Will my hair dryer work in Europe?

Your hair dryer will likely burn out because of the higher voltage used in Europe, unless it's a model that permits 240V operation. You can find such creatures using Google: "dual voltage hair dryer." Amazon offers a bunch of options.

The same thing is true for heated hair rollers, and the solution can be found in the same manner.

It will not work. Buy a new one with dual voltage 120-240 v, 50-60 Hz. Or do as you thought and buy one when you get there. Most hotels will have hair dryers, but if you are really picky, get a new one.

Probably not. Several years ago I took a group of teenage girls to Europe. I told them that hair appliances don’t work well witb voltage converters but of course they were teenagers, and they know more than any adult

by the end of the trip we had blown up all kinds of hair appliances.

I think every hotel we've ever stayed in had hair dryers; sometimes you have to ask at the desk, but usually they're in the bathroom or closet.

Nope, it won't.
Here's a recent thread about brush-style hairdryers with a note about what I have done after I was not able to find that type in Madrid.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/hairbrush-dryer-travel-size

We’ve been on numerous RS tours, traveled to Europe several times on our own and not always stayed at top of line hotels especially on the earlier RS tours. I can only think of one time there wasn’t a hair dryer in the room but one was made available when asked for. It’s your choice but would probably be smarter to buy one there (as already mentioned) if you’re really nervous about the possibility of being without.

Not only will it not work and likely fry, but you run the risk of blowing out fuses at the places you stay.

You can probably find a reasonable dual voltage substitute before you leave, then you can use it here before to make sure it acts the way you want. Here are a few examples on Amazon. Whatever you buy make sure it says 110V-120V/220V-240V for the wattage. There will be instructions how to switch between voltages - make sure you write it down or take them with you. For my hairdryer, I printed a label and stuck it to the power plug so I don't forget. And if the dryer doesn't come with a euro plug, you can buy an adapter (like this one for all but may not Switzerland, double check that).

I used to carry a North American blower that could be switched to European current -- but only on Low. Very Low. A towel was just as efficient though little use for styling. I have no style left and follow the advice above to rely on the hotel appliance.

I have a dual voltage hairdryer (and a flatiron) that I purchased here in the US. It has worked very well all over the world. It is just as powerful overseas as it is at home. I just make sure to switch it over to the current setting for the country I am in. I have thick hair and need a better hairdryer than what you will find in most hotels.

Leave it at home.
It will burn, probably catch fire, blow fuses or worse, set your room on fire.

A travel voltage converter won't help with an 1100 watt hairdryer. it will burn too.

Not only will it not work, it will probably fry.
I'm laughing because my wife and I argue about the hairdryers almost every time we pack. I don't know if it's selective memory or an absence of it. She always insists on bringing one and it always ends up not working. Italy, France, Austria, Spain, all the same.
If you are staying in hotels or ABB's you can be pretty sure they have them.
If not, buy one locally if you must.
I'm also laughing when I think about the places we used to stay while visiting Germany for business back in the early 80's. What a rude awakening when you discover that there is no soap or shampoo to accompany the ice cold shower. I learned to carry these and still do to this day. A blessing, the rough as tree bark toilet paper seems to be a thing of the past.

A blessing, the rough as tree bark toilet paper seems to be a thing of the past.

Mack, this made me smile. Way back in the olden days, 1968, I spent a summer as a student in the then Soviet Union. We stayed in a dorm, and the toilet paper pretty well fit your description. It was so sturdy, I used it as writing paper to write to my then-fiancé. I think he (now my husband) still has those letters!

Then in the mid-70s, I was a grad student, doing research in Poland. Toilet paper was hard to find then. In public toilets, the attendant would provide toilet paper: one square. Boy did I miss the old USSR paper then! And I learned to always carry extra TP or tissues in my bag, a practice that's still useful today.

Sorry, Katie, for going off subject, but Mack's post brought back such memories!

I can buy one when I get over there if needed,

If what the hotel has is not suitable, buying one when you are there is the best solution.

Others have already pointed out the dangers and futility of bringing your item.

Just about every hotel in Europe provides hair dryers. If not, go out and buy an inexpensive one after you get there.

My dual voltage hair dryer overheated, didn’t work in Europe.

No- adapters only change the shape of the plug, so that your US plug will fit in the European socket. It does not change the currency. What you are thinking of is a converter- big, heavy boxes you can plug appliances into to change currency. You don't want to travel with one.

Either look at a dual-voltage travel hairdryer or better yet, use the one at your hotel.

Can you contact the first place you are booked to stay in, and ask them to buy you a small hairdryer and have it there ready for you?
You could pay them in advance.

katie,

As the others have said, you should NOT use your hair dryer in Europe, as it will burn out almost immediately, possibly with a suitable display of sparks and smoke. As someone noted above, it may also blow the fuses not just in your room but also on the entire floor of the hotel. I stayed at a hotel in Stresa on one occasion where another guest caused that exact scenario.

Just to clarify about "adapters".... You will need Plug Adapters to physically connect the North American plugs to European outlets. If you're using ungrounded (two pin) appliances, the two pin Euro adapters.are fine. If you require grounded (three pin) plugs, they vary a bit in each of the countries you mentioned so you'll have to buy specific Plug Adapters as required.

In order to use your existing hair dryer in Europe, a voltage converter would be required, and there are different principles used to reduce the voltage. The most reliable is a transformer type converter, but those are heavy and none of them convert the 50 Hz that's used in Europe to the 60 Hz that your dryer is designed for.

As others have pointed out, most hotels these days provide hair dryers. If you'd rather not use those, then your two choices are to either buy a dual-voltage hair dryer, or buy a 240 VAC hair dryer when you arrive in Europe. Check Amazon or local travel shops in your area.