We are staying at the Intercontinental Vienna Hotel and would like to use our own hair dryer, shaver, makeup mirror, etc. What type of adapter to I need?

p.s We are from the United States

The hotel will probably provide you with a hair dryer, but if you really must use your own, you need both a plug adapter and a convertor box. Same for the mirror. The plug adaptor is the same 2-prong plug that's used in the rest of continental Europe. There's usually a seperate plug for shavers.

Austria, like the rest of Europe and most of the world, runs on different electrical current from the US. The US runs on 120 current, Austria runs on 230. Therefore, your hairdryer and shaver will not work in Austria unless (i) it is "dual voltage" or (ii) you have a converter to convert the electrical current. Many, many applicances made these days are dual voltage. Check your appliance or read the instructions or check the website of the maker. If anything there says that the model you have is "120/240" or "110/230" voltage, then the item is dual voltage and it will work in Austria. (Note that on some applicance, like hair dryers, you may have to turn a switch or a key to change the voltgage from 120 to 220/230. Look at the appliance.)

If it is not dual voltage, you will need to buy and bring a convertrer with you. These can be heavy to lug around, and even if you find a light travel version, in my experience these do not work well on items that need to generate heat like a hair dyer. A converter simply cannot get up the energy necessary to sufficiently work well. It might work OK for the shaver, but not for the dryer. I would use the dryer provided by the hotel (check the website, but I am about 99.99% sure that the Intercon provides in-room hairdyers). Also in hotel room bathrooms you often have those plugs (marked "shavers only" and they usually say "110/240&quot that are in fact converters for shavers and you could use that for the US shaver.

I personally would not drag a make up mirror from home, as it takes up a lot of room in a suitcase and can easily get broken. However, if it has no electrical parts other than just light bulbs, it should work without a converter (light bulbs don't need a converter), although yuou will need an adaptor to adapt the plug to the wall socket (see below).

You could also very easily buy a dual volage travel hair dryer and shavers at home before you leave. Then all you will need to bring are some plug adapators.
Conair and Remington make dual voltage dryers. Linens n' Things has dual-voltage hairdryers advertised. You can also buy them on-line, check out drugstore.com., or run a search on your browser for "dual voltage hair dryer"

Finally, if you do bring electrical items from the US, they will have plugs with two flat pins or perhaps be grounded with three pins. You will therefore need need an adnaptor to fit over those pins and so "adapt" the plug to the Austrian wall socket which has two round pins (in most cases). You can buy adaptor plugs in the US, in stores in Vienna, or often your hotel will lend them or sell them to you. It is possible that the Intercon may even have some US type sockets, but having adaptors with you is always helpful just in case. A useful website for seeing what you might need for Austria is at voltagevalet.com. Another helpful site is http://www.escapeartist.com/global/W...wer_Guide.html

If you have dual-voltage appliances (110-240VAC), all you need is a <b>plug adapter</b>. This does <u>not</u> apply to the light bulbs in your makeup mirror. Otherwise -

For low-power electronics (up to 100 Watts), you need a <b>transformer</b> to step down the voltage.

For heating appliances such as curlers and dryers, you should use a <b>converter</b> to handle the high power.

Do NOT use a converter with electronics or a transformer with heaters.

I have just come back from a trip to Prague, vienna and Budapest and I forgot to take my adaptor. In every Hotel we stayed in when we asked in reception they all had ones to lend you both while staying there.

Thanks for the info. Will a two prong plug adaptor work for a flat iron/curling iron and for a make up mirror or will I need a converter box in addition? I will just use the hairdryer and the Intercon Hotel.

You NEED something to convert 220-240V to the 110V used by your gear.

If you plug it straight in - even through a plug adaptor - there is a good chance that it'll burst into flames.

Now meeting Austrian firemen may be in your trip plan but I guarantee your hotel will be somewhat unhappy

Hi Tammyps,

Just an addition to what has already been said - if you use your hairdryer for serious styling rather than just drying, I would not rely on the hotel dryer - they usually do not have enough power. I know from experience that having flat, floppy hair from hotel dryers can ruin a holiday experience! I lug my dryer with me any time my current hair needs high power drying.

You should buy a flat iron before you go that is dual voltage (or check the one you have) OR buy one in Vienna that is made for European voltage. The bonus of buying one at a local drug store is that it will have the correct plug as well.

The proper converter for the flat iron you own appliance will be expensive, heavy and unwieldy. My daughter ruined her flat iron by borrowing and using an inadequate converter. She might have smoked the converter also.

Is it safe to use a converter with a digital camera? What can I use for a digital camera?

Idiot, most camera chargers are dual voltage; check yours to see if it is. If so, you will only need a PLUG ADAPTOR.