If you've got T-Mobile with internet service, you can pretty much get online for free anywhere in Europe. Here's a listing of T-Mobile HotSpots.

https://selfcare.hotspot.t-mobile.com/locations/retrieveGlobalLocationByCountry.do?country=UK

Also, laptops are almost all 120/240 dual voltage. Just look on the power block part of the power adapter. You should just need a cheap <10 dollar adapter. NOT an expensive converter. If you're lucky, your power adapter will have the kind of removable plug/cable most radios, DVD players, etc, have coming out of it you can swap cheaply. I keep one for mainland europe, the UK and the US. They're just as cheap and way more convenient. Like this:

http://www.national-tech.com/specs/power-cable/10w1-13406.htm
http://www.national-tech.com/specs/power-cable/10w1-15406.htm

They have the added bonus of not marking you out as a tourist.

Most of the people I know already keep a secondary address on gmail/hotmail, etc for this purpose.

This works, but things such as invites, forwards, e-cards that your friends send you with good intentions still mess things up. I had a good clean 3-year run with my last address, but lately it's just spiraled out of control.