Thursday, July 14, 2011

Would it be worth buying a laptop to travel in Europe or just use their internet cafes?

Would it be worth buying a laptop to travel in Europe or just use their internet cafes?
So Im travelling to Europe this July. Im going to: ENGLAND ~ BELGIUM ~ HOLLAND ~ GERMANY ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ SLOVAKIA ~ HUNGARY ~ AUSTRIA ~ ITALY ~ SWITZERLAND ~ FRANCE I'll be staying in 4-5 star hotels that are centrally located in the city. Should I buy a laptop for my travels or just make do with internet cafes? Is it easy to find in Europe?
Other - Europe - 12 Answers
People's Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
It will be cheaper to use internet cafes
Answer 2 :
Get a notebook not to heavy
Answer 3 :
i would rather buy a laptop cuz if u just do cafes, then ull have to wait for people to use them. and if u hav ur own laptop, u hav better privacy than using the cafes!
Answer 4 :
i think use their cafes but yes your own laptap give u more freedom thin is u mite have prob in conecting and stuff or mite even losss it so better to use cafe if u not sure abt connection and takin care u have to keep cheking it wil disturb your fun <at that wat happed to me>
Answer 5 :
Most 4-5 star hotels provide free internet access, so it would be a money and time saver to have your own laptop. I travel with mine, and I enjoy the freedom and access it afforded--especially if it was a boring day in the hotel. Be sure to check if your laptop is dual voltage. If it isn't, you'll have to use a voltage converter. Also you'll need the adapter plugs for the various countries.
Answer 6 :
Use internet cafés instead of the laptop. Wireless connection pricing is just incredibly high here in Europe right now!!
Answer 7 :
I would recommend using the internet cafes. Reason being each country has different electrical voltages and each country has a different type of plug. So if you are traveling to the UK for example, the UK standard voltage is 220 with a completely different plug than the US. This means 220 volts will "fry" your US computer if you do not have a plug that also regulates the voltage. Even if you have several different plug adapters that regulate voltage you still run the risk of power surges or other damage to your laptop. Granted internet cafes can be expensive it does not beat having to pay several hundred dollars to replace a laptop. My advice would be unless you need your laptop for work then you are better off using internet cafes.
Answer 8 :
You're travelling to Europe and you're worried about having a laptop with you? Are you so blase about Europe that you'd rather be spending your time online instead of being engaged with the reality around you? If that's the case, save your money and stay home and watch 'Lonely Planet', or 'Rick Steves' on tv. Come on. If you need an occasional internet fix just go to a cafe and be done with it. Why lug an an extra piece of luggage around with you?
Answer 9 :
You can find lots of places to go on line here without having to lug a laptop around with you on the trip. It is true that a lot of hotels have internet connectivity, but don't count on it being free. There are a few places like the hotel Verona that have free internet, but it can be pretty expensive in other places. The hotel I'm in right now charges 15 euro for a 24 hour period. their hourly rate is much more that the internet cafe just down the street. The hotel I was in the weekend before last charged even more. How much time do you expect to spend on line anyway? The only reason I am is because I needed to sit for a few minutes with a coffee since I've been walking all day.
Answer 10 :
Definitely forget about the laptop!! a) You'll have to carry the extra luggage, mostly as hand luggage. This means you have to go through annoying security checks as well, and you'll always keep an extra eye on it. I once had a laptop with me to London and it got stolen within the first hour at a Burger King in the 30 seconds that we left unattanded. b) With laptops many hotels charge high rates for internet access- just like they charge for the minibar. c) You can easily find internet cafes around. Most give an hourly access for 1-2 € and you can use this many times within a week till you consume this 1 hour. d) You don't even have a laptop which means you don't need it in your daily life. So why bother !?
Answer 11 :
Why would you need a computer while you're travelling? Unless you plan on doing business or uploading thousands of photos, don't consider dragging something like that around. There is internet everywhere. EDIT*-- someone said it would be a 'money saver'?!! How is it a money saver to BUY a laptop in order to save a few Euros a week in internet cafe fees?
Answer 12 :
You should use the internet cafes but I don't recommend looking at porn though lol.

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