Converter/Adapter - Confused....

[TSUmom]

The more I read the more confused I get. The hotel we are staying at in Rome says we need power adapters and converters. The only things we will need to plug in will be our Apple Iphones, Kindle and camera battery charger. (no laptop) What is required? Any help or insight will be greatly appreciated.

[CathyCruises]

Just an adapter, I beluev all of those items are dual voltage. You need a converter if you do not have dual voltage items

[cberge]

Look at Magellans.com and it will explain what they both are and what they do and then you can go from there.

[CruiserBruce]

We definitely take a convertor and an adapter. I would worry about fragile electronics and the dual voltage issue.

[TSUmom]

I think I will just buy and take both. thank you all

[BaseballMomof4]

The more I read the more confused I get. The hotel we are staying at in Rome says we need power adapters and converters. The only things we will need to plug in will be our Apple Iphones, Kindle and camera battery charger. (no laptop) What is required? Any help or insight will be greatly appreciated.

 

I got one at Best Buy. Just go in to one of their locations, explain where you are going and what you need, and they will get you the right one.

[CathyCruises]

Okay, but we have spent months at a time in Europe, and just used the appropriate adapter in Italy, France and GB for our iPhones, iPads, camera chargers, etc. The converters are very heavy and you really don't need one for the items you have described. You can check on your items and it will say if they are dual voltage or not.

 

I also have travel-sized hot rollers and use them with the adapter, no problem.

 

But whatever. Do what you like.

[CruiserBruce]

I think I will just buy and take both. thank you all

 

I think that a wise choice. The space required is small, and better safe than sorry. We have also spent lots of time in Europe- well over 100 days in the last 5 years, including carry on only trips. Hasn't hurt us in the least bringing a converter..

Edited March 18, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[Hlitner]

We could write several pages on this subject so we will make it simple. Take a look on any of your electrical devices/appliances/charges, etc and somewhere you will find printing that gives the specifications for that device. It may further define the specs with "input" and "outut" and for these purposes you are only interested in the "Input." If your device says something like 100-240V or perhaps 110-220V (the V means volts) then you can use that device in any European receptacle with a simple (and inexpensive) adaptor.

 

However, if you have a device that says something like 110-120v then you have something that will not work with European power. In fact, it is likely that the device will short-out or burn up within seconds of being plugged-in with just an adaptor. That type of device needs a voltage "converter" which will convert the European 220-240V to the North American 110-120 Volts. These converters are more expensive (and heavier) then the simple adaptors. And to complicate things further, converters generally only work for a specified range of Watts and there are some more expensive converters that have a switch for the wattage range. For example, a low wattage converter will not work with a hair dryer...but it will work with a phone or computer charger.

 

So my advice is very simple. Do not mess around with converters! Just make sure that all your electric devices specify they will work with the European 220-240 volts. These days nearly all chargers and computers will work duel voltage with any kind of converter (just read the specifications). However we still see some electrical appliances like hair dryers, curling irons, etc that will not work with 220-240. We think most folks are better served to simply buy a new duel voltage appliance (call it your travel dryer or travel curling iron) and take it along to Europe along with a simple adaptor.

 

Hank

[Melozone]

Like Hank said, all my chargers worked with the little adapter but......my little $10 alarm clock blew out like nobody's business :p I forgot to check to see if it had the tag on the back saying it worked with both.

[insanemagnet]

If it is just phones, kindles, and anything that charges via a USB cable, then just get something like this - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MV72Y5E/

 

European (but not UK) sockets are two pin or three pin, but two pin plugs fit both types.

 

The voltage in across the whole of Europe and the UK is theoretically 230V, but in reality Europe is 220V and the UK is 240V, because the 230V is +10% or -6%, so we achieved harmonisation, but by staying exactly as we were.

[Hlitner]

Like Hank said, all my chargers worked with the little adapter but......my little $10 alarm clock blew out like nobody's business :p I forgot to check to see if it had the tag on the back saying it worked with both.

 

Electric clocks (the kind that must be plugged-in) are an entirely different kind of problem. Analog electric and some digital clocks are just not compatible between the North American and European power schemes. Even with a converter there is a good chance a 110 volt electric clock will become toast or just get ruined in Europe. The reason has to do with another electricity property called "cycles." In the US we have 60 cycle AC current and many clocks are designed to use those 60 cycles per second as the means of keeping time. But in Europe they generally use 50 cycle current. So even if you use a converter to step-down the 220-240 volts to 110-120 the cycles will still be at 50 cycles per second. And if you have an analog clock that does work you will find that it only moves 50 seconds per minute :).

 

As an aside, when I lived in Japan in the late 60s (US Air Force) they had 50 cycle current. In those days most of us had clock-alarms and the clocks would not keep proper time. So we either had to buy one made to be used in Japan or use a wind-up clock.

 

Hank

[CathyCruises]

If you will look at the plug of your iPhone, between the prongs, you will clearly see that it states 100-240V. Seriously, ALL you need is a plug adapter as long as all your devices say this. Just be sure to check anything you may be plugging in.

 

We bought a little assortment of adapters at Target and we bring the Northern Europe, Southern Europe and British ones with us. On the ship, we used the British one in our cabin to expand the number of plugs available to us, along with the US plugs.

 

We are getting ready to spend an unknown amount of time, probably at least a month, in Europe and are bringing an assortment of devices, and just those three adapters. It's always worked perfectly well! I may have to invest in a European hair dryer though, as Hank mentions.

[scottbee]

Electric clocks (the kind that must be plugged-in) are an entirely different kind of problem. Analog electric and some digital clocks are just not compatible between the North American and European power schemes. Even with a converter there is a good chance a 110 volt electric clock will become toast or just get ruined in Europe. The reason has to do with another electricity property called "cycles." In the US we have 60 cycle AC current and many clocks are designed to use those 60 cycles per second as the means of keeping time. But in Europe they generally use 50 cycle current. So even if you use a converter to step-down the 220-240 volts to 110-120 the cycles will still be at 50 cycles per second. And if you have an analog clock that does work you will find that it only moves 50 seconds per minute :).

 

As an aside, when I lived in Japan in the late 60s (US Air Force) they had 50 cycle current. In those days most of us had clock-alarms and the clocks would not keep proper time. So we either had to buy one made to be used in Japan or use a wind-up clock.

 

Hank

 

If you make an AC motor, at 60Hz it will spin at 3600rpm; but at 50Hz only at 3000rpm.

 

Japan (@100volts) is weird in that some of the country is 50Hz and some is 60Hz.

[slidergirl]

Gosh, I haven't taken a converter since back in 2000. The Former East Germany part of Germany, a few non-dual voltage electronics back then. I also had to take a toll bypass things for trying to connect to the Internet via the nasty phone lines…

 

Seriously, you don't need the converter unless you are bringing your own hair dryer, flat iron, curler… And, if you needed any of those, either buy a dual-voltage travel version before you go or buy them when you arrive. I have a T3 dual voltage travel dryer. But, I only take that when I know the place I'm staying won't have one already.

[kuldalai]

To answer the original question.

 

1. An adapter goes into a European wall power outlet and allows you to plug in your US electrical items of the same or dual/voltage.

 

2. A converter converts 240V ac (Europe) to 110v ac US standard or vice versa.

 

3. Most items with chargers (mobile phones, I pads, tablets, camera chargers etc) are dual voltage and you can plug them into either 240v or 120v AC outlets worldwide.

 

Check the charger body and it will list input voltage as either 240v, 120v or dual (both) voltages .

 

If you go the Korjo stand at your TA you can buy a set of International adapters, or a single European to US adapter.

Edited March 19, 2015 by kuldalai

[TSUmom]

Thank you to all of you. I have checked the chargers for my phone, kindle and camera and they all say up to 240v - I will just bring an adapter. I do not plan on bringing my hairdryer, flatiron or laptop so I should be good. These boards are so great at giving information. Again thank you all for your suggestions!!:D

[lisiamc]

I never travel with a hairdryer any more. Every great once in a while I get caught out when there isn't one in the hotel room. Quite often though, the front desk will have a few for guests to borrow.