Hi All,
You have been so helpful on all my questions concerning our France/Italy trip in late April - early May! Here's another one: What type of electrical converters/adapters do we need for both place? We have all Apple products except a Nook.
Thanks,
Kerry in Delaware
Just the two prong adapter for Continental European sockets.. All electronics nowadays are multi voltage, so you don't need converters.
You can buy adapters anywhere, including Amazon or Walmart, Target, Radio Shack etc.
First, double-check that all your appliances are marked "110-220V AC 50-60Hz". If they are not 220V, you need a voltage converter or you will fry them. But most appliances are dual voltage.
If you have 2-pin only appliances you need a 2-pin plug adaptor, to convert to the European system of 2 round pins (sometimes called a "Europlug") Just like the previous poster said: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41j9au5TJcL.jpg
If your appliance has a 3-pin plug (if it needs an earth connection), then you need a 3-pin plug adapter. These are unfortunately different for France and Italy, so you will need two, one for each country.
An Italian plug looks like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Ita_plug_16A_10A.jpg
The third earth pin is between the other two pins.
A French plug looks like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/CEE_7-7.jpg
and a French socket looks like this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/French-power-socket.jpg
The earth is a pin, coming out of the socket and going into the plug.
To repeat, the same 2-pin plug works in both types of sockets.
Kerry,
As the others have mentioned, you'll probably only need inexpensive Plug Adaptors to use your appliances in Europe. Your Apple products will almost certainly be rated for an Input Voltage of 100-240 VAC. You'll have to check the charger on the Nook, but it will probably have the same ratings.
I'd suggest packing along at least two Plug Adaptors, as they're small and easily misplaced.
Don't assume anything. Check the input markings on the cord. A few years our son lost the charger for his Mac. Bought a replacement on Amazon that was cheap. Fortunately, just before we left I insisted on checking all plugs. The replacement charger was only 120v. That explains why it was cheaper than the one from the Apple store. Check and double check.
Apple products do not require the converters. That was a gift from Steve Jobs. Makes it easy with any of the Apple products.
Nuthin to do with Steve Jobs. All electronics for many years now are dual voltage it's simply cheaper to manufacture it that way in the globalized world we live in.
They still have to manufacture a different version for North America, Europe, the UK and for other countries; because of the different shaped plugs. But the insides, that is inside the differently shaped plastic mouldings, are all the same.
