Adapter

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/phones-tech/electric-adapters-converters

Plug adapter only IF device is rated for 120-240v 50/69 Hz. My RS ungrounded two round PIN continental adapter worked on Northern Italy.

You still do need special plug adapters to plug in chargers in Europe. If your appliance has an American two flat prong plug, you need an adapter to attach it to a European receptacle which takes two round pins. And that is only if your device will accept 100-240 VAC input.

If your American device only accepts Input 100 VAC, it will not work, and likely burst into flames, if plugged into a European 230V receptacle.

If your device has a polarized plug (ie one blade wider than the other), it is not suitable for European power; leave it at home.

This is a direct link to the kind of adapter you will need in Italy and most other countries on the continent -- https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/p/european-power-adapter. Ones like this have worked for me. You can also often find them at Walmart or in just about any store like REI that provides for travelers. We carry several. They are small, take up little room and can be easily left behind. I wish the manufacturers would make them in some bright colors as well as the ubiquitous white and black.

I'll repeat what others have said. Check anything you plan to plug in to be absolutely sure that it will work on 220. Plugging a 110 appliance into a 220 receptacle is a formula for destruction of the appliance, not to mention possible fire, messing up the electricity of where you are staying and significant embarrassment.

You might want to take a look at this thread on the England forum -- https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/power-problem. It decribes what happened to a guy in England and includes some very helpful information farther down the page on the "right" kind of adapter to get if you are going there. It sounds like it's best to buy them there.

Bill,

You may also want to refer to this detailed article from REI: http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/world-electricity-guide.html

BTW, you may also find the electric adapters at Radio Shack or at Target ;-)

Back in December 2008, I bought a two-round-posts plug adapter at my local Radio Shack to use with my brand-new netbook on a Christmas trip to Provence and Nice. It worked great on that trip, and also later trips to Spain, Germany, and even China (!). It wasn't until I traveled to Italy that I realized that the adapter was not continental-Europe-universal. I lucked out that I found enough hotels that had outlets that would take that adapter that I made it through the trip, but this year, we arrived in Siena to find out that there were no outlets in our hotel room that fit that adapter. (The posts were just slightly too fat, and there were only two of them, not three.) What to do? While we were out sight-seeing, we set the goal of locating an adapter. Within the first hour, we passed an electronics shop which had adapters displayed in the window. The employee spoke enough English to understand what I needed (a North America-to-three-prong-Italy adapter). It was 5 euros, and I used it every day for the rest of the trip. So yes, you do need adapters! And you can buy the adapter(s) you will need (or a universal, changeable one) and bring them, but if you bring the wrong one (as I did), you may be able to buy them when you get there. (And then there was the adapter I needed to buy to plug the fan I bought in Slovenia into a British outlet . . .)

Thank you for all the responses. Unfortunately I am still confused (and not very smart). My wife's curling iron is listed as 120v/240v and her hair dryer is listed as 125v. I know she will need an adapter but will she need the transformer/converter?

Now it gets complicated. The 125v (only) would need a high wattage voltage transformer. They are heavy and expensive. So the smart money is to leave the hair dryer at home or buy when you get there. Even with a proper transformer the hair dryer would not perform well and still could be damaged. Every hotel will have a hair dryer. Even the 125/240 curling iron will not work well on 240 volts. Leave 'em both at home. Save weight.

Leave the hair dryer at home and use the ones in the hotels over there. They have them at the front desk if they aren't in the bathroom already.

Leave the hairdryer and curling iron at home.

In traveling to Europe over the past 6 years, I have never stayed in any hotel, B&B or apartment that didn't have a hairdryer.

The curling iron is a little more problematic, but I can assure you that women in Europe curl their hair, too. And there are stores where such appliances can be purchased.

Buying there is much smarter than any other option, will be an interesting experience and she'll have it for her next trip.

Full disclosure: I have both a dual voltage hair dryer and curling iron. They are the kind that has a switch. I never take them on our trips. I use the hairdryers provided and make do without the curling iron.