Guest Author - Kimberly Misra

You’re already bringing a camera or two, your video camera, cell phones, and the kids’ video games. Do you need to bring a laptop on vacation too? Consider the pros and cons:

Pros

A laptop makes your digital camera more versatile. If you bring your laptop you can download vacation photos as you go along, freeing up space on your memory card. While reviewing the pictures on a bigger screen, you’ll be able to tell if you missed any crucial shots. If you see that Billy was sticking his tongue out in every picture, you can try to recreate important photos the next day.

A laptop helps you stay connected. If you absolutely must stay in touch with the office, you’ll probably need to bring a laptop. But a laptop also lets you stay in touch with other family members easily, including kids who stayed at home. If you’re taking a long trip, a laptop allows you to send photos and trip updates to worried grandparents.

A laptop decreases child boredom. Your kids can use it to play video games and watch DVD’s. They can write a travel journal or post photos and updates on their personal websites. The ability to keep in touch with friends back home could make teenagers easier to travel with.

A laptop helps with vacation planning. You can look up websites of attractions to determine fees, phone numbers, and hours of operation. You’ll be able to use MapQuest to get clearer directions to that out of the way attraction. If you didn’t bring along a guidebook, most major cities and tourist areas have Chamber of Commerce websites with information on things to do and lists of hotels and restaurants in the area.

Cons

A laptop takes up space. This may not be a problem when traveling by car but if you’re flying, an additional bag can be cumbersome.

A laptop helps you stay connected. A laptop may encourage you to check in with the outside world at a time when you should be escaping from it. If you think you’ll be tempted to check in with the office when you really don’t need to, you may want to leave your laptop behind.

A laptop causes extra security worries. If you bring your laptop, you’ll have one extra item to constantly monitor when flying or staying in hotels. You’ll also have to remove your laptop from its case during airport security screenings, giving you one more thing to fumble with.

A laptop diverts kids’ attention. Remember when you were a kid on a road trip and you made up travel games and looked out the window? That kind of decompressing time is actually good for kids and encourages families to interact with each other. If the kids have video games, DVD’s, and access to the internet, they will have less time for interacting with the family.