Laptops in London

Hello Irene. Most travelers do not bring their laptop computer on a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. Why do you think you would need to have your laptop computer with you in England ? Computers for internet access (E-mail) are available in London and in other cities in the U.K. The day I arrived in England, I sent E-mail from a computer at Oxford at the place where all the busses stop, while I was waiting for a bus. (That bus stop is near the train station). I do not recommend bringing a laptop computer, because of its weight, and carrying a computer would be one more thing to worry about.

You probably couldn't damage your computer charging it since virtually all electronics these days handle dual voltage. And I know there are people who wouldn't travel without their laptop, but I don't bother. There are internet cafes, or I use a hotel business center for email and other computer needs. My memory cards hold plenty of pictures without transferring them to the computer, and I don't want to have to carry it or worry about it.

Never took the laptop to Europe and I don't ever plan to (until I move there a few years from now...). If I need to check my email, look up the train schedule, or something else, I have always been able to find a computer for public use, even in some of the poorest corners of the continent. Seriously, on vacation, a laptop is just one more worry and extra weight that I don't need.

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking that a laptop would be a hassle and weigh me down, but my kids think I'm an old granny for not wanting to take it. Funny how the next generation thinks. We will survive without it, but I must admit, if I was to keep a journal for my trip, I'd probably do a better job on the laptop!

Irene, I have to agree with the others - travelling with a Laptop has a high "worry factor". While it might be convenient for E-mail and photo storage, there are a few points to consider:

Theft - if the computer was stolen or damaged, would any irreplaceable files or photos be lost?

Access - will free net connections or Wi-Fi be available at all the locations you'll be staying, or will you need to pay for access? Perhaps using net cafes would be more cost effective in the long term?

Power - you'll need to check the spec's on the Laptop Charger to determine the "Input Voltage". If it states 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, then it will work just fine in the U.K. However, you will need a Plug Adaptor (U.K. style has three large rectangular pins). Note also that some power points (outlets) are equipped with a switch.

I recently saw one of the ASUS EEE computers being used in a Starbucks in Munich, and might consider that for future trips. However, there's NO WAY I'll be packing my MacBook along as I just don't have the room, and also it's quite heavy (I use a backpack). The one disadvantage of the ASUS computers is limited memory (at present, I believe 20GB is the most they offer with Linux OS and 12GB for XP OS), so that's not really practical for photo storage. However for E-mail and web browsing they're ideal for travel.

I tend to agree with the previous post - if the teenagers are so insistent on the Laptop, they should be in charge of carrying it and ensuring that it stays "safe".

Good luck!

I generally take mine. We usually stay in a cottage or apartment and and try to have internet access. If not there are usually places close by with wireless access, often more than internet cafes which can have odd opening times and can be expensive etc. It also means I have all my stuff with me if I need to access a document.

The need to keep in regular touch with work is only a small part of it. We have also used the DVD player at times.

I usually take my laptop bag (a bit like a messenger bag) as carryon/handbag as it comfortably fits all other stuff and is not very heavy. Modern laptops are so light.

Now that I have a truly personal (as opposed to work) computer with my new Mac, I'm seriously considering bringing it with me next time. My reasoning is that part of my trip is photography and I would love to mess with some of my pictures while I'm there. I often travel alone and could easily do this in the evening.

Pam

Okay, now that more have chimed in, I'm back to considering taking the laptop. I have two older teens with girlfriends etc. They'd love to do their MSN thing. I'm sure they'll be in text withdrawl while there! We had a blackberry in Europe last trip and it was fabulous for hotel bookings. Mid-afternoon, we'd sit in a park/ deli etc. and email a few b&bs, right out of Rick's guide and ask about accommodations for the evening. We'd instantly get 4-5 replies. We got so cocky, we'd leave the email till the last minute, while on the road and get lots of offers. Unfortunately, it got stolen from the office! And I don't want to buy a new one.

You might think about looking into one of the new inexpensive subcompact computers like the ASUS EEE. They weigh about two pounds and are the size of a DVD player. Cost start at about $300 depending on what's on it.

Irene...simple solution....make the teenagers carry it!

True, Ken, the ASUS EEE only has either 20GB or 12 GB of storage..but...with 3 USB slots and 1 SD card slot, it's easy to carry extra storage.

But, think about this, the ASUS EEE, in its sleeve, its powercord, a small folding full size keyboard, ethernet cable and a few USB portable flash drives, fit into an Eagle Creek Padded Half Cube--the size most people use to pack undies and socks. There's even room for either a small digital camera or a cell phone.

(Granted, though, it is a tight fit but all of that only weighs about 3 1/2 lbs.)

Frank, although the ASUS PC offers external storage, I'm not sure it would be enough for my needs. I travel with a dSLR and use 8GB CF cards, so the smaller PC might be a somewhat "awkward" solution for storing photos. Also, the Keyboard is a bit small, but I'm sure I can adapt to that.

I'm still considering an ASUS PC for future trips, as it's such an ideal size for travel. However the model I'd probably want is the newly released EEE 901, as it seems to have improved battery life and features over some of the earlier models. The main point that concerns me is the expected Cdn$600 price tag. I'm not sure if checking my E-mail and doing a bit of web surfing makes that a cost effective travel solution (that might be the motivation to finally get a Blackberry or I-Phone???)

Cheers!

I'm bringing my MacBook with me when my wife and I go to London in September. I'll be using it primarily to empty my memory cards from each days photography (I plan on taking lots of photos). We're staying in a cheap hotel with no internet access but I'm hoping to catch a signal from another hotel. I don't mind carrying it on the airplane and to the hotel then home again. It's not so big and it will be very useful vs. buying a bunch of expensive memory cards.

Irene,

One fun benefit of bringing your laptop (if weight is not an issue) is that you can use it for free phone or even video calls with your kids (or grandkids) back in Canada during your trip. On the other hand.....that might be a reason not to take it???

we're bringing ours when we go in October. But we're big geeks that way ;o) The laptop is part of our life and we want to be able to write a bit about what we've done each day and post some pictures for family and friends back home to travel with us. But that's just us. Some people think it's a big hassle, for us, I find it relaxing at the end of the night to be able to check my emails, say hi to friends, and check out some bookmarks for the next days activities. But that's just me. As much as I would love to "turn off", we enjoy it too much ;o) We left it at home when we went to Italy and I found it a pain that I didn't have it. Anyways, I totally understand your kids, it's a big part of young people's lives now adays ;o)

Thanks to everyone who replied to this link. I think my question stirred up some great chat. [and some great humor]
I'm wondering how to make calls from a laptop while in London. Maybe someone could explain.
This is very interesting.

In my house, we all have laptops. We take them with us when we go away locally for ski weekends etc. I kind of like the quiet time when everyone is doing their web thing. It's someone else to talk to!
And as far as a journal goes, I kept a regular hard copy last trip to Europe and I wrote so little in it each evening. I find that I write 10x more when I have a keyboard and thus I'd document 10x more.
I'll let you know our final decision. I might take an old one. Or... My son has a fabulous student insurance plan on his. I took it out when he went to university for an extra $30 per year and insures up to $3,500 for his laptop.

Thanks to everyone who replied to this link. I think my question stirred up some great chat. [and some great humor]
I'm wondering how to make calls from a laptop while in London. Maybe someone could explain.
This is very interesting.

In my house, we all have laptops. We take them with us when we go away locally for ski weekends etc. I kind of like the quiet time when everyone is doing their web thing. It's someone else to talk to!
And as far as a journal goes, I kept a regular hard copy last trip to Europe and I wrote so little in it each evening. I find that I write 10x more when I have a keyboard and thus I'd document 10x more.
I'll let you know our final decision. I might take an old one. Or... My son has a fabulous student insurance plan on his. I took it out when he went to university for an extra $30 per year and insures up to $3,500 for his laptop.

Irene,

There are a number of programs now that allow you to make computer-to-computer calls for free, as long as you have access to a high speed connection. I use Skype and Live Messenger, but there are others that work just as well.

To use Skype, you can find instructions here:
http://www.skype.com/getconnected/

The main point is that both ends of the conversation should have the program installed on their computers. Also, you'll need some sort of microphone and, ideally, headphones (or a headset, which is a headphones/mic combo). If you have a newer laptop, it probably has a built in microphone and may have a webcam as well. If you do need to get a headset and microphone, you can get the an earbud set (like people use with Ipods, etc. for less than 10 dollars at Best Buy, etc.

If you have a webcam, you could also do 1-1 video chats. I've used that function to show friends what I'm seeing in Europe--live!

Also, depending on the email service you use, you may already have an associated program. Hotmail, for example, is associated with Live Messenger.

Good luck!

It all depends on how much and how often you are moving. My wife and I are currently traveling in the UK (I'm writing this on my laptop in Edinburgh). We are only moving every 4-6 days, though, and since we are staying in B&Bs, we leave it in the room while we are moving through the cities. So I'm only having to "lug it around" 3 or 4 times for the whole trip. It is very convenient to have it in order to blog for the folks back home. I'm also able to charge my digital camera and iPod through it (though I'm only using the iPod for the plane trips). If you do bring it, the big black (or white if its Mac) box in the middle of the charging cord is the converter. Check it for voltage, but it is an almost guarantee that it will say 110-120V. If so, all you need is an adapter.

Irene, my husband "insisted" on takeing his laptop with us on our trip 2 months ago. I am now glad he did! The main advantage for the wee beastie was being able to download our digital camera every night! We actually used up the memory a couple of days, so had he not taken that with him we would have had to incure the expence of new memory cards! We were also able to inexpensivly use the email instead of phoning folks back home, which left us way more free time to enjoy London and Paris during the day.