Hi all -

We're traveling to Italy with a laptop. (Please spare me the advice that we should leave it at home, it's no use here.) I'd like to see about insuring it against theft. We're staying in a rented apartment in Rome and then two small "B&Bs". Here's my questions:
1) How likely is it to get stolen? Particularly if we shove it under the bed when we go out?
2) How can I insure it? I've already asked our homeowners (deductable is $1000) and AMEX (they don't offer that).

Thanks!
Joanna

Some of the travel insurance policies have comerage for thefts. Check out the options on www.Insuremytrip.com I bought policy from Travel Guard for the medical and the medical evacuation coverage but it had a little bit of travel loss/theft coverage and I made a claim for my camera that was stolen.

Bill

Assuming that your Homeowners policy covered it, you can change your deductible for the policy period--most HO policies are 6 mo.and you may be near the end of the period or mid-term. Look at trip insurance policies. They all have different provisions and emphasis. Some are strong on medical evacuations, some on lost luggage, etc. We always opt for the most "lost luggage" coverge since my faithful companion can loose bags just standing still.

I think theft in Italy is fairly high (as oppossed to violent crime, which is low) - so do insure. also, wasn't someone (on this board I think) once talking about some sort of laptop lock to discourage theft? I'd check into that one as well! that said, I think staying in an aprtment and small B&Bs certainly lowers the risk a bit since there would be less people in and out of your room.

The computer itself is replaceable, but its contents are not. Be sure to copy all to a jump drive that you leave at home, and maybe take a second one with you to copy all contents each day. Even if you have insurance, that won't recover the contents if the laptop goes missing.

I have one of those Kensington locks for my laptop, although frankly I haven't used it lately. But if I WERE to take my laptop on my next vacation to Italy, I would take the lock and use it. I would also be sure to put it in the room safe, if any of your accommodations have one.

But that doesn't answer you insurance question, and I'd be curious to see the answers myself.

If you are travelling with a laptop, be sure to encrypt any important data on the hard disk before leaving. Having a laptop stolen may be a problem, but having in it a file on the desktop with all access codes and passwords to bank accounts, *that* would be a real problem.

Having the laptop asking a password at login is not enough; once the computer is physically in the hands of a pirate, this is a very thin protection. Sensitive files must be encrypted.

quote:

Originally posted by Marian:
I have one of those Kensington locks for my laptop...

I have one too, and use it when traveling outside the USA. But remember that many things on laptops are easily removable even if you have a Kensington lock attached to the slot in the computer framework. With most laptops it's easy to flip them over, throw a latch, and steal the battery. Many also have easily removable hard disk, CD drive, etc. I think Kensington has things to help with this problem, but it's extra stuff to carry on your trip.

There's a new generation of tiny laptops coming out that run full Windows XP or Vista on a device much smaller than a standard laptop but larger than a Palm/Windows Mobile handheld computer. They're small enough to store in a room safe when you're gone. That may be what I switch to soon for travel use. You wouldn't want to spend a lot of time with a computer that small, but they're fine for doing travel e-mail, basic web browsing, and storing photos/videos so you can free up space on your camera. The screens, though small, are still quite usable.

I don't carry a laptop around, but my friend doesn't insure his. He just backs up all the data in case of theft.

Hi

I have traveled to Italy, South Africa, Thailand etc with my laptop and I have never give this much thought. Isn't laptops covered by your regular travel insurance? I normally place the laptop in my suitcase when I go out of the room. At least it will be out of sight :-)