I know I need a plug adaptor for all electronics, but how do I know if if need a voltage converter? I am traveling to France and Germany this spring and I intend to take a digital Samsung camera, my Kindle, and probably my iphone. Thank you in advance for your help.
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Vernon, Canada
32349 posts
Crystal, The first thing you need to do is check the Input Voltage specifications on the Chargers or Power Cubes for EACH DEVICE that you'll be travelling with. If these specify "100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz" then the products will work fine in Europe with only Plug Adapters. A Voltage Converter will not be necessary. However, you NEED to check! Note that you'll require the Euro style Plug Adapter with two round pins for use in France and Germany. I'd suggest taking at least two Plug Adapters, as they're easy to misplace. Regarding travel with your iPhone, there are some other significant concerns. For example: > Which cell network are you with? Verizon phones usually don't work in Europe as they use a different cellular technology (CDMA) than the rest of the world (GSM). However the Wi-Fi should work fine regardless. > Are you planning to use all functions in the iPhone, including E-mail and web surfing? It's extremely important to disable cellular data roaming in Europe, in order to avoid astronomical data roaming charges. One example is a woman from this area that travelled overseas with her iPhone and returned home to find a bill for $37,000 in the mailbox! > If you're planning to use voice and text, you might consider getting a "Travel Pack" (assuming that you're using a GSM iPhone), as that will reduce the charges slightly. Some further information would be helpful.