Travel plug adapters, transformers, and appliances you need for your trip

July 9, 7:35 PMSF Motorcycle Travel ExaminerCarla King

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Motorcycle Travel Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Are you planning traveling with your hair drier? Your computer? Your digital camera and battery charger? Before you go you’ll need to know what voltage your appliances require, how much wattage they draw, and which plug adapters to buy before you leave. Here’s a primer and some resources.

What do wall plug adapters do? Plug adapters allow you to plug appliances made in one country into the very different kind of wall plugs found in another country. Some countries, like England and India, have two or even three different types of wall plugs, because they’re converting from an old to a new style, but slowly.

How many adapters should you buy? If you take a power strip with you, you'll just need one adapter. Otherwise, buy enough plug adapters for all of the appliances you’re bringing, from your computer to your hair drier to the battery charger for your camera.

What’s up with that grounding prong?: That pesky third prong on some American plugs is a “grounding” prong. It's there to make sure that your appliance doesn’t get ruined in the very off chance that the connection to the positive or negative prong is damaged. Go to the hardware store and spend a buck on a three-to-two prong adapter available at most hardware stores.

What is voltage and why should you care? Voltage is a measure of the energy it takes to move an electrical charge from one point (the wall plug) to another (your hair drier). The difference in the amount of electric charge is measured in volts. In America, electricity flows to wall plugs at about 120V. In Europe, the current moves at about twice that rate. As you might imagine, a 240V current will literally blow your 120V appliance away.

Is your appliance dual-voltage?: Many appliances, especially travel versions of appliances like small hair driers, have a switch that lets you choose between 120V and up to 240V. You need to make sure you switch it to the correct voltage, otherwise it’ll burn up. Many computers, digital camera battery chargers, and other electronic appliances, switch automatically. But please check on the back of the device to make sure it specifically states 110V / 240V.

Will your device auto-detect voltage? Most laptop computers, video cameras, and camera battery chargers are made for both voltages, and will automatically detect and adjust the voltage. But some are not! (A traveler I know just fried her camera battery recharger in Morocco because she didn't notice it was 110 only. It was quite dramatic, with smoke and everything.) You’ll find the voltage capacity of the appliance stamped into the plastic back of the device. 

Consider transforming: If you want to travel with a few appliances that don't switch between 120 and up to 240V, consider packing a transformer. Americans visiting France will need to plug your 120V appliances into a 240V wall plug, so you'll need to boost the voltage with a step-up transformer. If you're from France and are traveling to America, you'll need a 240V to 120V step-down transformer. 

Understanding just a little bit about voltage and current, and getting the right converters, can go a long way in making your trip a happy and safe one, with all of your electronics intact throughout the journey.

Useful Links:

TeleAdapt: Order adapters, transformers, and a lot of other cool travel stuff.
Electricity around the world: Find out what is the voltage for the countries you're visiting.
Travel power strip: Pack one adapter and this and all you need is one power outlet.