Buying a hair dryer in Italy

Old Sep 4th, 2002, 02:46 PM
  #1  
Heidi
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Buying a hair dryer in Italy

I am sure some rude person will make some comment about this message but I am going to post it anyway. I normally dry my hair and curl it a bit every day at home. I was thinking instead of bringing my dryer and curling iron from home and having to get a converter that maybe I would just buy them when I arrived in Italy. The first place we will be is Rome. Does anyone know if I can get a cheap hair dryer and curling iron in Rome?

Any help would be appreciated and if you have a rude comment please don't bother to post it.

Thanks!

Heidi
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 03:02 PM
  #2  
Nancy
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I had the same idea, Heidi, and spent, or wasted alot of time trying to find a hair dryer and curling iron in Rome and in Florence. I suggest just bringing them this time, and if you happen to see them in a store buy them for next trip.
Especially if you use them every day, you may go a few days until you can find what you want.
Learn from my experience, that way my jumping in and out of stores while my friends were sightseeing won't go to a complete waste of time.
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 03:10 PM
  #3  
Holly
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Heidi - It took me about 10 minutes to locate a store in San Gimignano that sold small appliances. I picked up a hair dryer there this past April for about $8 including adapter. I would think one of the hotel staff in Rome would direct you where to go.
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 03:12 PM
  #4  
Donna
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Conair (www.conair.com), Revlon and others, make excellent dual voltage blow dryers and curling irons. They're inexpensive and available just about anywhere (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.). The curling irons adjust automatically (no switch). With the blow dryers, you will only be able to switch it on "low", but this will be just like "high" at home. Then, all you need is plug adapters not to be confused with converters, available at most luggage stores or anyplace that sells travel accessories). Nancy makes many good points. I had planned to purchase a curling iron and blow dryer in France for future trips, but never found any I like as well as the ones I'm used to using at home (which I've traveled with for more than five years with no problems).
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 03:22 PM
  #5  
Heidi
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Thank you all so much for your input, I really appreciate it! All the suggestions are good ones!

Thanks again,
Heidi

 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 03:37 PM
  #6  
Lesli
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Heidi -

I just "topped" a thread for your re 220 volt appliances. I have a hairdryer ordered from House of 220, which I've used all over Europe the past couple of years with only plug converters where needed (UK). Think it cost about $15-20, including shipping. It's tiny, and works great; much better than my dual-voltage one ever did.
 
Old Sep 4th, 2002, 04:07 PM
  #7  
dena
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Hi Heidi,

Several years ago on a trip tp Italy, I purchased a blow dryer in the airport in Milan. We had to change planes en route to Venice. I have used it in Italy as well as France. It was a great thing to do because on a previous trip I had brought my hair blower from the States along with a converter and I fried my dryer on the first use. Anyway, I don't think it will be hard to find. And you can always use it on another trip to Europe. Good luck!
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 08:35 AM
  #8  
will
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Heidi,

My wife purchased a cheap hairdryer in Rome earlier this year. The hotel gave us directions to a little store nearby. I think she actually left the hairdryer behind in the end - more room to carry her shopping loot home.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 09:26 AM
  #9  
Annie
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Heidi, when it comes to my hair, I don't fool around. I would not go to Italy planning on depending on some hotel clerks directions to a place to buy a hair dryer. As you may know some hotel staff are not that happy to be "bothered" with questions like where to buy a hair dryer. I wouldn't want to either waste time finding one or hoping someone would tell me where to buy one.
Unless you are there for a long trip, then you could take the time to shop for one yourself.
I saw one store in Rome for small appliances and it was so crowded and no one seemed to speak any English or want to be bothered with sign language, that I walked out.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 09:31 AM
  #10  
amy
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Heidi,

I was in London last fall and ended up bringing my big bulky blowdryer and a converter kit ... only to find that both places we stayed had a blowdryer in the room that worked great.

Now I am going to Italy in October, so
I decided to email the 4 hotels we will be staying at , and sure enough, they all said they have a hairdryer in the room.

I'm thinking that I just won't bring one, and if worse comes to worse, THEN I'll buy one there.

Does anyone think this is a bad idea?

Heidi, perhaps you can check with the hotels you are staying at.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 09:37 AM
  #11  
Nutella
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I agree with the advice to buy a hairdryer there. Three years ago I purchased, for the equivalent of $12, a compact but full-power dryer.
The problem with dual voltage is not only that you can only use it on the lower setting, but often the adapter fits too loosely into the cord and/or the wall, and is always falling out.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 09:42 AM
  #12  
Alice Twain
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Annie:

Buying a hairdrier in itlay is far simples than you may expect. Of course, if you are willing to spoend a little more money than you should, you cn buy it at the airport, on the other hand, in italy shopping centers are usually not far from the center of the city and easy to reach by public transportation or on foot. Also, electric appliances shops are frequent, easy to spot and you do not actually need someone to help you along: you grab the box you need and pay for it at the counter with credit card, you do not even need to speak one word or to understand one word you are said by the sales personel.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 09:42 AM
  #13  
Lesli
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In my experience, the wall-mounted hairdryers that are usually in Europen hotels are too low-powered to be of much use. (My hair is thick and coarse and takes a *long* time to dry, however.)

With my own little 220 volt dryer, I'm able to get my hair both dry and looking pretty decent in about 5 minutes. Which is about all the time I care to spend on it, especially on vacation.

 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 10:58 AM
  #14  
Annie
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Hi Alice, yes it is fun and easy to shop in Italy. Last year we stayed in a villa outside Poggibonsi and I shopped happily at the COOP.
But in Rome, the store was chaos and the shopkeeper would have to have handed me the box and I wanted to check out a few boxes for what I really wanted (hot/warm/hi/low settings, etc). And I could see that it was going to become too much of a hassle at the time.
Like I say if you are staying a while it is fun to shop for things like small electronics.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 11:40 AM
  #15  
Walter
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Downstairs at the Termini train station there is a decent sized mini-mall and also shops on the ground floor. Regards, Walter
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 11:42 AM
  #16  
Donna
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I've had the same experience with hotel blow dryers as Lesli. Sometimes, they're not working, sometimes they have little or no power, most often they are located in an awkward corner of the bathroom and have a very short hose. I prefer to dry my hair in the bedroom while my husband is in the shower.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 11:51 AM
  #17  
Picky
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And sometimes the hotel one's are clogged with hair! I prefer my own and plug it in the bedroom too. I don't want other people's hair dust and cooties on my hair.
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 11:57 AM
  #18  
Carolyn
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I bought an ELCHIM in Italy but they have a branch here in the US:
Elchim USA
1795 ROUTE 27
EDISON, NEW JERSEY 08817
U.S.A.
phone
(732) 985 88 50
fax
(732) 985 88 53
e-mail
[email protected]
Web Site
elchimusa.com
 
Old Sep 5th, 2002, 12:10 PM
  #19  
Heidi
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Once again, thanks everyone for all of your helpful suggestions!

Heidi
 
Old Sep 6th, 2002, 12:51 AM
  #20  
hairy
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If someone hasn't already mentioned this, a hairdryer is called a fon (like phone) in Italian. I'd just buy one there.
 

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