canuckuphereathome

I have checked and every place we are staying has a hair dryer so I don't have to take one (yippee). Now I will also need a curling iron..I use a big fat one and am wondering if anyone can suggest a cordless type for me to take with me to Spain?

mclaurie

I would buy one once you arrive there. Many people use butane ones (I bought one of these in England) but it's a bit controversial as to whether you're allowed to take cartridges on the plane. If you have to buy the cartridges once you get there anyway, why not just buy an electric one when you get there? I guess the benefit of a butane is you could use it at home too but frankly my experience is it doesn't work as well as an electric one.

crepes_a_go_go

My hair recommendation for travelling in Europe is to switch to a style that doesn't need to be "coiffed". Just a couple of advantages: extra room in your luggage; you will not waste all that precious vacationing time slaving over a curling iron!

kismetchimera

Just bring a couples of rollers for your hairs and dont worry about it..have fun..

marcy_

You probably don't need a cordless one. Lots of curling irons are dual voltage and only need a small adapter plug to fit the outlets in Europe. Look on the back of the handle of the one you use at home-- if it says 120/ 240V, then it is OK to use in Europe.

I checked two of mine, a Conair and a Revlon, and both say that on the handle.

You just have to be sure to turn it to a much lower setting than you use at home (about half) or you will fry your hair!
(been there, done that!)

I have since learned to just use a round brush with a blow-dryer, and it does simplify things.

grandmere

I have looked all over Europe (well, ok, just London, Rome, Florence, and Paris!) for a big fat curling iron (those chic women cannot all be using those skinny things!) and never have found one. I did find one on a website somewhere here in US that has dual voltage, fat irons. I used it last trip to Paris, and it worked great, with adapter, of course.

Just google for a site that sells them.If I find the site I used, I'll post again.

Travelnut

After one trip to Europe, I got a short haircut and never looked back. Hubby encouraged it, said "anything to get you out of the bathroom faster"...

I never was good at hairstyling or latest trends anyway...

OReilly

I have yet to find a really large cordless one and not all curling irons have dual voltage (I watched one of mine shrivel up and melt in Paris!)so check carefully. I travel with a portable Braun, but its not too large. You might have some luck with the new ceramic plates.

Can I assume by your comments that you, like me, have curly hair? If so, I'm afraid you won'be too impressed by the hairdryers in hotels; they are NOT for styling and it would take a week to dry MY hair with them. Seriously consider getting used to a natural look

regards Ger

Grasshopper

I used to travel with a friend who had all those hair accoutrements.... I loved it on the days when she just wore a hat!

nocinonut

canuck, if you don't want to shear off your hair for a vacation (!?)(neither would I) I would suggest you buy a dual voltage one from home (such as walmart if you have those in Canada) and use an adapter for Europe.

I have purchased curling irons in Europe and they don't get as hot as ours do and I agree that the hotel's hair dryers are very weak too.

As for holding up your travel partner:
go in the bathroom first and then dry and curl your hair in the bedroom while the other is showering.

This may not be your situation anyway!

sandi

I don't depend on hotel dryers anywhere in the world. Granted some of them are good (in fact excellent), but most aren't and it would take me twice or three times as long to dry my short hair. So I always travel with my own dual voltage hairdryer.

But I don't have, nor have been able to find a dual voltage misting curling iron, so here again, I bring my own along with the converter and plugs.

Both the dryer and curling iron are so small and weigh so little, it's no problem fitting in my suitcase. This way I have no surprises when I get to my destination. I know just how long it will take me to get out of the room and on with my day - not long at all.

Underhill

I just bought a 1-1/4"dual-voltage curling iron at our local drugstore; there were 4 from which to choose.

tcreath

I agree with the poster above; try to bring just a large round brush and use that as you dry your hair. Keep in mind though, that just because the hotels have hair dryers doesn't mean that they work very well! The one we had in London looked like a vacuum cleaner extension and took forever to dry my hair.

In my experience, the butane curling irons don't work very well. They rarely get hot enough to curl my hair and the barrels aren't long enough. If you don't want to bring a round brush, perhaps you should just invest in a converter kit and bring your curling iron from home?

djkbooks

I bring my own dual voltage blow dryer because it's faster and those in hotel rooms are often in the bathroom. I dry and curl my hair while my husband is showering.

Conair does indeed make large (up to 1-1/2&quot dual voltage curling irons - one even with 25 heat settings.

You can see the models at www.conair.com, but they are available in drug/discount/department stores all over.

padbrasher

djkbooks:
A word of caution regading your curling iron. I recently blew out a pricey flat iron in Italy. It was dual voltage, but nonetheless the power in our Roman hotel room was too powerful.

Budman

I don't know if that is possible. Did you forget to change the dial from 110 to 220? If it was a 220 flat iron (bought one for my wife), I can't imagine "too much power" blowing it out.

nancyhol

I have also been searching for a "fat" curling iron to take to Europe. I finally settled on a cordless one made by ThermaCell. It is 1.5", and I found it at drugstore.com. Haven't received it yet, so I don't know how well it works. When I get it, I will post again.

Budman

While it works, my wife's not happy with the one I bought her. She likes the one with the ceramic plates that she has here in the states. Unfortunately, it is only a 110v.

It's a "chick" thing. (I don't have a problem with that.)

nancy

The problem with hotel hair dryers is, most often, they don't have that directional flow attachment so your hair blows all over the place. I always take my 2 voltage dryer with an extension cord (the plugs aren't always where you want them). You always need the adaptor plug. I used to take a butane curling iron (don't use it anymore) and it worked just fine (packed it in my checked luggage so there wouldn't be any problem). Don't know if they make them as large as you want. Otherwise, just take your own. Why not look like you want to? These appliances along with an extension cord take up so little room.