There are a number of ways to get your e-mail on the Web , using any computer.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may have a Web -based interface that lets you access your e-mail on computers other than your own. Just find out how it works before you leave home. The major ISPs maintain local access numbers around the world so that you can go online by placing a local call. Check your ISP's Web site or call its toll-free number and ask how you can use your current account away from home, and how much it will cost. Also ask about the cost of the service before you leave home. If you're traveling outside the reach of your ISP, you may have to check the yellow pages in your destination to find a local ISP.
Keep in mind that electricity in foreign countries is often 220 volts, not the 110 we are used to in North America and Japan. You will need converters, locally adaptable plugs and the like if you go abroad. A safe bet is to rely on computers in the business centers of hotels where you stay, or go to Cyber Cafes (get a partial listing at www.cybercafes.com), where you pay for your use by the minute, usually a moderate sum. If you travel within North America and subscribe to AOL, you can access your e-mail by voice telephone to an 800 number for a charge of $4.95 per month.
You can open an account on a free, Web -based e-mail provider before you leave home, such as Microsoft's Hotmail (www.hotmail.com) or Yahoo! Mail (mail.yahoo.com). Your home ISP may be able to forward your home e-mail to the Web -based account automatically.
Check out www.mail2web.com. This amazing free service allows you to type in your regular e-mail address and password and retrieve your e-mail from any Web browser, anywhere, so long as your home ISP hasn't blocked it with a firewall.
Call your hotel in advance to see whether Internet connection is possible from your room, or ask if they have a business center with a computer that you can use during your stay.
