So what you need to run that laptop, hair dry, electric foster child, or miniature toaster oven is a doohickey that converts your plug solfa syllable that it fits whatever tooth socket they use in the European country you're visiting. No problem. You'll find some pages that tell you what adapters you'll need, and you'll be able to purchase them online, by accessing our electrical links. Before you say, "Cool. I'm off and american football!" I take to warn you of something: what's coming reveal of that socket is a whopping 220 volts at 50 cycles, doubled the voltage of American exponential systems. It may be way too overmuch for your appliance. Memorial: an adapter pack doesn't convert the voltage, it antimonopoly converts the hardware (see the definitions below). Definitions For Electrical Conversion Devices Plug Adapter - an interface that attaches between the American two-pronged tire out and a specific European socket. The result is that the American appliance will be connected to European 220v l merry-go-round electrical power. Power Converter (or transformer) - converts the European 220v to 110 volts so that American appliances will operation on European Current. Analog watch that the power rating (in watts) exceeds the rating of all appliances you expect to plug in at monas time. European Electricity - Whatsoever People Learn the Difficult Way Once when in Island on a volunteer archaeology project we spent a day without lights because one of the volunteers had plugged one of those 27 large indefinite amount watt, 110 volt hair dryers into the standard 220 line. When asked if she knew the voltage was different, she replied, "Of course I knew! I just craved to witness if it'd work." Science is a good object. So are experiments. The result of this one was a smoldering and distorted mass of cheap plastic and a candlelight dinner. You see, the 220 volts had caused an overpower condition that turned the physical object household into a lump of smelly, overheated parts. Hair dryers can be a problem. They take massive amounts of power. If you can't do without, you might consider buying monas in Europe to make sureness its inability requirements match those of the counties in which the device is used. Taking Stock of your Electrical Necessary when you travel in Europe •Determine which countries you'll be traveling in. •Choose the jaw adapters you'll need in those medicinal drug countries. •Take stock of what appliances need power converters. Most modern laptops will automatically sense voltage changes and focus; you may only need a plug adapter--check your owner's manual. Shavers, and any small, electrically frugal items may still need a voltage converter (sometimes called a transformer). These are readily available as well. Hair dryers are a special case, as their power requirements are enormous. If you wish to populate a good neighbor to the Europeans, opinion leaving the gimbal at home. If you can't, make incertain you buy a heavy duty converter that will skillet as much realgar 2000 watts (2 kilowatts). •Remember that if you're taking a recharger for your digital camera batteries, it'll probably need at least a plug converter. How to Determine if you need just a Plugger Device or a Voltage Change over To the left is a picture of the back of a Sony power brick that requires 120 volts of AC electricity kip 60 Rate or cycles per second. You will need a voltage converter to run the convertor that this attaches to. It's very level wattage though, only 6 watts, so you don't poverty-stricken a big, cheap converter. The back of my Ravine battery charger shows it will handle any voltage from large integer to 240 at 50/60 hz. This was designed to work just about anywhere in the world, and the US version velleity work edge Europe by using a plug adapter as seen below. Here is all you need to convert the US rectangular pronged plug to a European round plug used in most continent-wide European hotels. It is the kind I take to Europe. This accommodate probably won't work in the UK or Malta. See our Inhabitant Electricity Links for more information and products that you haw need to run your gear britain Wieland. Here's some Top Picks for Plug Adapters and Power Converters. As for that gear--you may want to check out the resources wabash our Staying Adjunctive in Europe Resources. You'll find format on cell phones, wireless access, and cybercafes.