Electric converters

It's rare to need converters anymore; most electronics are able to handle all voltages worldwide. You can confirm this by checking the specs; if it says something like "ac input 110v-240v" no converter is needed, you just need an adapter plug. They're for sale right here on this website for only $1.00. Click the "travel store" tab above.

Charging batteries, on 90 percent of current electronics, is pretty easy. All you should need is a plug converter that has the "Continental" two-pin plug. They aren't expensive, I bought a few several years ago for about a dollar a piece. If you travel regularly, it's not a bad idea to buy a supply of them - they do get lost. If you're only powering one electric plug, you might want to tape or rubber band the converter to your plug to keep from accidentally leaving one behind.

Marsha, As the others have mentioned, you will likely only require inexpensive Plug Adapters to use your iPad in France and other countries in western Europe. If you'll be in the U.K. at all, a different style of Plug Adapter is used. If "money is no object", you could also purchase the Apple World Travel Adaptor kit and you'd be ready for travel anywhere. You can verify the voltage requirements by checking the Power Cube supplied with your iPad, looking for the words "Input Voltage". If this states "Input 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz", then the device will work fine in Europe and no Voltage Converter will be needed. The majority (if not all) Apple products manufactured in the last few years have been supplied with "world" Chargers, so I'm sure that will also be the case with your iPad. The Power Adapter supplied with the iPad's seems to have a three pin (grounded) Plug, so you may want to pack along at least one grounded Plug Adapter as well. It would help to have some idea on what other devices you'll be travelling with, which you referred to as "etc." in your question. It's VERY important to verify that all of them are designed for "world" operation. Happy travels!

I went next door and looked at my neighbors iPad charger. I'm sure it's the only one used for iPads, iPods, iPhones, ad naseum; it has a USB connector and the cord has the iApple universal connector on the other end. It's labeled 100-240V so you can use it anywhere. The corner has an with an American 2 bladed plug. If you get the $40 iApple universal plug set, you can replace the corner with the one for France, but I couldn't see from the website if it extends enough to fit in the Frence recessed receptacle. However, any continental Europlug adapter, like the one sold on this website for $1 (plus shipping) or the So. Europe one sold for less than $5 at Ace Hardware will work to adapt it for France, including the recess.

Lee, What a coincidence! I also did some research down at the local Apple dealer this afternoon (since I don't own an iPad). The iPad Chargers are indeed configured for operation from 100-240 VAC, so no problem travelling with them. The specifications are almost invisible, so I needed a magnifying glass to see them. From what I could determine, the "standard" Charger supplied with iPads consists of three parts: > The Charging "Cube" which contains the electronics to convert line voltage to USB levels at 5VDC. This is fitted with a removable two-pin North American Plug (it appears to be non-polarized). > A DC cable which has a standard USB Plug on one end and an iPad / iPod plug on the other end. > An optional AC Cable which can be used in place of the removable two-pin Plug, should the user want more length from the outlet. This cable is fitted with a proprietary Plug on one end which fits the Charging Cube, and a three-pin (grounded) AC Plug on the other end. The ground connection appears to mate with a metal "button" which is on the side of the Charging Cube (this "button" is hidden when the removable Plug is used). The iPad Charger is slightly larger and supplies more capacity (current) than the iPhone Chargers (the Charger for my iPhone is extremely tiny). Marsha, The "bottom line" after all this information, is that you'll only need an inexpensive Plug Adapter to travel with your iPad. This Model is the correct version for France and western Europe. I'd suggesting packing at least two Plug Adapters, as they're easy to misplace. It's always wise to have a "backup". Cheers!