electricity in Europe - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

bakwoi · 01-12-2005, 06:13 PM

I'm gonna be in England for 6 months and for 1 month be traveling all around Europe. What kinda electricity converter do I need to use my laptop or recharge my digicam or ipod??

**pinion** · 01-12-2005, 06:38 PM

For your laptop you will need a voltage converter. Make sure you get one of these or you'll fry your laptop!! Pop into any RadioShack and they'll know what you want. Probably run you in about $30-$50.

Ipod & Camera chargers already have the voltage converter built in, so you'll just need an adpater for the plug. They are usually really cheap, about $5-10. And look like this:

**omisan** · 01-13-2005, 09:58 AM

Mmm, actually, you probably won't need a voltage converter for your laptop. Look at its power brick on the AC cord and see the voltage rating on it. Usually they're like other electronics, rated for 110~220V, which means you'll just need the plug adapter.

**Sijuki** · 01-13-2005, 10:01 AM

Well I guess worst case, take your laptop to your radio shack and plop that thing on the counter and tell them you want to know if you have to convert it.

**pinion** · 01-13-2005, 10:16 AM

so much for me trying to be "Mr.Electronics"

Deadguy · 01-13-2005, 03:22 PM

so does this mean i just wasted $20 on a converter for my digicam?

bakwoi · 01-13-2005, 05:03 PM

my laptop ac adapter says 100v-240v. That good enough???

**omisan** · 01-14-2005, 12:11 AM

Deadguy: yup
Bakwoi: yup

You generally only need voltage converters for appliances like hair dryers and larger fixed things (TVs, stereos, desktop comps) that don't have a transformer built into the power line... but then, a lot of hair dryers and computer power supplies even have 110/220 switches on them now. It's cheaper for the manufacturers to make one model that works in all their markets, so the only thing that's different is the plug.