Charging Ipod?

Yes it is. They make ipod chargers that are "normal" chargers that plug into the wall, i.e., they just plug into the wall the way your laptop cord or phone charger does. There's the 'offical' Apple brand one for, I think $30 or $40, and then there are a bunch of cheap 3rd party brand chargers. You can find them on Amazon.com and similar sites. I believe I bought mine for $7.

You will need a plug adaptor (to change the prongs for the areas of Europe you will be in), but likely will not need a convertor, as mine says 110-240 voltage.

To follow up with Liz's comment:

I can confirm the the 110-240 voltage spec at least on the official apple one. I just charged mine up today without need for a voltage converter. Only an adapter is needed to fit the socket.

One thing to be aware of there are some adapters that have a rim around the socket area. The square shape of the apple charger makes it impossible to fit in.

Keypoint: make sure your charger fits the adapter.

Perfect...thanks so much!

There are also little quick chargers that you can buy at places like Travelsmith and The Sharper Image. they use a AA battery I think and you don't have to plug it into the wall. They are really small too. I bought one but I haven't tried it yet but it seemed like a good idea.

Susan and Monte, you might have a look at the Sonnet Chargers. I've been using one at home and while travelling and it works great! The supplied cable can also be removed from the Charger and connected to a PC via the USB port, and the Charger is designed for "world" operation (100-240 VAC). You will need a Plug Adapter though.

Have a look at www.sonnettech.com/product/usbwallcharger.html for further information.

Happy travels!

Susan and Monte, you might also have a look at these portable power devices - www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=UPB10 (they might be "on sale" at the moment?).

Cheers!

This may go without saying, but just the charger won't get you there - you also need to take the cord that goes from the iPod to the charger. This is the one that you plug into the USB port on your computer - instead of your computer, you put the USB end into the wall charger. I also ditto double checking for the dual voltage - my older (non Apple brand) charger was NOT dual voltage, but the newer Apple brand is.

Thank you all so much! I was afraid I had to take a laptop and wasn't planning to do so. Now I can take all the Ipods with no worries of recharging!

CL, the Sonnet Charger mentioned in my earlier post, includes the Cable which can be used with that Charger or with a PC. Nothing else is required (except of course a Plug Adaptor).

...and just to muddy the waters even more, you can transfer your photos onto the ipod as well.

Wow...pictures? That's amazing..it's way above my head!

Susan and Monte, a bit of clarification might be helpful regarding the aspect of storing photos on an I-Pod. This option is possible with the hard drive I-Pod models, but in my experience it can be problematic and slow.

Storing photos on the Nano models or other solid-state memory models such as the Touch, is not really a practical solution due to memory limitations. For example, each of the memory cards I'm using for my dSLR is 8GB, which is the same as the total memory of many Nano and Touch models. Therefore, there isn't even enough capacity on the I-pods to store the photos from one memory card!

If you're interested in having backup copies of your photos, having DVD's burned in local shops is an easier alternative, unless you're travelling with a Laptop. Memory is relatively inexpensive these days, so no reason not to pack an adequate number of cards for the trip.

Cheers!

We just bought two 8GB cards that, we are told, hold about 1000 pictures each. We will also be buying a new camera. We are hoping that should be fine for our month long trip. That way, we shouldn't worry about downloading the pictures. If needed, I hope someone could help me in an internet cafe by puttting them onto a DVD ?? Not sure if I'd know how to do it on my own with just the card...and in a foreign country.

My 2G card holds 3000-8000 pictures depending on the setting. Never needed more than one or to store photos on the go. As far as charging the iPOD does, you just need to make sure that the device is dual voltage (marked on the device or box) and that you have a European adaptor. A lot of outlets are set back into the wall a bit and the adaptor will get you around that bit as well as facilitate charging.

Jeff

Susan and Monte, if you need to charge your iPod, but forget to bring yours, there's PLENTY of Apple authorized stores in Europe. They have the cable and plug and you can charge your iPod easy.

The bonus of getting the euro one is I didn't need a converter since it was euro ready.

So no worries if you forget anything.