I have purchased the travel adaptors I'll need for my upcoming trip but seem to recall reading somewhere that the adaptor for "northern Europe" ( ie north of the Alps) is slightly different than those used "south of the Alps" ( ie northern Italy ). The adaptor kit I've purchased does indeed include adaptors for both areas. Do I need to take both, or will the adaptor for "northern" Europe suffice for Italy as well ( both are two round prongs but slightly different in spacing or diameter I think)?
Posted by
OP
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
307 posts
Thanks for your feedback folks, I really appreciate it. The two European adapters I have( I also have the three pronged UK adapter) are marked " Northern Europe" and "Southern Europe,Middle East, Africa, Asia, Caribbean" respectively..both are two pronged, with one ( Northern Europe)having slightly larger diameter prongs than the other. Perhaps I'll take both, they're very small and light so it won't make much difference, even for a "one bagger" like me...lol
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
The UK uses the three-pronged adapter. For continental Europe, the two-pronged adapter will work in most places. I believe there are variations that add a third (grounded) prong, but I’ve never needed one. I recall seeing outlets in Italy (or maybe it was Switzerland) with three holes, but the two-pronged adapter should still fit in the outer holes. Another concern should be power conversion…make sure your gear has built-in converters. If not, you’ll need an external converter to ensure the 220 current doesn’t fry your stuff.
Update: I’m going to edit my first bit of info, because, as I think about this, I can’t honestly recall if I needed to use the outlets in either Switzerland or Italy (I'm sure I did)...I do remember noting that both have outlets with three holes. Still, I’m fairly confident that the two-pronged B adapter I use will fit into the three-pronged outlets in both Italy & Switzerland. At any rate, you may wish to bring both of the two-pronged adapters…just found this information online: http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/electric.htm
OR
http://www.travelproducts.com/electricity_guide.htm
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19117 posts
The two round pins are different diameters but should be the same "spacing" (19mm, on centers. That makes the actual difference between the surfaces slightly less with the larger diameter pins). The pins on the No. adapter are 4.8mm diam (.189 or about 3/16"). The pins on the So. adapter are 4.0mm diam (.157 or about 5/32"). There is also something called the Europlug which is supposed to fit in receptacles all over Europe. It also has 4.0mm pins. The 4.0mm diam pins of a So. adapter or of a Europlug should fit in the No. receptacle. The 4.8mm diam pins of the No. adapter are too big and will not fit in a receptacle in Italy or Switzerland.
These adapters are non-grounded and are limited by code to uses of 2.5 amps (600 watts).
I've made 10 trips to Europe (Belgium, France, Germany) with two Europlug (one bought in Belgium, one in Germany) and they have always fit.
A word of caution. The European receptacles seem to grip the pins more tightly than the adapter grips the two blades of our plugs. Make sure you don't pull the cord and leave the adapter in the wall. Guess why I bought the second adapter in Germany. I now tape the U.S. plug to the adapter.
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
It’s funny…I didn’t realize that there are two different two-pronged adapters until I read Lee’s reply. I just have one adapter stamped with a “B” and have used it all over with no problem. I’m relatively confident that it will be fine for my upcoming trip to Spain, but now I need to double check. You’re right…take both adapters just to be safe…they’re small.
Posted by
grand blanc
119 posts
just got back from switzerland and germany. my two prong adaptor that I swear I used before in switzerland did not work- wrong spacing. luckily I could borrow one from the inn and then found an electrical store in Grindelwald! a life saver. As soon as we gor to Germany- my "old" two prong adaptor worked fine! take em both!
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5570 posts
Take both. The pins for Southern Europe are thinner.
I did not know that there was any difference until I took the hairdryer that I bought in Scandinavia to Lausanne, Switzerland. The plug did not fit. The pins were too fat.
In general, the southern adaptor works in northern Europe but not vice-versa. But take both to be safe. It is annoying not to be able to use your electrical items.
Posted by
Des Moines, IA
2193 posts
I’m glad Glenn asked this question, because I’m going to guess there are both new and seasoned travelers out there who didn’t realize there are different configurations for the two-pronged adapter. I know I didn’t. Rick and some other travel guidebooks only discuss one for continental Europe, and my local travel store only sells one – the one I have. Even when researching this online, it’s not readily apparent that you may need to account for two different pin sizes. I guess I’ve just been lucky thus far, because I’ve used only this one adapter with no trouble. Thanks for all of the good information.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19117 posts
I think most travel stores sell the So. Europe (Europlug) adapters, but I have seen stores selling both No. and So. Europe adapters. I have no trouble telling the difference because I have calipers with a metric scale, but the easiest way to tell is to get drill bits at 3/16" and 5/32" and compare them to the pins. The So. Europe plug should be the same size as the 5/32" drill; the No. Europe plug, which would be too big for So. Europe, will match the 3/16" drill.