There is a 3'x4' area of ceramic tile at the base of my stairwell between living and dining areas. Laminate flooring will be laid. Is it necessary to remove the small area of tile? Or, can laminate flooring be laid over it? If it needs to be removed what is the simplest way? :(

I had to remove creamic flooring from my bathroom in my old house. It was a nightmare, the only way I could do it in the end was smash the tiles and then hammer and chisel the broken bits up from the floor.

As long as it's a level area you should be able to lay the laminate right over top of the ceramic. There is a blue leveling goo that you can put over the tile to level it out if needed ask at Lowe's or home depot they should be able to find it for you, I don't remember the name of the stuff.

Laminate flooring, is this a floating floor, or is this a viynl floor, if it is the floating hardwood floor its fine to lay over top of it, make sure and use the roll out pad before you do, if it is viynl, then yes you do need to remove the tile, and best way to do it is get you a small sledge hammer and a brick chisel, or pry bar and just smack it, once you get it started it really isn't that bad, once its up you need to put down a 1/4 ply wood, this is what you'll need to have the floor to glue to. Put it down with staples from a compress nail gun, ever 4" SQUARE I SHOT A STAPLE FOR THIS, ITS A BUNCH OF STAPLES, 1" long by the way,