com" use "http://maps.google.co.uk" etc etc.

Also it is not a bad idea to change your password before you leave, and change it back when you get home.

And, perhaps most important of all (especially for those that are not real computer savvy): Be sure that you ALWAYS log out of your email account when finished using a public/shared computer. If you do not, the next person who sits down at that computer can easily access your email, which could contain credit card numbers and lots of other personal data that you need to safeguard. Be sure to remember this - it will require changing habits if you are used to accessing web based email from a home computer.

And also via the Browser's privacy/security settings menu, DELETE COOKIES and DELETE HISTORY. Someone with skills can trace your information afterwards using these if not deleted. BTW, from an earlier post on this, if you are on a foreign-language keyboard, see if you can switch the keyboard language to English. Then you will still be good on all the symbol characters if you touch-type. (I don't, so the Hungarian keyboard last summer was torture for me, even though the B and B owners had set it to English)

Foreign language keyboards are one of the reasons I now travel with a Netbook. I've never tried a Hungarian keyboard, but have used those in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the U.K. As a touch-typist, I had the most trouble with the French keyboards.

It's a lot safer to access WiFi through an iPod touch or similar device when overseas. Public computers may have malware/viruses that can log keystrokes and send your logon credentials to the bad guys. WiFi is all over the place and a lot easier to find than an internet cafe. Chances are your hotel will include it for free, if you stay in places that are found in the Rick Steves guides. So it's a more convenient option as well. I have always been able to access Yahoo mail in Europe, so I am sure that gmail will work as well.

My security contact (Xfinity Signature) assures me that my security travels with my computer. I like to travel with my small Acer computer. Wifi is almost everywhere. Internet cafes with public computers are rapidly disappearing.

Thank you everyone for all of your suggestions!!! What a wealth of information. I'm glad I asked because now I'm thinking I will either do without ( I will have a phone) or may look into getting a smaller computer. We'll see. I really don't want to take my 13 inch Apple with me. I'll be in Hungary for two weeks then in Kiscosz for a week or with friends and then maybe Prague for a week and then not sure whether I will come home or travel a little more. I am a single woman traveling on my own for the first time in her 50's. With my phone I can text my family to let them know I'm okay and call local businesses. I'll be staying with my friends in Budapest the first two weeks and they have internet at their place. Any other tips are always helpful. Thank you!!!

Know what a British flag looks like. You click on the British flag to change the language to English.

Using your Hungarian friends' computer? You're gonna love that Hungarian keyboard - sure hope you can touch type when after you set it to English...

Hi Jacque I would recommend you avoid using your phone there (and check to make sure that your phone will work. Verizon phones are US only, for example). Calling and texting in Europe is very expensive with a US phone number, and data rates (if you have an iPhone or other smartphone) is extremely expensive. Uploading a picture with your phone can cost up to $40. If you have a smart phone, I would turn off data roaming to avoid a nasty surprise when you get home.
However, if you have a smartphone, you can use wifi and check and send mail with that. This would be what I recommend, over using a shared computer if possible. If you must use a shared computer, you will need your login and password to access your account (which works everywhere in the world, thanks to the internet). As someone else said, be sure to log out when you are done! Otherwise people might read your e-mail, or worse. I would absolutely not do anything financial on any public computer and please, please make sure that your bank and financial passwords (if you use online banking) are not the same as your email password! :)

Besides internet cafe you can use computer in most visitor centers, library, hotel. Y and Z are switched. @ is alt 64. You don't have to remember all that, there are always helpful people around. But you'll be typing slower.