Do I need an iron?
 

I would like to know if I can use my travel iron with converters in most hotels. We are traveling Italy for 3 weeks and will not be unpacking our suitcases for overnight stays. I'm figuring items may be quite wrinkled before I get to wear them. Any suggestions? thanks

In many hotels there will be an iron in your room or you can ring reception and ask to borrow one.

1) if you pack carefully things won't wrinkle much
2) Most hotels have irons you can borrow
3) you are on vacation - why do you want to iron???

I personally never take an iron - using one w/ an adaptor is always an iffy proposition . . . .

was posting the same time as Lawchick . . . .

OTOH - I always take a travel iron. Even if you've ironed everything beforehand (which I rarely do), it's useful just to tidy up some things, without going to the effort of getting a full-sized iron & ironing board delivered to the room - although I do that too, if I need to. I even take a travel iron when visiting friends and family.

If you are staying in posh hotels & can afford it, of course you can get your clothes ironed for you.

ah - but caroline, your iron is already European current. Makes a big difference. A US iron will either be dual voltage and only work at the lowest temp, or is single voltage and requires a converter.

I take a dual voltage steamer. Small, lightweight, does a nice job.

It's really your choice, though I agree with the others most hotels have irons you can borrow.

You'll need to make sure your iron can take 200/220V, and you'll need an Italian outlet socket (two round, not flat prongs).

Alternatively, you can create a "steam room" by letting VERY hot water run from a shower, and just hang your clothes as soon as you check in to a hotel.

I also find that a small, portable dual voltage steamer will do just fine. In fact, I prefer it to an iron.

Interesting,

On my last trip, all the hotels I stayed in in Italy said they could not allow irons in rooms as it was illegal. Of course, I could pay to have them iron for me! One hotel, a 3*, ironed beautifully for me with no charge. Grazie! Only 1, a 2*, let me borrow an iron and an ironing board.

Pack in the plastic that comes from dry cleaners and you will have few wrinkles. Knits rarely wrinkle. Hang wrinkled items in the bathroom while you shower and the steam should improve matters.

An iron never makes the 'cut' in my 20" suitcase.

An iron is too heavy and bulky. I just hang my clothes in the bathroom and let the steam shake out the wrinkles, then make sure they dry completely. (After I while, I started doing this at home too.) And I'm a little more wrinkly traveling than at home.

I fill an empty spray bottle with water, spray clothes and pull out wrinkles, or you can buy Downey wrinkle release.

Well, it's up to you, but I'd as soon bring an iron as I would a lawnmower or a trash compacter or a camp stove. I'm on vacation!

Truth be told, I don't even iron at home. At I don't sew, either. Sorry.

I'll go Barbara one better. I had my clothes laundered, ironed and folded (just like my husband's dress shirts) for my last trip. What a breeze it was to find things and I, also, did not unpack. Everything was remarkably free of wrinkles.

When I travel with my sister she always carrys an iron. Once in France her travel iron broke so the next thing I knew she was buying this big honkin iron. She likes her clothes pressed perfectly and doesn't mind lugging an iron around. When her luggage got searched at the airport, the TSA person stuck their arm down in the black hole of her 70lb. suitcase and pulled out that big ole iron the look on her face was priceless. I guess what I am saying if an iron makes you happy take it!

When we were in France and Italy they would not loan us a iron for our room they also told us it was against the law. That's why dear old sis bought her own.

I always take a dual voltage steamer / Iron - small and light, with the appropriate adaptors of course. I take it for business and for pleasure - I like to look neat when I go out, call me crazy.

I have never been able to have steam from a shower take out wrinkles, although it certainly seems like a nice concept. Stil haven't gotten around to trying that Downey stuff.

In Italy, I have been told that I could not borrow an iron to use in the room; that it was illegal. In a few hotels, they did it for me for nothing, in a few I had to pay, in one there was a room somewhere with boards and irons and in one they set up a board in the hall outside my room so I could iron there (there I was, in the hallway, wearing a blouse and slip at 0530, ironing a skirt before I went to work....

Worse case was when I was told that I could not plug ANYTHING in to the wall. Of course I ignore that initially. I got down on my hands and knees under the desk and starting unplugging a lamp so I could plug my laptop in.... when the plaster started crumbling out of the wall onto the floor - I decided to take them at their word and not plug ANYTHING in!

So - long story short - bring the iron if you want it, just know you might not be able to use it. I would make sure to find out the ironing situation upon checking so you know what the story is.

I might add that in addition to the old steam in the bathroom trick, i usually bring a travel size bottle of Downey Wrinkle Release. Spray and hang overnight, the stuff works miracles.

I stay all over Europe for work in really nice hotels and NONE of them except the one in London offer an iron-either in the room or from the front desk.Some of the hotels (unless they are an American chain like Holiday Inn) have told me that they have never had anyone ask for an iron. Don't worry about the wrinkles as everyone else has them too. My best advice is hanging them up the night before and taking a wet towel to "soak out the wrinkles".

I stay all over Europe for work and for pleasure and I have never had any problem locating an iron when I needed one!