Bringing your laptop to France? Unless you plan ahead, it might be a worthless piece of equipment you end up lugging around. Be sure you have everything you need to travel with your laptop.
There are a few aspects you need to consider: the electrical current, having the right plug, wi-fi versus ethernet cable, and getting online. Here is a key to being sure you have all those elements in place before you leave.
Laptop Travel and Electrical Current
If you don't address this issue, your laptop could be destroyed by a power surge. Hopefully, you won't need to do a thing. Although the U.S. and Canada's current is 110, Europe (and indeed most of the world) use 220-240 volts. To find out if your laptop can convert to the new current, look at the box on your power cord. If it has small print stating, "110-240v" or something similar showing a range, you are OK.
If it doesn't, you will need to buy a electrical current converter (this is NOT the same as the plug adaptor discussed below). I suggest visiting Magellans, which has a guide to choosing the right converters and plugs by country. They also carry an extensive selection of adapters, converters and other supplies needed for using your laptop abroad.
Plugging it in
France's plugs look nothing like the prongs you see on your power cord's plugs, so you will need to buy a plug adaptor. Don't waste your money on those international adaptors meant for use around the globe (unless you really need them), as they are large and more expensive. One that converts to French plugs alone is fine, and France's plugs are the same as most of Europe.
Laptop-free Travel Options
There are cyber-cafes and Internet access points throughout France, which usually charge a small fee. If you will be in a hurry, however, allow some extra time. The French keyboard's letters are arranged in a different order than American keyboards.
Many hotels have a computer in the lobby available for use. Some also feature in-room Internet access (for a fee, of course), with TV-based Web access. My experience has been that this sounds very cool in theory, but is less useful in practice. Many Web pages have trouble loading on the TV version of the Web.