How to Get E-mail on the Road

E-mail is a worldwide amenity these days. A few simple steps will make communicating from afar as easy as a mouse click, even when you've left the laptop at home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Address Books
• Local Guidebooks
• Internet Access
• E-mail Accounts
• E-mail Software

1. Sign up for a free Internet-based e-mail account.
2. Give family and friends your new address, to prevent a lonely inbox during your trip.
3. Write down your e-mail password, and keep it in a safe and accessible place. Better yet, just memorize it.
4. Enter the e-mail addresses of family and friends in your e-mail address book before you leave for your trip.
5. Mark all listings for Internet cafés, universities and libraries in your travel guide. Most of these locations will offer Internet service for a nominal fee. Internet cafés typically abound near tourist spots and youth hostels.
6. Check airports each time you arrive at a new destination for Internet-access kiosks.

Tips & Warnings

• Before your trip, scan your passport and e-mail it to yourself. If you lose your passport abroad, print it out from e-mail at an Internet station.
• Make sure that your e-mail environment is safe. Lurkers may try to access information about you by watching you type your password or by reading your e-mail messages over your shoulder. When you've finished checking your e-mail, be sure to log off the Web site.