As I progress with planning our trip to Italy, I must not neglect a pressing issue (maybe more for my kids than myself) charging our electrical stuff.

What takes a converter (transformer) these days and what just needs an adapter?

Here is the list of electronics:
ipod touch 2nd generation
ipod touch 1st generation
computer with grounded 3 prong plug
GPS

ipod touch 2nd gen -- came only with USB charge cord. Want to purchase an AC wall plug. Would I need an electrical converter plus an adapter plug or just an adapter plug?

ipod touch 1st gen -- has an Apple ac plug to I need a converter for this or just adapter plug?

Compaq computer -- has a 3-prong AC charger cord with a box-looking portion connected to the cord. What do I need here? A grounded 3-prong Western Europe plug or just a 2 prong Western Europe plug (not UK 3-prong plug)? FYI apartment owner says a 3-prong plug -- would that just be for the computer or for everything else too?

GPS -- has an AC cord with 2 prongs. Do I need converter (transformer) plus adapter plug or just an adapter plug?

We won't even get into the hair items . . .

How did we ever survive traveling 20 years ago without all the "stuff?"

Can someone please point me in the right direction?

Hi moo,

Look at the labels on the chargers.

If they say 100-250V (or 110-220) you need only an adapter plug.

If they say 110V, you have very old equipment.

There are adapters for 3 prong US to 2 pin European.

If you can't find one, get a 3-prong to 2-prong adapter and plug that into your 2-prong to 2-pin European adapter.

Ipods and Iphones...look at the "brick" and you'll see that it is 110-220...no "converter" required. Same thing probably with your computer since it is probably sold WORLDWIDE and not just in the US.

Here is more than you need to know about electricity in Europe.
http://tinyurl.com/2y9zvv

I believe that all Apple/ipod products come with chargers that work on both continents. Apple will also sell you plug adapters that fit their chargers (or you can use regular adapter plugs if you have them).

The hair equipment you mentioned will probably give you more problems that the computing equipment. Hair dryers, curlers, etc. need their home voltage to generate proper heat and wind, and even with converters/ adaptors they don't work very well. Many people find it convenient to just buy a hair dryer while in europe.

I bought a converter/adapter kit from Sharper Image a couple years back for my trip to Rome. It worked great for most of my electrical needs but I did have a problem trying to use my lap top. It would charge the lap top but I could not USE the lap top while it was being charged...it went all freaky on me!

The prong adapters are nothing electrical, just a gizmo to make the US prongs fit into the differently configured holes in sockets in Europe. Target, K-Mart, Walmart - they all have them.

Heat-generating things with motors - that's different, they need the right type of electrical transformer plus the prong adapter, of course.

Either buy a travel-designed such gizmo from www.magellans.com or some such website (they are small and pack easy) or buy the real thing in Europe - bring it back and sell it on Craigslist...

If you need to plug all your gizmos in at the same time, you need a prong-adapter for each, and good luck having enough outlets in the room. In old houses in Europe that may not be a given - they didn't have that in Napoleon's days, and many buidings go back further...

Our hairdryer, curling iron, toothbrush recharger, PC, iPod docking station, all do not need electrical converters. My toothbrush recharger did not say anything about 220, but when I accidentally plugged it into the European 220 - it recharged fine - better than at home. I have recharged it in excess of 30 times in Europe.

In the 220 setting, our hairdryer only allows 1 speed. The mechanical setting is on "low" speed, but the air temp & motor is "high". Several years ago we purchased an electrical converter for the hairdryer, but it did not work. We purchased another electrialc converter - which also did not work. We exchanged this converter for another - which also did not work. We looked for a dryer in Europe (several times), but did not find anything that suited us. The curling iron says it will work on 220 - which it does.

Stu Dudley