Hi,
For Italy, i will be trying to power both cell phone/kindle and also hair dryer and curling iron. Should I go with the 2 prong adaptor, or is it best to have the grounded 3-prong (3 prongs in a straight line)? I know hair dryers can be tricky. My dryer already has built-in converter, so the plug is all i need.
Thanks!
Some outlets only accept the non-grounded (2 prong) plugs so that is what I would take.
Do you need to bring the hairdryer? I used to bring one but quit about 5 years ago. Every property that I have stayed in has had a hairdryer.
do your hairdryer (again highly unlikely it will be needed) and curling iron (again dual voltage??) have two prongs or 3 on the original plug? Do they have the square within a square insulated icon printed on the device? If you need a ground you need 3 prong to fit an Italian grounded socket. If you use the Europlug (2 prong) you may find that the grounding lug/connector isn't supported by the socket, and you may find that the prongs are slightly out of size.
Thanks all! Makes sense. My hair dryer is 2-prong so I am probably good.
Kathy
2 small prongs or one large one small?
if one prong is significantly larger than the other that you have to plug it in in the US only one way around that means that the device is polarized and expects that from the electrics. You can't count on that in mainland Europe.
You do know the difference between plug adapters and voltage converters, don’t you? Is your curling iron going to work with 220/240, or does it just work with 110/120?
As to outlet types, Italy uses Types C, F and L outlet plugs. Many - not all - hotels can offer you an adaptor for use during your stay. The Type L plugs may use thinner or thicker pins - not interchangeable.
For more info, see https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/ and https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plugs-and-sockets/l/
(Those related sites are clearer than what RS has in his Travel Tips, at least to me.)
At the end of our 30 day stay in 2024, we had to find a local store to buy an L to L adapter, since our hotel in Naples had nothing to lend.
Over the course of our 30 days in southern Italy, we ran into the need for all types. (We take a converter for our waterpick, as well as adapters.)
LATE NOTE an advantage to our converter is that it has two electrical outlets and three USB ports, so we can use and charge up multiple devices in hotels with limited outlets. Small enough and light enough for us … and we’re in our mid 70s and we take month long trips with carry-on luggage and NO checked baggage.
