Power in Italy

When people travel, many folks bring electronic gear with them. One question asked over and over on travel boards is, “Will my _________ work in Europe? The answer is…. CERTAINLY – with the proper preparation!

For most travelers, converting your North American appliance and electronic equipment to European electricity is a real pain! So deciding what to bring with you is a very important part of your packing preparations.

The basics: In the States, the household electricity is at 110 to 120 volts and 60 Hz. In Europe, electricity is usually supplied at 220 volts and a frequency of 50 Hz. TWICE AS MUCH VOLTAGE coming out of those wall outlets. Hence begins the challenge! To use your electrical devices in Europe you may need some additional “hardware” to avoid “electrocuting” your equipment, or even YOURSELF! Be sure to unplug anything North American when you leave your apartment, hotel, or B&B in Italy – Better safe than really sorry! In some of the nicer hotels you may have 110 voltage outlets in your bathroom, however these may have limited capacity. These are usually well marked!

Smaller electrical units such as razors, battery chargers, ipods, and radios, for example, draw very low wattage and can operate with a 50 watt transformer. Other appliances like hair dryers and irons call pull 1000 or even 1600 watts. So there are voltage converters for two ranges of wattage and THESE ARE NOT interchangeable. As suggested above, if you used a 50 watt transformer with a hair dryer or iron you WILL fry your converter and possibly damage your equipment. If you use a 1600 watt high-wattage Voltage Converter for a radio, ipod, camera, etc. you MAY damage your electronic equipment because many electronic devices are not compatible with the type of conversion used in this type of Converter. So be careful if have multiple settings on a converter (Usually high and low). And when purchasing, know what you will be using the converter for – especially if it DOES NOT have a high/low switch.

Also note, in Europe, your appliances may run at “slower speeds” due the 50/60 Hz difference. Thus it’s probably not a good idea to bring your electric plug-in alarm clock to Europe. At 50 Hz, it will run about 5/6 of the speed in the States – and you’ll be late in the morning! Your razor or hair dryer may run slower, but you probably will not even notice.

The device above only needs a plug adapter to work in Italy, since it can use any voltage between 100 and 240, as long as it’s AC voltage alternating at 50 or 60 hertz. Sometimes called a “universal power supply,” this battery charger can be used throughout Europe (and most other places in the world) with the right plug adapter. Note: The appliance’s voltage and wattage requirements are listed on the manufacturer’s label located on the back or at the bottom of the appliance. In some cases, the voltage and amperage will be listed, but not the wattage. If this is the case, simply multiply the voltage by the amperage rating to find the wattage rating (e.g. 230 V * 1 A = 230 W).

Some things you may need to bring include the following:

Plug Adapters

These do not convert electricity. They simply allow a dual-voltage appliance, a transformer or a converter from one country to be plugged into the wall outlet of another country. The plug of a Continental European appliance will not fit into an outlet in a foreign country without an adapter. Do not think these will protect your equipment – they just allow you to plug it in! You cannot find US to Europe adapters in Italy… I’ve looked! So make sure you bring converters from home. They are usually fairly inexpensive. I think I purchased mine for about $1 each – and I brought 10 when I moved!!!!

Converters

Converters and transformers both step up or down the voltage, but there is a difference in use between them. Converters should be used only with “electric” products. Electric products are simple heating devices or have mechanical motors. Examples are hair dryers, steam irons, shavers, toothbrushes or small fans. Converters are not designed for “continuous duty” and should only be used for short periods of time (1 to 2 hours). Additionally, most converters can only be used for ungrounded appliances (2 pins on the plug). Converters must be unplugged from the wall when not in use.

This electronic device reduces 220 volts to 110 volts for use on hair dryers, irons, and other high wattage heating devices. If your high wattage equipment doesn’t have a dual voltage switch, you need one of these converters. It is much lighter and smaller than a transformer of equal capacity, and it is definitely not a transformer.

If you need a hair dryer, iron, or similar item you would be much better off buying a 220v/110v dual voltage unit. The reasons are that you carry one less item and you avoid the risk of burning up your equipment. Many normal electrical appliances these days include a chip in the control circuit. The electrical output of a converter is just half of the sine wave. That’s how it chops the voltage down to 110. So the output is an on-off single polarity pulse. That’s OK for a pure heating element but it will shake the shorts off a silicon chip. The alternative is to buy a 1,600 watt transformer. That will weigh about 25 pounds!!!

Transformers

Transformers also step up or down the voltage, but they are more expensive than converters and are the best devices to use with “electronic” products. The Chargers or Power Supplies used with electronic products are usually a solid-state design, which typically works better with the “cleaner” and more stable sine wave provided by a Transformer. Examples are radios, CD or DVD players, shavers, camcorder battery rechargers, computers, computer printers, fax machines, televisions and answering machines. Transformers can also be used with electric appliances and may be operated continually for many days, IF they’re designed for continuous-duty operation. The advantage of solid-state Converters, however, is that they are lighter and less expensive. Most travelers never carry a transformer. A good one will weigh a minimum of 10 pounds; not something you’d carry on a trip. All the more reason to make sure you unplug your equipment that requires a converter when not charging or not using!

If your equipment has the 110-240v label on it – and you read your instruction manual – you may not need a converter OR a transformer – just a plug adapter to convert your North American plug to the Italian wall outlet! We have 2 laptops, a battery charger, an ipod, a Vonage router, and two cameras all plugged in at various times. All of these pieces we brought with us… and fortunately, ALL of these are considered dual-voltage and only needed plug adapters.

Another adapter to bring… convert your grounded 3-pong to a 2-prong. I went by Home Depot and bought about 5 of these for 79 cents a piece. These are life savers as you will NEVER find these in Italy… and many hotels do not even have the 3-prong to 2-prong US adapter- Be forewarned and be careful as these will not be grounded once you plug them in… I’d avoid bringing these 3-prong US items to Italy if possible… or at least be aware they are not grounded!

You can pick up individual plug adapters, transformers, and converters, in some department stores and by several electrical specialty companies. Better luggage retailers also carry a selection of electrical devices. The duty free shops in international airports carry many electrical appliances. If you didn’t have the opportunity to buy what you need before leaving home, browse through the duty free shop before getting on the plane.

Again – American-to-European plug adapters can be difficult to find in Europe so you’d better get these before you go. It is possible to buy transformers in Europe, but it may be difficult to find a small one suitable for traveling. They are also very expensive in Europe. If you really need one, try stores selling hardware, electrical goods, computers, or electronics.

Plugs used in Italy

C-plug

This two-wire plug is ungrounded and has two round prongs. It is popularly known as the europlug. This is probably the single most widely used international plug. It will mate with any socket that accepts 4.0 – 4.8 mm round contacts on 19 mm centres. The plug is generally limited for use in class II applications that require 2.5 amps or less. It is, of course, unpolarised. It is commonly used in all countries of Europe except the United Kingdom and Ireland. A type C plug fits perfectly into a type E, F, J, K or L socket.

F – Plug

Plug F, known as CEE 7/4 and commonly called “Schuko plug”, which is the acronym of “Schutzkontakt”, a German word meaning “earthed/grounded contact”. The plug was designed in Germany shortly after the First World War. It is similar to C except that it is round and has the addition of two grounding clips on the side of the plug. It has two 4.8 mm round contacts on 19 mm centres. The original type F plug, which does not have this female contact, is still available at the DIY shops but only in a rewireable version. A type C plug fits perfectly into a type F socket.

L Plug

The Italian grounded plug/socket standard, CEI 23-16/VII, includes two styles rated at 10 and 16 amps. They differ in terms of contact diameter and spacing, and are therefore incompatible with each other. The plugs are similar to C except that they are earthed by means of a centre grounding pin. Because they can be inserted in either direction at random, they are unpolarised. A type C plug fits perfectly into a type L socket. Nowadays there are also “universal” sockets available, which look exactly like type F sockets (with grounding clips), but also have a grounding hole in the middle. Note – you may have to buy an adapter in Italy to fit these plugs!

Some final thoughts

Make sure you read the labels and manuals for items you are bringing. Know what is and is not “dual voltage.” If you go to Wal-Mart or Target and buy a cheap converter, do know what you’re buying. Many of these “converters” are actually just multiple plug adapters. Read the fine print… they often say “plug converter” – This is NOT WHAT YOU WANT FOR A NON-DUAL VOLTAGE ITEM. You must have a voltage CONVERTER – not a plug converter — a fancy, and misleading name, for a plug adapter. You’ll find out the hard way that saving a few bucks can cost you a camera, a laptop computer, etc! So read carefully before you purchase!

For plug adapters and converters, do a search on Google (or your favorite search vehicle!). You can search for Italian plug adapters. I found many for 89 cents each… order them online or pick them up at your favorite travel store. When I buy a converter, I like to look at it and thoroughly read about it. I have about 5 converters that I paid $25 and up for. For me, better safe then VERY sorry when purchasing a converter! This is one decision you need to perhaps NOT buy the cheapest product out there! It’s all that separates you from an electrical disaster!

Special thanks to the websites http://users.telenet.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#adapters, http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/electric.htm, and http://goitaly.about.com/od/travelpackingtips/l/bl_electricity_italy.htm for much of the text, pictures, and explanations here! Also check out http://goeurope.about.com/cs/electricity/l/bl_electricity.htm for more info on Electricity in Europe!

Above are a few of the power tools you can use. Click on any for more information. There are many more power adaptors, converters, and transformers available through our Travel Store, Magellan’s Travel Supplies, or look in amazon.com.   Non-USA Guests can search for power-relatedd travel items at amazon.co.uk.

Let Me Coach You, if you’re looking for travel assistance or some help creating an iitinerary! If you want to build your own vacation, please feel free use the information in the articles of the Ron-in-Rome website to help plan your next trip. If you need consulting, head to the Coaching page; For a list of all articles on this website, head to the Postings page. Or use the SEARCH Box, on the top right of each page!

---