<p>D is going to Spain for study abroad this summer. Will her hair dryer, phone charger, laptop charger…all 110v items work?</p>
<p>Likely no, unless they say dual voltage. 220 is common in Europe. D is in Spain until July, got to bring everything except her CHI. At the very least, your D will need a different plug, as those in Spain are round.</p>
<p>Thanks…I thought she’d need adapters for the plugs but the voltage had me confused as I googled it for Spain and got 110/220.</p>
<p>Spain is definitely 220V, though a hotel room might have a 110V outlet for razors and low-power devices. Laptops are generally dual-voltage, otherwise business travelers would be in a lot of trouble. If the item says it is good for 225 or 240 volts, it should work too.</p>
<p>Last winter I brought a blow-dryer to Spain with an adapter and converter. Plugged the adapter into the wall, then the converter into the adapter, then the blow-dryer into the converter. Perhaps the converter wasn’t strong enough, because my blow-dryer only had about half the power it normally has. Tried to plug in the curling iron and it wouldn’t turn on at all.</p>
<p>Make sure your converter has enough wattage for the hair dryer; some converters are only good for 100 watts or so, which wouldn’t be enough for a hair dryer.</p>
<p>Laptop will need a plug adapter only - to fit the round prongs used in Europe. Hairdryer will need a plug adapter and transformer to change to electricity as well.</p>
<p>Just buy a hairdryer with switchable voltage. They aren’t that expensive. Or buy one there and give it away when you leave. WalMart has one for $15 plus 97 cents shipping:</p>
<p>[Walmart.com:</a> Conair 1600W Hair Dryer with Folding Handle: Hair Care](<a href=“http://www.walmart.com/ip/Conair-1600W-Hair-Dryer-with-Folding-Handle/10669161?sourceid=1500000000000007346330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=10669161]Walmart.com:”>http://www.walmart.com/ip/Conair-1600W-Hair-Dryer-with-Folding-Handle/10669161?sourceid=1500000000000007346330&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=10669161)</p>
<p>Check the fine print right on the charger for each item, but most all laptop adaptors, iPod chargers, phone chargers, and so forth are now universal 110v/220v power supplies. All you need is the adaptor plugs. No converter necessary. In fact, there’s no reason to take a voltage converter at all. Even most NiMH AA battery chargers are universal voltage. My daughter did her entire around the world trip (South America, China, India) with just the simple adaptor plugs – no converters.</p>
<p>Radio Shack sells an adaptor assortment, but they can be had cheaper. Something like this at Amazon:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Universal Travel Adapter Plug Kit: Clothing](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Travel-Adapter-Plug-Kit/dp/B00181JQDC/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1272341111&sr=8-13]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Travel-Adapter-Plug-Kit/dp/B00181JQDC/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1272341111&sr=8-13)</p>
<p>Actually, if you are just going to Spain, you can find out the adaptor you need and just take one. There are websites with comprehensive guides.</p>
<p>Thank you all for your helpful replies…really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Items like hair dryers use more power than things like cameras and laptops so you can’t take them abroad to use with adapters. When my D went to England she simply bought an inexpensive hair dryer there (at Marks and Spencer as I recall) and then left it at the school for other Americans to use in the future. </p>
<p>As far as other items such as laptops and iPods, I don’t know specifically about adapter plugs for Spain but several Web sits sell a good selection of adapters–they are not expensive and are very easy to carry around. But check to see which shapes Spain uses; I think Italy for example uses different ones from the rest of the Continent. And be sure to have grounded and ungrounded ones to be prepared for whichever kind of wall outlet she finds…</p>
<p>Here are all three possible adaptors for Spain:</p>
<p>[SPAIN</a> PLUG ADAPTERS WA-9, #1, & #6](<a href=“http://traveloasis.com/spain-plug-adapters.html]SPAIN”>Store Closed)</p>
<p>You don’t need the grounded version (WA-9) unless something you are taking has a three-prong grounded plug. </p>
<p>The one in the middle, WA-1, is the standard European plug and is available everywhere. More than likely, this one adapter would do the job for any appliance or charger rated to accept 110 to 220 v power input.</p>
<p>The one on the right, WA-6, has bigger prongs and is used occasionally for heavy duty appliances and in some European countries.</p>
<p>You can buy them separately here:</p>
<p>[INTERNATIONAL</a> PLUG ADAPTERS](<a href=“http://traveloasis.com/international-plug-adapters.html]INTERNATIONAL”>Store Closed)</p>
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<p>Sure you can, as long as they are the dual-voltage 110/220V travel models such as the $15 WalMart model I linked to above. These days, most hairdryers (or certainly many of them) are dual voltage. The stuff is all cranked out in Chinese factories. They don’t want to mess around with different versions. It’s cheaper to just put a voltage switch on them.</p>
<p>Likewise, almost all laptop, iPod, and cellphone chargers are designed for products used around the world. They use litltle switching power supplies to convert AC to DC to power the unit. These work on any AC voltage. Just look for the tag on the charger that says: </p>
<p>INPUT: 110V - 220V</p>
<p>All you need is just the simple plug adapter to convert the US plug to the wall outlet in the country you are visiting. I wouldn’t take any appliiance that requires an actual converter to change 220 volt to 110 volt current. It’s just not necessary to do that in the 21st century. That’s way, way, old-school. It’s not like you are taking a TV set or a washing machine!</p>