electrical adaptor plugs
 

Hi all

Have just done a quick Google, and it seems as though I will need separate adaptors for UK, France, Switzerland and Italy.

Can anyone confirm?

Coming from Australia.

Thank you!

One for the UK and a different one for the other countries. Or - there are universal adapters that have all the various patterns.

<i>electrical adaptor plugs
Posted by: smm_18 on May 9, 13 at 5:35pm
Have just done a quick Google, and it seems as though I will need separate adaptors for UK, France, Switzerland and Italy.
Can anyone confirm?</i>

Yup, each of those countries has its own style of outlet. Each country operates on 220 volts and 50 Hz.

"Yup, <B>each</B> of those countries <B>has its own style</B> of outlet."

WRONG!!! As Janisj has pointed out correctly: Of the countries mentioned, only the UK has a different configuration. The others all use the so-called "continental" plug with two round pins.

Hi S,

You need a UK adapter for the UK.

The other countries use a Continental adapter.

((I))

You should be able to pick up what you need at any major travel store. If you're using an Apple computer, iPad, iPod or iPhone, you can purchase a kit online or at one of their stores.

Thanks everyone.

I'm SORT of clearer.

ONE adaptor for UK.
ONE 'continental' adaptor for use in France, Switz., Italy.

Need them for an iPad and an Android phone. So I plug my (Oz) plug (attached to iPad/phone) into an adaptor, which goes into the hotel socket. Yes?

Just read someone on another thread talking about meltdowns. What's that all about?

She had a curling iron that couldn't handle 240V.

Stu Dudley

I used to think all continental plugs were the same. But the recent trip to Italy made me realize that the some Italian plugs require just slightly smaller diameter prongs.

One type I carry is this type: http://www.amazon.com/OREI-Grounded-...ef=pd_sim_hi_1. It worked well in Austria, Germany, and Netherlands, but not all outlets in Italy.

The other kind I carry is this type: http://www.amazon.com/Lewis-N-Clark-...adapter+europe. It worked in every country in continent I have been so far.

I examined the larger one carefully at one hotel I had a problem in Italy. The prong diameter was slightly too big to fit into the outlet holes. I thought it was more of the kind of outlets the hotel installed in rooms. None of my travel companions had problem using any of the continental plugs in other Italian hotels, but at this particular hotel, only some of the adapters worked.

Thanks, guys. Stu she also said something about internal electronics i.e. computers, etc. Or was that for a converter not an adaptor. What's the diff?

Sheesh.

Greg, I'm not sure if I could use those because I'm from Australia so the adaptor has to first suit Australian plugs.

Maybe follow Robert's advice and go to a travel store, except where I live there are no 'major' ones, just small travel stands in a couple of department stores. Not big on knowledge.

<i>Dukey1 on May 9, 13 at 6:18pm
"Yup, each of those countries has its own style of outlet."
WRONG!!! As Janisj has pointed out correctly: Of the countries mentioned, only the UK has a different configuration. The others all use the so-called "continental" plug with two round pins.</i>

The "so-called 'continental' plug" is a myth. Four different plug adapters will be needed, one for each country. See http://tinyurl.com/2y9zvv.
The UK/Irish plug is obviously different.
The grounded "Shucko" plug has 4.8 mm prongs. It won't fit in Italy or Switzerland.
The "Euro" plug looks somewhat the same as the "Shucko" but has 4.0 mm prongs. It is not grounded and could work in older establishments in Italy. It is too loose for France and may spark.
The grounded Italian plug has three prongs in line.
The grounded Swiss plug has three prongs in a triangle.

Thanks for the link, spaarne - have had a read and am happy that my phone and iPad chargers fit the specifications and that all I need is adaptors.

Also it does appear that I will need different ones for each country, which is not great news, since I was considering bringing an adaptor with two or three entry points (also have a camera, so charging all three devices at once would be better). That's a lot of extra hardware to be toting round!

Before our trip to Scandinavia in 2011, we bought a European power strip like this one on Amazon: http://preview.tinyurl.com/bot469c . It worked great, charged all our various electronics and kept them all in the same area (don't want to be leaving a charger behind a curtain.

I recommend shopping around before you leave Australia, as adapters for your plugs aren't as easy to find as those from the US and Europe. If you have an iPhone and an iPad, you can use the iPad charger for both.

There is an adapter on the market that fits European and UK plugs. I know because I have one. Bought it in the US.

For high-voltage items, need a converter. But most people don't need that.

<i>There is an adapter on the market that fits European and UK plugs. I know because I have one. Bought it in the US.</i>

You bought an adapter for Australian plugs in the US? http://stockarch.com/images/technolo...d-sockets-2336

Helm: Where did I say I bought an adapter for AUS plugs?

I have never seen an Australian to European adapter on sale in Italy - not to say that they are not on sale soewhere. I would suggest that you buy an Aus to Uk and an Aus to two pin European adapter before you leave Aus.

You do not need any sort of voltage converter for Australian appliances in UK or continental Europe.

<i>Where did I say I bought an adapter for AUS plugs?</i>

Umm... if you look back at the original post you will see that smm_18 is coming from Australia, and needs an adapter for Australian plugs. That is the subject of this thread. :-))

<i>There are multi-adapters.</i>

Please, vincenzo32951, educate us and give us a link so that we may better visualize these devices. I have never seen a single prong adapter that will fit into any and all receptacles used by all of the countries mentioned above.

I have seen receptacles which will accept almost any prong configuration but never a single prong adapter that will fit any receptacle thus eliminating the need for separate adapters.

No need to be rude, vincenzo. I live in Europe, have American appliances, and would <b>never</b> use a multi-adapter — I am sitting here right now on my American MacBook Pro, plugged in through a US-UK adapter. When I travel on the continent all I need is a US-Schuko adapter, which you can buy for a couple of dollars. You wasted your money. ;-)

I agree with greg and spaarne about Italy. We were in Italy last year and our 2-prong "continental" plugs didn't work in some hotels. Luckily I had done my homework and we had the correct plug.

We also took a similar power strip to what amy_torres_sd had with about 4 outlets so we could charge multi devices at once. That worked like a charm.

Sarastro, check out one of the link's greg referenced above. We have one of those universal adaptors which is what I believe vincenzo is talking about.

Once again, the OP is coming from Australia! What good is a US adapter when Aussie plugs are completely different? ((?))

If ever you are going to the UK first, they have a complete selection of all adaptors at Boots. That's where I bought my "continent to UK" adaptor, but they had all of the other configurations as well.

And yes, you can always buy a 'universal' adaptor, but I find them very overpriced when you just need, for example, two (continent & British Isles).

I have an all-in-one multi-adapter that fits most plugs in Europe. It's similar to this one, but I think mine is TravelSmart brand. I don't usually take it unless I'm traveling to multiple countries. I prefer to have some of the small single adapters and take several.

http://www.amazon.com/Insten-Univers...f=pd_sim_hpc_2

Those multi-adapters are really clunky, and that's why I don't like to use them. Another point is that in the UK fuses are built into the plugs, so you need an adapter with a 3 amp fuse for small appliances, or one with a 13 amp fuse for larger ones.

I probably have a dozen or more US-UK adapters scattered around my home, and several more US-Schuko adapters put away for my next trip. These are dirt cheap, and it's useful to bring 2 or 3 with you: first, so you can charge more than one device at a time, and second, in case you accidentally leave one in the socket when you change hotels.

Aussie electrical plugs are different from anywhere else in the world, except NZ and a few south Pacific islands, so it's wise to buy an adapter before you leave that country. Likewise, if you want to use a power strip, it would have to be one for Aussie plugs.

As Peter_S_Aus wrote, "You do not need any sort of voltage converter for Australian appliances in UK or continental Europe."

Whoa! Stirred up a bit of a hornet's nest with this question. And I thought it would be straightforward.

Sifting through all the replies, it appears I would be safer (rather be that than sorry) buying a 3-outlet power board from any hardware store or supermarket (obviously taking Australian plugs).

Then buying 4 separate adaptors for the 1 cord (that has an Australian plug): 1 for UK, 1 for France, 1 for Switzerland, 1 for Italy.

How does this sound?

Thanks everyone for your efforts with this question.

OK, so piggybacking on smm_18 most recent question... (and by the way, the answer is YES smm_18).... Was it unnecessary for me to buy the power strip that accepts multiple input styles? Should I bring a power strip from the US to the UK and Europe and simply have the correct adapters? (My European power strip is clunky and heavy).

Thanks!!

1. kybourbon's link shows a real jack-knife type of prong adapter with more choices than I have ever seen. However, the round, dual prong plug appearing near the middle of the adapter is most likely a French/German plug and probably will not work for Italy and I'm not sure about Switzerland. The only sure way of successfully powering your devices is to obtain a plug adapter or adapter/kit containing the appropriate plug configurations of the countries you will be visiting.

2. Power strips can offer an interesting solution as long as strips designed for 240vac circuits are not used with 120vac input sources (don't use a 240vac strip when in North America/Japan) Strips designed for 120vac inputs are fine when use on 240vac sources as long as the strip contains no on/off switch, no surge protection, or no LED. The internal wiring on 120vac strips is actually heavier than what is typically used on 240vac strips but the switches/LEDs can short or burnout if higher than designed voltages are applied.

3. Perhaps the best solution is to purchase plugs and strips designed for the purpose intended. Here is one company, there are many, which sells everything the traveller might need:

http://www.wonpro.com/

Here is what I would do as an Australian. If you can charge your android phone from a USB outlet (and I know you can charge your iPad from a USB connection), buy a USB charger with two USB outlets, and take a USB to Apple lead, and a USB to android phone lead. A two outlet USB charger will cost you about $15, and you'd find one in say Office Works, Dick Smith or JB Hi Fi.

Buy an Australian to two pin european adapter, while you are in Australia. Available at any travel goods shop, plus some chemists. When in the UK, buy a two pin European to UK adapter. In Switzerland, maybe you will find a wall socket that accepts a two pin European, ditto for Germany. The European two pin adapter should be OK for Italy.

You don't really need a power strip (what we Australians call a power board) if you only have two devices that need charging. I bought a two pin, two USB outlet charger in Venice - and that's all we will bring on our next trip. It's a nice souvenir too.

The problem is that the Australian / NZ slanted pin configuration is not common, so it's a good idea to have an Aus to European adapter before you leave Aus.

My head is spinning...

I have a power strip/board at home (with 4 spots for plugs) and here's what the fine print reads:

Overload protection
240V AC Max loading 10A
2400W

There's no on/off switch. Nothing else fancy on it apart from a red push button on the side.

So, Sarastro, if I did decide to take one, would this be suitable, or would I blow up the hotel room and all devices?

Thanks, Peter, for your Aussie input! My phone (Samsung Galaxy SII) won't charge with USB connection, but what a good idea if it did.

I'm not sure what you mean in para 2. Do you mean Aussie plug into Europe adaptor into UK adaptor? So plug into plug into plug into wall? Sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick on this.

Also, just a reminder, France is the other country I'm going to...

I do think you've hit on the right notion, though. I should pay a visit to Dick Smith!

Thanks again for all your help!

>>>1. kybourbon's link shows a real jack-knife type of prong adapter with more choices than I have ever seen. However, the round, dual prong plug appearing near the middle of the adapter is most likely a French/German plug and probably will not work for Italy and I'm not sure about Switzerland<<<

I'm sure it doesn't show all the plugs on it in the picture. They flip out with little switches so normally one the one for the country you are using is the only one out. The side where you plug in your appliance adapts to multiple countries also.

kybourbon, that adapter doesn't accept Aussie plugs, so would be of no use to smm_18.

Smm_18, your power board is designed for 240V electricity, so I seen no problem using it in Europe as long as you don't overload it with too many devices. Most chargers use less than 1 amp, so you should be okay if that's all you are plugging in. If you were using a hair dryer or other heating device that would be a different matter.

I question whether you even need your power board, though? I never bring one with me, and I usually travel with two cameras, an e-reader, a phone, and an iPad. Most of them don't need charging every day, so I seldom need to have more than one on charge at a time.

:-)

Thanks, Heimdall – you answered my question about kybourbon's plug (thanks, anyway, kybourbon – wd be a great solution).

And I guess you're right about the power board, probably unnecessary after all. Camera doesn't need charging as often as phone, e-reader less often, iPad now and then, etc. I'd visualised one available socket and rotating devices all night...

Thanks also for clearing up Q re voltage. Won't be taking a hair dryer, curling/straightening devices, heaters, fans, toasters, so should be fine!

Check for yourself in kbourbon's link — there are 7 different views of the adapter, two showing the face where the plugs are inserted. I could be wrong, but it didn't look to me that Aussie/NZ plugs would fit.

One point to consider: some hotels have key cards that you insert into a slot to turn the electricity on. When you leave the room and take the key card with you the electricity goes off. That means you can't leave something on charge while you are out, and will end up doing most of your charging overnight. In light of that, you may want to bring your power board anyway. It all depends upon how much you think you will need it, and how light you like to pack. :-)

>>>kybourbon, that adapter doesn't accept Aussie plugs, so would be of no use to smm_18.<<<

Perhaps that particular one doesn't (although I think it does - the shape of the slots can be deceiving and accept more than you think), but I was responding to someone's post that they don't make all-in-one multi adapters and they certainly do. They also make them for Australia/New Zealand. If you were to check a few online businesses in Australia similar to Radio Shack, Walmart or travel stores, you will find some. A quick Google shows this one that says can be used in 150 countries.

http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-331.../dp/B0002H4YUI

This one also does and looks very much like my link in the earlier thread. You can see it lists Aus on the side and shows the Aus type plug on the front of which type of plug it accepts. The great thing about this one it only weighs 8 ounces.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Dynex%26...&skuId=9847822

Hi kybourbon, on closer inspection I agree that an Aussie plug may indeed fit, so my apologies. What I had in mind though is something like these which are available in Australia: http://dicksmith.com.au/product/SE4025/british-adaptor and http://dicksmith.com.au/product/SE4027/european-adaptor. Even those look overpriced to me, as I am use to paying more like US $2-3 for an adapter, so it wouldn't hurt to shop around. :-)

Try Kathmandu's or a similar adventure gear place, that's where we got our European adaptor. UK you'd need a different one. We're currently travelling in Europe since late Feb and found a powerboard very useful indeed so if you've got room, take one! One Aussie to another :)

Thanks everyone for all the links and suggestions. Terrific help.

With the power board, what I might do is take a small one (say 2 or 3 spots for plugs), which would make charging several devices slightly easier. Thanks for tip rg12345, and reminder about hotel card Heimdall.

And it just comes down to buying a multi-adaptor or not. If I can find one in Aust. that's not 'big and clunky' maybe this will work.

As to buying individual adaptors, the question as to whether or not 1 x European and 1 x UK will be enough is disputed.

Looking back at Spaarne's comments and link - s/he's adamant that Italy and Switz will each need a different type of plug.