I've tried a couple of those you mentioned. Citrix's product is not bad and it is the most well known. It's very nice, but still, it's hard to justify paying their hefty prices when there are others out there that offer similar features for free. I'm not familiar with Laplink, but I've found LogMeIn to be the best remote access out there. Very snappy interface and strong security measures that still can get past firewalls for an easy setup. The free version can be used continuously and they sent me an email asking me whether I wanted to opt into the Pro version or stick to the free after my trial was over. Thankfully, they didn't spam either. Whichever you choose, remote access lets you stay in touch while vacationing without a problem (though maybe that's not always a good thing! )