Worried about if your electrical devices will be ok when traveling to Europe? Here are a few tips to help you keep from “frying” your gadgets on your trip

1.) Check the Voltage

The voltage that you have in your house in the America when you plug in your devices is 110V, while most of Europe uses 220V. It’s super important to check your devices to see if they will work with an increased voltage of 220V. Most devices or appliances will have it written somewhere on them that tells you what voltage they are able to receive. Usually you can find this information on the cable or power brick.

Good news is that almost all phone and computer chargers are made for voltage ranging from 110-220V or even more. The biggest challenge is when it comes to some other appliances such as curling irons, hair dryers or electric razors, especially when these devices are a bit older. Always double check your charging cables just to be sure that you do not destroy your appliance. 

If your appliance is not rated for 220V then you need a converter (sometimes called a transformer) which will convert the voltage from 220V to 110V. But these are often expensive and just anther thing to add weight to your suitcase. Consider just buying another curling iron or hair dryer which work with 220V.

2.) Adapters in Europe 

It’s also important to take note that if you don’t have an adapter, your American devices or appliances will not work in Europe. You will need to buy an adapter before arriving. (If you wait until you get to Europe either you will need to spend time searching for one, or will end up paying way too much at the airport to purchase one.) You can usually find adapters at a store like Walmart, or order one online with good reviews.

It’s possible to get converters that only work with European sockets or if you plan to travel to other parts of the world or the UK you might opt for a universal adapter

The United Kingdom is special with their own giant plug which is not in any way compatible with the other sockets from other European nations. So if you plan to travel to both the UK and EU it’s probably better to buy a universal adapter so that you don’t have to carry two. In general be aware that not all adapters have the same quality. Some are more robust than others.

(Warning: an adapter only allows you to plug your device into another socket, it DOES NOT change the voltage!)