I'm confused - should I buy an extension cord or power strip for Paris?

You probably have what you need. Take a look at the chargers for each item that you are taking. If the charger indicates "110/220 v", then all you need is an adapter. If the charger does not have this on it, then you will need the converter. If you need to charge multiple items at once, you will be limited to the number of outlets in your hotel room. If you need more outlets, you can go to a store in Paris and get a cheap power strip and use your adapters. Hope this helps.

This scenario is rather common, too. While in Paris in June staying at the Hotel Latin Excelsior we had 2 electrical outlets in our room and we needed to charge a laptop, camera, 2 phones and operate a CPAP machine and actually be able to use the 2 little lamps in our room for lighting after dark. It was nearly impossible, and we found ourselves charging items in shifts. First I would ask the front desk if they have a power strip for you to use. If not then I guess you could buy something there...but definitely don't buy it here in the USA before you travel.

We are staying in an apartment and the rental agency is not providing a power strip. I do not want to be traipsing over Paris looking for a store to buy a power strip so I thought I would buy one before I left the U.S. The question is what is compatible with the adapter that I have an electrical cord or power strip? If I purchase an electrical cord, is there a specific voltage I should look for? I can use the adapter plugs for the slots in the cord/strip to recharge my electronics.

I am considering this Dual-Voltage Power Strip for my next trip: http://www.magellans.com/store/Electronics___Chargers Scroll to bottom of page.

Considering your electronic arsenal, it will be convenient to have an extension chord with a number of sockets for simultaneous recharging. Most portable gizmos are dual-volt (hair curlers, I am told, do require a transformer.) Check the devices to see. The extension is useful in older hotels which have very few outlets, inevitably positioned where you have to crawl under a table. Do it once, using you plug adapter, and life will become easier. To get a chord or even power bar already fitted for French sockets, look around the vast department store BHV, 55 rue de la Verrerie, at rue du Rivoli/rue du Temple/rue des Archives
But be careful: You likely will find several other items you want to buy in this death trap for impulse shoppers.

I really wouldn't buy an extra cord and lug it along. You truly won't need to recharge all of those items all at the same time. And those items all recharge in about 1-2 hours at the most. DO NOT buy a surge protector power strip from the US and try and use it in Europe. That would cause a fire. I'd also be careful about an extension cord with multiple items plugged into it. Electrical service to many hotels is less than ideal, there is always a chance of overloading the circuit.

I have the power cord JB gave the link to. I really like it. Yes, it takes up a tiny bit of room, but I am never out of outlets to recharge my electronics which all seem to need recharging at the same time.

There's a hardware store or a Monoprix variety store in every neighborhood. Or you can make an outing to the BHV, as someone else said. They have the same Home Depot type places we do, just don't bring a US cord and start a fire as someone else said. You can get one cheaply there and just leave it in the apartment for the next person or bring it home for your next trip to Europe. I have one that I take back and forth. They are long white plastic strips and the place for the prongs is a round depression. Don't get the big bulky universal adapters, as they won't fit.

We spend a lot of time in Europe either living or visiting. This is an item that at first seems intimidating but really isn't that bad. First purchase a couple of these: http://www.amazon.com/Grounded-American-European-German-Adapter/dp/B0038L54ZO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1347651586&sr=1-2&keywords=european+adapter or something similar. I like these because the fit well and they are grounded. Then go to any US hardware store and purchase whatever type of multiple plug adapter you want to use. You could use a short extension cord with an end that accepts multiple connections so you could group everything together on top of a table. Or easier yet, just charge one thing at a time. I agree with Rick on traveling light. Don't buy a power strip with a surge suppressor unless it specifically says on it that it is rated for 220V 50Hz. The fire is a possibility. Don't try to connect anything to the European outlet unless it specifically says it will work on 220 volt 50 Hz. Most any charger or small power supply will, but still, read the label. Hair dryers and the like unless they are specifically engineered for dual voltage will result in you being responsible for blacking out the entire little chateau.

@James, those look like the best US->European adapters I've ever seen. A little larger than those cheap flat ones, but a lot safer as they accommodate a grounding prong.

Leslie, perhaps there's a reason your apartment owner isn't providing a power strip - if it's an old building, overloading the electrical system can cause a power outage (for which you may be financially responsible, read the agreement carefully). I've traveled with several electronic appliances and just rotated them for charging - the camera is good to go for weeks, the phone for almost as long (I only use it for confirming hotel reservations or calls to friends), the ipad more frequently (every couple of days). I've used the $1 adapter plugs from the RS Travel Store with no problems.

Bluetooth? Charging bluetooth?? Odd. As noted by others you have what you need.
Each item doesn't have to be recharged nightly. Take 2 fully charged camera batteries to swap out. Charge one while you are out and about. Take 3 if you are a photo fanatic. Then you'll have a back up battery charging and a back up with you if you take too many shots and deplete the charge of the battery in the camera. Cell won't need recharging for minimum of 48 hours. iPod is the one item that will used most often (music, email, etc). That's the one to charge overnight.

Hello Leslie! I understand your confusion. On our last trip to Paris in May we needed to charge : 2 ipads, 2 cameras and 2 iphones, and 1 set of headphones. Needless to say that is a lot of charging! Since all of these devices were compatible with 220V, we only needed an adapter. In order to charge multiple items at once your choice is to bring multiple adapters (at least two assuming there are two outlets where you are staying)or you could bring 1 adapter and a small power strip. That is what we did on our last trip and it worked great. I took 1 adapter (and one back up) and a small power strip from Monster - http://www.amazon.com/Outlets-To-Power-Strip-USB/dp/B0018MEBNG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347742965&sr=8-2&keywords=monster+travel+power+strip
Took up very little room and fit perfectly in my "cords" pouch. The other reason I loved this option is that everything we were charging was in the same place and so there was a much smaller chance of forgetting something.