Centralparkgirl

My husband will be traveling with a CPAP. It's my understanding that it's dual voltage and we have a plug adaptor. I'm sure we will need an extension cord in most hotels. Will an ordinary one work or do they sell dual power extension cords?

Thanks for any info - first time traveling with the device.

nukesafe

A U.S. extension cord will work just fine. You will of course need a two pin adapter plug for the end that plugs into the European socket.

The other reason you might need an extension cord is that many European hotel rooms have very few electrical outlets, and other things are usually plugged into them. Since you may have other electronics that need charging, it is best to have an extension cord into which you can plug multiple devices.

Centralparkgirl

Thank so much for the prompt response!

I'm finding that even hotel rooms in the US don't always have accessible outlets.

HappyTrvlr

Have never neded to use extension cord in US, Europe, Asia but always teavel with an extension just in case. The maxhine should be dual voltage so just need a 2 round pin plug adapter.

bvlenci

Just make sure it's a heavy duty extension cord, because some American cords will be a fire risk with the higher voltage European current.

elberko

I bought an extension cord in Europe to be on the safe side. I didn't feel safe using a dinky US one, and the big long orange kind seemed overkill.

Found a simple 1 meter one in Spain and have used it other places.

Centralparkgirl

In US hotel rooms, sometimes I charge my phone in an outlet near the floor because the others near the bed are obstructed by stationary furniture. This happens in big chains like Hyatt, Marriott, etc. that should be more guest friendly. I never traveled with a cord before, but obviously, the CPAP has to be near the bed, unlike when a phone or ipad is charging.

I'm glad that I won't need a converter!

nukesafe

You are a bit misinformed, Bvlenci, about the current carrying capacity of extension cords. You seem to feel that an American 110 volt cord would overheat when using 220 volt power. Not so. While not exact, the rule of thumb is that the lower the voltage the thicker wire is required to transmit the same amperage. The copper wire, therefore, in an American cord would be a bigger gauge than in a European cord, so if anything it the US cord would be considered over-sized in Europe. I know it puzzled me when I first saw the wiring in a European house. It appeared they had wired the home with bell wire. Also, the insulation on every extension cord I have seen is rated for 300 volts or more.

annw

We travel with a cpap (DH's) and you are right to plan for an extension cord due to limited outlets especially near bed (relative to US hotels I mean). Extra plugs on the extension cord will also enable you to plug in other dual current items such as phones/laptops etc.

Centralparkgirl

annw - just curious - when overseas, do you use distilled water or regular still bottled water? At home, we use distilled as recommended by manufacturer.

An aside - a cousin of mine had his CPAP stolen in Europe while distraccted during a car rental transaction. I guess the bag might have resembled camera equipment or something else expensive. We will not make that mistake.

annw

I'll check, but I am pretty sure if he uses any water it is local. We've never brought distilled. We travel for 2 weeks max at a time, though.

He has a newer, small/portable and quiet cpap these days after several iterations. We travel carry-on only and it is never far from his sight.

The good travel news is that the TSA folks are now fairly familiar with them. In the early days it was quite a spectacle getting through.

bvlenci

Distilled water is expensive in Italy, and usually bought in a pharmacy. There is "acqua demineralizzata", which is much cheaper, bought in a supermarket, or any grocery, that is used in irons and other domestic appliances which could be damaged by water from the faucet.

Nukesafe, you're right about the cords, and I should have known that.

HappyTrvlr

We always buy distilled water in small markets, or grocery stores in Italy. It is usually in the laundey products section as it is used in irons, inexpensive.

vincenzo32951

I don't use one, but I have traveled to Italy with a friend who does use one. AFAIK, he just used an adapter and regular tap water, and everything was fine.

bvlenci

Happy trvlr, that's not distilled water, but the demineralized water I mentioned above. It should be ideal for a CPAP machine.

The tap water in most of Italy is full of minerals, which are probably not good for your CPAP machine.

cheska15

My husband travels with his CPAP machine and carries a extension cord we brought in Europe a few years ago. He also carries the necessary adaptor. The great thing is Airlines now don't count the weight as carry on luggage and my husband can carry that on board plus 7kg hand luggage allowance. He doesn't need to use it during the flight from Australia to Europe but it is never out of sight and placed in the approved suitcase size for hand luggage.

johnnyomalley

I carry a surge protector/extension cord that has USB ports for charging. As far as water goes, I use tap water and clean my water chamber with a vinegar solution once I get home. That gets rid of any mineral deposits. The water doesn't actually go into the CPAP machine itself. The water is used in the humidifier which is typically a separate part.

roxy60

I travelled in Italy last year for 4 weeks with my cpap machine. I used the (shoulder) bag it came in as my hand luggage for the plane and left room in my suitcase to pack it inside on arrival so I only had to worry about one bag when getting on and off trains/buses etc. This year, I'm going back to Italy again for 4 weeks, and to give myself more room in my suitcase I am disconnecting the humidifier section and leaving that behind. I'm just taking the actual machine. I have been using the machine without the humidifier for the last month for practice and find in the morning I'm a bit stuffed up (but soon clears). I don't mind because that extra bit of room in my carry on and then suitcase will be worth it. I also took a small extension cord and while there was never a problem with there not being an outlet beside the bed, it just gave extra length to be able to have electronic devices out of the way when being charged.