Getting ready to travel to Spain and Southern France, half a dozen airport transfers during the trip. Is carrying a laptop a pain in the neck> Secondly is theft an issue?

Do you travel with your laptop now? If so, you have experienced the security line ritual. I have traveled with my laptop on business trips to the UK, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. I don't take it when I don't have a business need for it. The only laptop I've had stolen was in Washington DC, in broad daylight from my vehicle parked right in front of the National Archives. I've had my wallet and a camera pick-pocketed in Rome.

So.....

Question #1 Yes but no more so than traveling with one in your home country.
Question #2 Yes but no more so than protecting any thing of value you don't want stolen.

I would not take it in a case that is an obvious laptop case, certainly not one with a computer logo on it.

Bill

There are two kinds of travelers, those who pack light and those who wish they had. - Rick Steves

Thanks for the input. Traveling light is our Mantra. Care on luggage only.

I often take my laptop on holiday, in a carry on holdall. When not in my hotel, it is locked inside the holdall and no one but me knows it's there. A laptop case is a giveaway.

I have traveled to Italy with a laptop for the last eight years...for me, it is a necessity--both from a work point of view as well as for "keeping in touch". I don't find it any more of a hassle than traveling with it in the States....and--so far--theft hasn't been an issue...

If I am in an "unknown" hotel room, I usually pack it away in a suitcase pocket during the day. And I tend not to leave it in the car unattended when we are moving from place to place....

I find it a big convenience and wouldn't like to travel without it. Others feel differently...

Thanks for the feedback everyone. We are two weeks into our four week trip and the laptop has been no problem at all. I use a Targus Defcon 1 security cable. It will not protect us from some serious about taking the laptop. In hotels with secure entrance we have left the PC behind in London, Barcelona and Granada. Our room in Seville was a bit doggy, in that it was a form of hostel and the interior security was pretty lame. I elected to carry the MacBook in my day bag. Didn't even know it was there.


Airports are no problem as the only rule being it must be removed from my carry on luggage at security.

I know we are all supposed to travel light and the laptop does add weight. But we have used it over and over to view upcoming sights, to journal and to keep in touch with family and friends at home. Laptop is a must on all future travels.

Glad to hear that it is working out well for you. Thanks for checking in.

My rule of thumb is if you don't need it, don't bring it. If you do, be sure you can protect it.

I was just talking, last night, about the bringing laptop or not question. We will be going to Italy this summer.

Do you need to bring any other cables? Did you (Jim) have trouble finding wi fi? Do most hotels have internet for guests, now?

Thanks,

jan

Wi-fi is still hit or miss in my experience.....even when advertised, it sometimes is non-existent, balky or intermittent. But every year, it seems to be more and more available.

I always carry an ethernet cable to use when necessary (frequently hijacking the internet access from the hotel computer) as well as a telephone wire with an RJ-11 connector so I can fall back on dial-up where necessary.

Wi-fi sometimes does appear unexpectedly so it is wise to try and connect even without any notice that wi-fi is available.

We found that London is behind the continent in wifi access, go figure. Wifi has been pretty much everywhere and in eight stops have only had to use an internet cafe once. Had to put a five Euro deposit on an Ethernet cable in Bilbao but had no trouble getting the deposit back. Right now we are sitting on the Rue Du Grotte in Lourdes, sipping on a cool one in front of out hotel and communicating via wifi. Vive La France.

Thanks,

jan