Bringing laptop to Europe.

[David M]

Towards the end of August my wife and I will be going to Romania and most likely some other European cities. I need access to the internet to do some research and I will need a printer to print out some legal documents that are found online. Being able to do research over the internet and printing out the documents will be a necessity and not a luxury.

So I am wondering, should I bother bringing a laptop at all? What voltage and Hz is available in which countries? Are they all 220-240V/50Hz? Should I bring a small printer or buy a cheap one there and just leave it there when I go back home. I really don't want to have to lug a printer around but having one is a necessity. What is the standard for Wi-Fi in Europe? What is the standard for wired internet access? My laptop did not come with an Ethernet card or Wi-Fi and requires a PCMCIA card for this. What sort of card should I be looking for in the states? I assume most European hotels have broadband but what is the standard for connecting a laptop to the internet?

I am looking for any good tips for bringing an older Dell Inspiron 9000 laptop that was made for use in the USA, overseas. I am especially interested in hearing from those who have done this so I can hear what you're experiences have been.

I am willing to buy a newer used laptop if that is what it will take.

Thanks.

[XenaWP]

FTF, for the power, check the transformer. If it says 110-240 V and 50/60 Hz, it will work in most any country, you'll just need a plug adapter for the type of mains connection in that country. Make a list of which countries you'll need to charge in, and then check here:

http://www.kropla.com/electric2.htm

or here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesti...gs_and_sockets

[Kov-Ice]

I stayed in Germany last summer, and only one of the three upscale hotels we stayed in allowed for Wi-Fi. The third had wired, but the connection would not work with my laptop. If I remember correctly, the plug-in was different.

In addition, I was not prepared to pay for the access. There was a hefty fee to connect to the Wi-Fi on an hourly basis. Call ahead and see if you can get any particulars about where you're staying. Most hotels maintain some English-speaking staff.

On a side note, call AT&T and sign up for an international calling plan that covers the area you'll be heading to. It's only a couple bucks a month, and it greatly reduces the per minute charge of calls while you plan things out.

[mbossman2]

the brick that powers a laptop is just a glorified AC/DC inverter and it will deal with European power with no big issue.

Now wireless can be difficult: the EU has a slightly different implementation of 802.11a/b/g and the channels don't line up. Now some wireless manufacturers have a feature called "world mode" which can adjust the radio to deal with the differences but not all do so you may have an issue.

Internet cafes are very prevalent all around europe (for the reasons that kov pointed out) so schlepping a laptop (and it's added bulk) is a real PITA.

My only question is: back with the liquid bombers the UK slapped heavy restrictions on what could be in the cabin. I am not sure if that carried onto the continent or if it is still in effect.
I'd hate to have to check my laptop.

[glc]

I'd recommend you leave the laptop home and use Internet cafes and hotel business centers.