How to Use Your Laptop in Germany

Many travel to Germany for its fascinating museums and history and to enjoy the sausages and world-famous beer. But being out of touch with your workaday world can have some stresses. Take your laptop when you visit Germany and you'll have peace of mind knowing that your responsibilities are just a click away. Using your laptop in Germany is easy when you follow the right procedures. Here's how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Plug adapter
• Surge protector
• Ethernet network cable
• Phone adapter
• Phone cord
• USB cable for digital camera
• Transformer

1. Purchase a short-term insurance policy for your laptop before you travel to Germany. If your laptop is stolen, this plan will recover your costs. See Resources below for more information.
2. Prepare for differences in electricity. You will need adapter plugs to accommodate plug types "C" and "F" in Germany. You may also need a transformer. Check the transformer block on your laptop to see what voltage capacity it handles. If it cannot handle 230 to 240V, then you'll also need a transformer.
3. Pack an Internet connection kit that contains a spare phone cord, an extra Ethernet network cable, a phone adapter, and a surge protector. You may not need all of these items, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
4. Choose a hotel that provides a dataport for laptop modems and free high-speed Internet access. You'll be able to connect to the Internet right from your hotel room. This will save you time and money.
5. Locate Wi-Fi hotspots to use your wireless Internet on the go. See Resources below for a global directory of Wi-Fi hotspots. Find locations in Germany close to where you'll be staying.
6. Use an encryption program to back up sensitive data in case your laptop falls into the wrong hands. Truecrypt, a free program, is easy to use because the encryption is real-time and automatic. The correct password will decrypt the data for you.

Tips & Warnings

• Download your photos to your laptop each night so you don't run out of camera memory.
• Charge your laptop battery pack each night.
• Digital phone lines are not safe for your modem. Check that the phone line in your hotel room is analog before connecting to the Internet.
• Back up all important data before you use your laptop in Germany in case your computer is lost or stolen.

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