Hello All You Knowledgeable People!
Three of us are traveling to Paris July, 2017 for business and pleasure. There will be 3 smart phones, 2 tablets, 1 DSLR. and probably back up battery sources for the phones. Would it be feasible to buy 2-3 European converters and plug a power strip into them to charge our devices? If that is possible, what converter would be the best to buy? Thank you in advance for all of your suggestions!
You don't need an electrical converter because all phones, tablets, etc. accept either voltage. What you need is a plug adapter to attach to your device's power cord. For France you will need the adapter with two round prongs.
Please start with our host's page on the topic,
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/electric-adapters-converters
Because this question typically produces 20 replies, you might wish to use the search box (top center, desktop version of the site) to read some past discussions. It's key to understand the difference between "converter" and "adapter". You still have time to get something from Amazon, if you use that for small tech purchases.
Another important factor is to evaluate whether you can ALL remember that you might have an "American" plug in your hotel room that actually has 240 volts attached to it. Now, if you only have modern "data" devices with power supplies (wall warts) that are LABELLED "100-240 Volts AC", it doesn't matter. But if you have ONE electric toothbrush charger labelled "110-120 Volts AC", you could easily destroy it.
Thank you so much for all of the replies!
We just take an ordinary extension cord with an adapter, use it to charge phones, tablet, toothbrushes, and backup battery. (Not all at once, of course.)
What I took this trip.
A charger with two outlets (the second outlet really comes in handy):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01388PLJA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And a plug adapter:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058EG0KC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I also had a little charger for the car lighter with two USB outlets. Plus a couple of USB cords for my phone and a battery recharger than can use the same USB cord.
To begin with, it's important to check each of the devices you'll be travelling with to determine whether they're designed to operate from 100-240 VAC. That's likely the case with all the devices you mentioned, however it's still a good idea to check. Look for the words "Input Voltage" on the nameplate of each device.
You don't need a Voltage Convertor and in fact it would not be a good idea to use one. What you will need is Plug Adaptors to adapt the North American plugs to the European sockets. If you're only going to be in Paris, you'll need the 2-pin Euro Plug Adaptors with two round pins. I'd suggest packing along several, as they're easy to misplace. The model shown in the link is a bit pricey, but you can usually find them cheaper at Wal Mart, Best Buy or other stores.
Using a Power Bar is one solution to charging multiple devices, but you MUST ensure that the power bar does NOT have surge suppression, RFI filtering or similar frills, as it will likely self destruct as soon as it's connected in Europe. A basic model with no extra frills is best.
