Sam

What exactly do I need to bring to allow me to use my hair dryer? Do I need to buy a whole kit of coverters and adapters?

Larry

Sam, check to be sure your hair dryer is dual voltage 110/220. If not I would probably get a compact one that is and then you need one adapter plug that has two round pins. I think hauling an adapter around would be more of a hassle than getting a dual voltage dryer and you only need that one adapter <BR>available from Magellans or most travel shops - it is pretty much the standard so you don't need an entire kit.

Larry

Oops - need an adapter but don't want to haul around a converter.

sam

Thanks for the info. Do you know where to get hair dryers that have the dual voltage? Would a regular drugstore carry them? I checked Magellan's and they didn't have dual voltage dryers, just all the adapter sets.

John

Most drug stores carry them, as do K-Mart, Wal-Mart, and all the rest. Look on the dryer box, if it's dual voltage it will always say so.

ann

Sam, <BR>You might want to check out Brookstone, also. I bought a very compact dual-voltage hair dryer there - the smallest I've found, but it actually works quite well.

beth

Sam - call ahead! You may not need a hairdryer at all. I haven't been to Italy (going there this summer) but I did go to Britain and ireland last year. Evry hotel we stayen in save one had the wall-mounted one in the room. i lugged hairdryer an adaptor kit (used for other things too) all over and really only needed the hairdryer once! If you are staying in B&Bs I'm sure that is another story, but if you are staying in hotels of 3 stars or more, they probably have them.

Walter

For the type of adapter you'll need check-out http://kropla.com <BR>In the department stores also check in the luggage department, they usually have a section with travel related stuff (adapters) and you might find a small compact dryer. HTH Regards, Walter <BR>

stacey

Worse case scenario - buy a cheap one when you get there and leave it there.

Sam

Thanks- everyone's help has been great!

Dave

Many hair dryers already come dual voltage. Check near where your on/off switch is. In essence, the dual voltage switch keeps the hair dryer in a from turning to the "High" setting - the "Low" setting at 220 volts runs on what you normally feel is "High."

mshaw

Hi, <BR> Went to Italy this Fall. I have a dual voltage hair dryer...but using it at 220v caused it to run high and very warm...easy to fry the hair! Next time I go..I will buy one there and have both speeds....Maggie

Nancy

Sam, a word of caution.... when I went to Italy last year, I discovered that in Italy there are two different types of outlets. Some outlets are three prong and some are two prong. If you bring a converter/adapter from the US, it may not necessarily work, depending upon the type of outlet in the hotel. It made no sense to me that there would be two different types of outlets in the same country. After getting to Italy, I bought a two-prong hair dryer at an electric store in Florence for about $16. When I went to Siena (1 hour south) the hotel I was staying in had three prong outlets. Thus, my new Italian hair dryer was useless. If you do buy a cheap hair dryer and you plan on staying in several different hotels, as I did, then I would recommend getting a cheap adapter that allows you to use the hair dryer on both two and three prong outlets. The hotels I stayed in that did not have an adapter that I could borrow did have a hair dryer I could use. (However, getting an adapter at one particular hotel in Milan was a major pain in the butt).

Larry

there is an adapter for the 3 prong as well - it is a grounded adapter - I did not find the need for this but for the minimal cost, you may want to take both, grounded and ungrounded. LL Bean's new travel catalog has a dual voltage compact dryer for 19.95

Jeanette

Thanks everyone for your excellent ideas. I'm going back to Italy in March and I do have the 2 prong converter but may not buy the dual travel size dryer here now. I think I will wait and buy one there if I need one. It is a 3 star hotel in Rapallo and they will probably have one there. Has anyone had any trouble bringing a small extremely light butane curling iron to Italy? Multi Gratia

gluck

jeannette, the airlines may not be all that keen on having you transport butane fuel on board. You may want to ask them about regulations on this - a safety issue. And if i'm wrong about this, someone please set me straight.