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In today's interconnected world, travelers not only have to figure out where to eat and sleep, they also want to know where they can surf the 'net.

If your children are about 12 or 13, they and their friends may have email accounts (by the way, a Web-based account like Yahoo! or gmail is really easy to check from anywhere.)  At some point during a family trip -- daily if they're the chatty sort -- they will start bugging you about checking their email, seeing what's going on at their favorite fan fiction site, cruising MySpace, etc.

We're not even talking about the joys of cell phones and travel; the technology changes so fast that I'm not even going to take a swing at that one, particularly the thorny topic of using US cell phones in other countries.  Go to one of my favorite tech sites, CNET.com and read this article before it's out of date.  When I was in Tokyo, I just gave up and bought a cheapo Japanese phone (with way-cool animated wallpaper!)

It's so difficult to sort out connectivity issues when the technology keeps changing.  There are books that try to keep up via a Web site, and if you travel for business you've probably wrestled with finding a high-speed Internet connection, including WiFi and wireless broadband, for your laptop.

Let's not make this too crazy complicated for those who want simple tech or no tech.  You just need an Internet cafe (also called a cybercafe.)

My family and I have surfed in Internet cafes all over the world, and they are really a lot of fun when not overpriced or with crummy speeds.  Some are much more Internet than cafe, so don't depend too much on food availability.  If there are any beverages to speak of, the list will most likely include a lot of tea or coffee....although I did enjoy a fermented grain-based malted beverage in a Wroclaw, Poland Internet cafe. 

Do not imbibe such fermented beverages while you surf shopping sites.  Bad things happen.

Anyway, there are links here to help you find a cafe anywhere in the world, but I still recommend that you ask the front desk or concierge at your hotel.  They will know which ones are in dicey neighborhoods or not very family-friendly. 

Keep in mind that the rules about smoking are different across the globe, so you may have to breathe in some noxious fumes along with your Google.

Outside of the US, make sure that you do a quick currency conversion before you pay for time on the computer; the fee is usually pretty reasonable but some places are rip-offs.  Your kids don't need to check in with their friends that badly.  Ironically, if you are at a high-end US hotel you will often pay through the nose for high-speed Internet access, but mid-range hotels give it to you for free.

Remember that you are on public computers, so avoid logging into your bank account or credit card accounts if at all possible.

The local keyboards are a fun twist.  Don't waste time trying to "Americanize" your words and spelling; just type as you would on any QWERTY keyboard.  When I sent emails from Norway on a Norwegian keyboard, they had all sorts of dots and slashed "o's" and I looked very world-traveled and international. 

It got sort of pathetic -- I began to look for excuses to duck into Oslo Internet cafes to send correspondence from the Land of the Vikings.

Soak up the atmosphere.  I have fond memories of fruit smoothies while I typed in an Internet cafe in Key West, Florida and looked at the blue Caribbean and Duval Street oddballs. 

You and the kids will enjoy meeting both locals and other travelers, all in pursuit of human connectivity.

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