I went to by some electrical adapters yesterday, thinking I finally knew what I needed, and came home empty-handed. Apparently, I was less informed than I realized ~ or perhaps the product explanations were unclear. (Or, equally likely, I'm a dud when it comes to this sort of thing. smile) This is for a dual voltage hair dryer and flat iron, as well as recharging a camera. So, no converter necessary. Most our time will be in Switzerland, with forays into France & Spain. I know some electrical outlets in Switzerland are different than they were when lived there ~ and, I believe, different than in Spain & France. So what do I need? I don't remember that it was this complicated in the past. Someone talk Adapters for Dummies to me, please. Thanks!
Posted by
Texan in CA
4408 posts
Well, RS says to bring the plain ol' 'Continental-style' adaptor in his "Switzerland" guidebook. The absolutely easiest thing to do is order some from this website. I believe S&H is $6, but they only cost $1, so it balances out. You should never pay more than about $2.95 each for them, so ordering 4 of them = $2.50 each. I'd order more myself...they get left behind, fall into that abyss known as Behind The Headboard, etc. Plus, once people find out that you have some, they want to borrow some ;-) So......unless someone has had a different experience, you just want the round-pronged Eurpoean/Continental adaptor.
Posted by
OP
Lynden, WA
97 posts
Imo Rick's advice in his Switzerland guide (I'm referring to most recent publication, April 2012) isn't sufficient. He doesn't mention that new Swiss outlets differ in that they're recessed. The description of the $1 European ectrical adapters sold on this site includes a note about this and refers customers to instead purchase the universal adapter. It costs $26.99, which is pretty hefty if it can only adapt one piece of equipment at a time.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32220 posts
Colleen, For travel in the countries you mentioned, This Model of Plug Adapter is the correct one for ungrounded appliances. It's cheap, will work with polarized plugs and also with recessed outlets. I would highly recommend packing at least two of these, as they're easy to misplace and it's always good to have a "backup". If any of your appliances are fitted with a grounding pin, these are the appropriate models to use: Switzerland France & Spain (this model is somewhat "Universal" in that it accommodates both outlets with protruding ground pins as well as those that have grounding pins on the side of the outlet). While you it is possible to use grounded appliances with the two-pin models, I always prefer to use the ground if a product is designed with it. Happy travels!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19112 posts
First, I would advise buying your appliances in Europe, not bringing them from the US. US appliances usually provide protection via a polarized plug, ie, one blade a little wider than the other. However, European receptacles are not polarized, so any protection provided by the polarized plug is negated. Most European appliances have a two pin plug and are "double insulated" (a 'square inside a square' symbol on the handle). If you find a US appliance with that symbol, it's OK to use over there. Since you probably won't follow my advice, newer Swiss receptacle have a unique recess (kind of a flattened hexagon). I have three Europlug (two pin) adapters at home; only one will fit in the recess of a Swiss receptacle. You can buy a Swiss plug adapter that will fit on Amazon.com. Search for "adapter switzerland"
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
My experience in Switzerland has been that hotels will lend you the outlet adaptor upon request. The adaptor they provide, however, will invariably be for use with the continental two prong plug system, not the North American standard.
Posted by
Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada
629 posts
Buy a few adapters, they are cheap and a small tip: use a bit of tape (duct or other) to make sure that you don't accidently leave one behind. We know this from experience!