Electricity greece

Vic, The products mentioned by Ed would also be a good alternative to consider. However, BE SURE that anything you're connecting to it is designed for use on 220 VAC electrical systems!

Vic, It sounds like you've already checked the iPods, iPads and Cameras to ensure that the Chargers for those are designed for "world operation" (100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz.). For charging multiple USB-level devices, you might have a look at This Device. I've been using one for several years and it works well! If you'd prefer to use a Power Bar, use a model that's designed for travel such as www.monstercable.com/productdisplay.asp?pin=4220 Regarding the Power Bar, DO NOT use one that has built-in Surge or RFI protection, as these are designed ONLY for 115 VAC electrical systems and you could face some "unpleasant results" involving smoke and sparks! If you want to use a Surge Protector, buy one that's designed for 220 V (check the Magellan's catalogue). Another point to address is the issue of phones. Which network are you with, and are you using a quad-band GSM phone? More importantly, are you using a Smart Phone such as an iPhone or BlackBerry??? The data roaming charges can be horrendous so be sure to check on this before you leave. One area of concern is the use of Walkie-Talkies. Devices purchased here use different frequencies than those sold in Europe. The frequencies used here can interfere with emergency services in Europe, and if you're caught you could face severe penalties! It sounds like the Walkie-Talkies are the only device that will require a Voltage Converter, so you might consider leaving them at home. Should you decide to use a Voltage Converter, it's IMPORTANT that a Transformer-type device be used with electronic products. The cheap solid-state Converters can cause "unpleasant effects" with electronic items such as Chargers. Happy travels!

Vic, Ran out of room in the previous post.... Be sure to take AT LEAST two Plug Adapters. They're easy to misplace and it's a really good idea to have a "backup".

You can also get something like one of these.... Although a bit pricy. They have the adv that when you unplug the the only lamp in the room from the only outlet in the room, you can still use the lamp and 5 of your own items. http://www.europlugs.com/Wonpro_catalog/Wonpro_Detachable_Power_Strips_Details.htm#WE-4A6-E105

Thank you for the good info. We leave in less than 2 weeks. Can the products that you mention ken be purchased at a store and if so where do you suggest? Thanks for heads up on walkie talkies. I had never heard of this before. Are you quite certain on this problem of interference with local emergency frequencies? Thanks again.

Ken, forgot to address your phone comment. We are travelling with my wife's blackberry torch which in think is 3G and my brand new samsung galaxy android phone. She is telus and i am rogers We plan to turn off data roaming And only use data when we have wi fi. We have switched to international phone plans but it's still very pricey and we will use sparingly. Some suggest purchasing a phone there and calling cards. I imagine this is good for making local calls but do you have advice on most economical way to call home? We have elderly family members we need to check on periodically. We are gone for 4 weeks. Really appreciate your advice.
Do we really have to be concerned with the number of outlets in hotel rooms????

Vic, Regarding the Walkie-Talkies - from Wikipedia: "In Europe, a personal radio service with the same sort of licensing restriction is PMR446 having eight channels in the 446 MHz range. One cannot legally use the FRS radio in Europe or PMR446 in the U.S. The 446 MHz band is allocated to amateur radio in the United States. In Great Britain, FRS frequencies are used for fire brigade communications and this sometimes causes problems when FRS equipment is imported from the U.S. and used without awareness of the consequences by members of the public. Sweden and Norway have a Kort Distanse Radio service with six UHF channels between 444.600 and 444.975 MHz. European countries also have Low-power communication devices operating in the 433 MHz band, and short-range devices (SRD) operating on frequencies between 868 and 870 MHz. These devices are restricted to 10 mW output power and are intended to provide an alternative to PMR 446 over short distances." I don't normally like to use such large quotes, but felt this was the easiest way to convey the information. I'm sure there's more information available on this topic, but it would take me a while to dig through it all. BTW, I'm an Amateur Radio Operator, so quite familiar with this technology. Cheers!

thanks Ken. Not sure I understand all that stuff on walkie talkies. We are travelling with 2 other families and we thought it would be a good way to communicate. We typically use them on our trips around North America and they work great. And the kids love them. In your opinion though, you would leave them at home right?

Vic, If you decide to go with the Monster Travel Power Bar, you could try Future Shop or other electronic stores. If you want the ChargePod device, you'll probably have to order from the net (as I did - delivery didn't take long). You could check their website as they may have local dealers now. Be sure to the appropriate Adapter cords to use with the devices you'll be travelling with. Regarding the phones, your Rogers phone should absolutely work well in Europe, as it has all four "voice" frequency bands. Regarding your Wife's phone, you indicated that it was a "3G" Blackberry Torch from Telus. AFAIK, the Torch was never released in a CDMA model by Telus, so that also should be fine. You may have to manually do a "network search" when you arrive in Europe, as some phones don't automatically do that. You'll have to travel using "Roaming plans" with your respective carriers unless your Phones are unlocked. If you're only planning to use the phones sparingly for voice calls, it's probably not worth the trouble or cost to get them unlocked. I tend to use texts most of the time to keep in touch with family back home, and find that's about the cheapest method. One important point to mention regarding phones - be sure to tell all your friends and family not to call while you're away unless absolutely necessary. People don't always check the time difference and it's darn annoying to be getting trivial calls at 03:00 because someone was too inconsiderate to check the @#$% clock! Cheers!

Ken thanks very much for your advice. The charge pod looks great. We are not sure we can get it in time though so we will try to find a non surge power bar and take the wall chargers plus some adapters This should do the trick I hope. The walkie talkies will stay home. Really appreciate this blog. Figuring out how we will charge all of our electronics has been the biggest issue for this trip. Your comments really help. Thanks again. Any other advice re Greece?

Vic, "Any other advice re Greece?" Which part of Greece will you be visiting? I was there last year, and may be able to offer a few suggestions. I'm sure some of the others will also have some good touring ideas. Regarding the currrent "troubles" there, I wouldn't be too concerned. If there's some kind of an "event" happening in Syntagma Square, just stay away from the area. I'd be perfectly comfortable to travel there any time.

Ken, sorry to keep bringing up the power issue but can you please confirm that I will NOT need a convertor if I use a non dual voltage power bar (no surge protection). The only thing i need is a plug adapter since the items I am charging all have 220 V capacity? We will be in Athens , Santorini , nafplio, loutraki/corinth area, Olympia, kyllini area, maybe zakyntho or kefalonia. The only place we have not made hotel reservations yet is loutraki for 2 nights. Does anyone have hotel suggestion? We are travelling with kids ages 10 and 13 and another family
thanks

Yes, Vic. If the all the items are rated for 220 than you DON'T need a converter. If any of the items are not rated for 220 than you do need a converter.

Vic, If you're using a "simple" Power Bar with only wire and contacts (ie: no Surge Protection or RFI Filters), then you won't need a Voltage Converter. You've already determined that each device you'll be connecting is rated for 220 VAC, so there should be no problems. The Monster Travel Power Bar mentioned in the link in one of my replies IS designed for use on 220 VAC (I know that, as I contacted Monster and they confirmed it). I'd recommend NOT leaving the Power Bar connected to the outlet when not in use. Don't leave it connected in the room while you're out touring. You're covering a lot of places in Greece. How long are you there for? I'm not sure what to suggest in terms of "advice"? I was there last year on a RS tour of "Athens & the Pelopponese", so visited many of the places on your list. I went to Santorini and Naxos on my own after the tour. A few observations.... > Don't expect the same type of Chicken Souvlaki we get here. They serve French Fries with just about everything. I had to come back to Vernon to get a "proper" Chicken Souvlaki. > The Greek Salads are great - they're very generous with the Feta Cheese. > Nafplio is very beautiful. If you feel energetic, hike up to the fortress above town. I believe that was the first capital of Greece, so they also have a Syntagma Square. > As you're visiting Olympia, be sure to allow enough time for the Museum - there's lots to see > Are you driving in Greece? If so, each driver will need an I.D.P. (they asked for it when I rented a car on Santorini). > Be sure to try Ouzo, Mastika and/or Kitron if possible. That's about all I can think of at the moment. I'll have to review my Trip Diary. Cheers!

Ken, Ed. Thx for confirming power bar info. Ken, I would love to have purchased the monster one but I just don't have the time to try to locate or order. Next trip i will be prepared Ken, thanks for the info re Greece. We r going for 4 weeks. Thanks for heads up re DL. I wasn't sure. We are driving.....is that pretty crazy in Greece? My wife gets car sick easily..... Just hoping things have settled down (I think they have) re the strikes etc. Any advice on coping with the heat? That's funny about souvlaki and french fries. I hear that food is expensive. Question- Are travelers cheques widely accepted? Is it easy to find and use bank machines? Not sure we want to be carrying a bunch of cash. Do you suggest a money belt? Much appreciated

Ken, can you clarify why you suggest not using the power bar (simple one) to charge when we are out?I was going to plug things in at night while we sleep. Is this a bad idea? Ps. I ordered your monster bar tonight on amazon. It ships from Montreal. Not sure I will get it in time as there was no fast shipping options. I wil keep looking in Calgary for one but it has been tough to find so far.

Vic, I would NOT suggest using Traveller's Cheques! You'll likely have problems even finding a place to cash them. ATM's are by far the best option to obtain Euro's. Be sure that your travel funds are in a chequing account with a four-number PIN, and also take a "backup card" on a different account (in case there are any problems with the primary card). At least one credit card would also be a good idea. Regarding leaving the Power Bar connected while you're out, this is more of a "caution" based on my experiences working with electric / electronic devices for about 45 years. I'd feel somewhat uneasy about leaving a product designed for 115 VAC connected at double it's rated voltage for an extended period of time. If there was a "malfunction" and a fire resulted, there could be "legal issues" (and of course the Hotel owner would NOT be impressed). Charging at night should be OK? Most newer electronics charge in ~3 hours, so you could even take care of that in the evening before bed time. Have you obtained the IDP's yet? Note that these MUST be used in conjunction with your home D.L. IDP's can be obtained for very reasonable cost at any AAA office (two Passport photos required, but they can do that in the office). Some of the roads in Greece are somewhat "winding", so you might want to take some Dramamine or Gravol along for your Wife. Check with your family Doctor or a local Travel Medicine Clinic. Cheers!

Thanks Ken. As I said I ordered the monster power bar that you suggested and I will get it before we leave. It was not clear on the website whether this power bar is dual voltage. Is it dual voltage? thanks for the heads up re traveller's cheques. I won't bother with them. Thanks very much for all your comments. Its very much appreciated! This is a great forum!

Vic, According to the note I received from Monster the travel Power Bar (the small model with 3 or 4 outlets) is designed for 220 VAC. I've never used one, so don't have any first-hand experience. That model is also sold by Magellans for "travel use", so I'm sure they've verified that also. Sorry for the "delayed reply". I attended a John Fogerty concert yesterday, so it was a busy day. Cheers!