The most important thing to remember is the current. If you just use a plug adaptor it will in fact blow up your laptop. You need to use one that transforms 220V into 110V, make sure it’s meant for this particular job (I think also the Hz are different, but not sure if that matters, I’m sure someone else knows details better). The battery will be recharged through your own cable, once you have set up the transformer (or whatever that machine is called) you’ll be getting 110V just like in the US, and can basically plug in any device you’d use at home. No, you cannot access your ISP. I don’t think you could access your ISP from a different city. You’ll need to access one of the local ISPs, either get a new connection (you can buy limited-time cards in some countries) or log onto a local WiFi network, which can sometimes be for free. Most netcafes in big cities allow you to log onto theirs for a small fee. Restaurants and cafeterias may often offer WiFi for free if you sit and get something at their table. It basically depends on where you are. Dialup will work (assuming you have a phone line) but you have to set it up on your computer. Just like in the good-old days. You’ll have to open your laptop at every control point, but security is so strict everywhere now that they’ll strip search you anyway, and the laptop is the least of your problems. I was at the airport just today actually and had a problem getting my laptop fan through, they checked it quite thorougly to make sure it was just a fan and not a bomb. Normally you shouldn’t be asked to pay taxes. Worst case scenario (it happened a lot in the old days) you’ll have to declare it at customs, it gets written on your passport, and then they have to check you left the country with it and didn’t sell it. But nowadays almost everyone has a laptop, so they’re not that bothered, it’s considered a personal item, rather than an imported piece of high-tech merchandise (unless you go to Belarus or Albania).