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Traveling to Italy...need some help!

noodle654

noodle654

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 2, 2005
2,070
22
Never Ender
Hi there,

I am traveling to Italy in the next 2 weeks for 9 days for my school band. I am bringing my MacBook Pro, iPhone, and my JVC camera. Now...I am a bit confused on what I need to convert the power and not blow my LB. Can somebody recommend a kit that I can use in Italy?

Thanks:)
 
All you need is an adaptor to let you plug in your US (I'm assuming) power plug into the Italian one (EU standard). You can get these at hardware/electronics stores (like Radio Shack) for about $5. Don't pay more.
 
noodle654 said:
Yeah but I was reading online that power adapters dont always work because of the volts.
Click to expand...

Apple notebooks power adapter are of the 'switching' kind, meaning they will work with 110v and 220v as well. the iphone adapter is also switching. all you have left to check is your camera adapter :)
 
You should see a label on the charger with volts listed as 110V - 240V or similar. If this is present then you can charge your gadgets in (nearly?) every country on the planet - with the correct adapter of course.
 
well those are just adapters so they dont even deal with voltage. i believe the 2 prong rounds ends are for italy. if u have an appliance that only run on us voltage which is 110v then u need a transformer that converts italy's 220v to 110v. what i did when i was over there was that small items i have i bought usb charges for them and charge them thru my laptop. i did that on my phone, ds, and a few other things.
 
deadpixels said:
Apple notebooks power adapter are of the 'switching' kind, meaning they will work with 110v and 220v as well. the iphone adapter is also switching. all you have left to check is your camera adapter :)
Click to expand...

if you can charge your camera through your mac with usb or something youre good to go:cool:
 
noodle654 said:
I just opened it and on the charger it says 110v-210v
Click to expand...

Then you're good to go with the charger; the MBP and iPhone charger are both 110/220 switching too. BTW, I traveled to Italy and France with an MBP and some camera gear and it worked fine.

However, sometimes you do run into things that aren't auto-volt-switching, and the sense of "everything is fine" will make you plug it into the wall, accompanied by a fizz-pop-hiss and sometimes some smoke. For me, it was a camcorder battery charger that the wall leech was 110 only. It only destroyed the leech itself; the charger and battery were fine.

In my experience, most laptops, phone chargers, or camera chargers will be 110/220 switching, but many wall leeches aren't. But always check.
 
yea that means its fine and u only need an adapter. if any of your gadget plugs are 110v then u need a transformer or get usb chargers and go thru the mac.
 
ab2650 said:
Then you're good to go with the charger; the MBP and iPhone charger are both 110/220 switching too. BTW, I traveled to Italy and France with an MBP and some camera gear and it worked fine.

However, sometimes you do run into things that aren't auto-volt-switching, and the sense of "everything is fine" will make you plug it into the wall, accompanied by a fizz-pop-hiss and sometimes some smoke. For me, it was a camcorder battery charger that the wall leech was 110 only. It only destroyed the leech itself; the charger and battery were fine.

In my experience, most laptops, phone chargers, or camera chargers will be 110/220 switching, but many wall leeches aren't. But always check.
Click to expand...

Alright so I am basically good to go. The adapters that I linked will work right? If not could you point me in the direction to get a good set?
 
noodle654 said:
Alright so I am basically good to go. The adapters that I linked will work right? If not could you point me in the direction to get a good set?
Click to expand...

they should work fine. seems to be 3 types for universal connection. like i said before. the 2 prong round ends should work for italy. im not a 100% but definately 90% sure they are the ones. hehe
 
CAUTION!!

I'm half italian and when I go to visit family, not ALL TWO PRONG plugs are the same.

Some are thinner and others fatter. Some two pin prongs are further apart!! Others now have 3 prongs. It sounds ridicuous, it is... but thats is my experience!

So my best bet for you to to get 2 or 3 types. The age of the buildings affect this variation in sockets. Its the same in nearly all EU countries. (France, Germany and Austria come to mind where this has happened to me)

Otherwise, enjoy your stay!
 
I lived in Italy for a while, and what Willis is saying is absolutely true. Italy uses a 3 prong system (all in a row, the middle being the ground). If you got an adapter with just 2, that is OK, as long as the prongs are skinny. It is hard to know if you don't have multiple ones, but you will soon find out :) Don't worry to much about it, as you can usually borrow adapters from the hotel, or find a local electronics shop, like a Saturn. Some of the larger grocery stores like Bennet will also carry the adapters.

Good luck, and enjoy.

Willis said:
CAUTION!!

I'm half italian and when I go to visit family, not ALL TWO PRONG plugs are the same.

Some are thinner and others fatter. Some two pin prongs are further apart!! Others now have 3 prongs. It sounds ridicuous, it is... but thats is my experience!

So my best bet for you to to get 2 or 3 types. The age of the buildings affect this variation in sockets. Its the same in nearly all EU countries. (France, Germany and Austria come to mind where this has happened to me)

Otherwise, enjoy your stay!
Click to expand...
 
Willis said:
CAUTION!!

I'm half italian and when I go to visit family, not ALL TWO PRONG plugs are the same.

Some are thinner and others fatter. Some two pin prongs are further apart!! Others now have 3 prongs. It sounds ridicuous, it is... but thats is my experience!

So my best bet for you to to get 2 or 3 types. The age of the buildings affect this variation in sockets. Its the same in nearly all EU countries. (France, Germany and Austria come to mind where this has happened to me)

Otherwise, enjoy your stay!
Click to expand...

Damn...this might be a pain. When I find out what hotel we are staying at maybe I can see what I need. Hopefully the ones that I have now will be good for my hotel. If not I will find a place to buy them. I am wondering how we are going to get all of our amps and stuff hooked up. I play bass through a Gallien Krueger head and cab so hopefully we can get something for that. Thanks everybody.
 
I spent four weeks in Italy last summer with just one adapter -- no problems. But they sell adapters all over the place so if it turns out yours doesn't work, it will be easy to find a replacement.
 
I don't know about you but TheSourceCC (Radioshack if you're in the states) carries universal adapters for like $15. It beats the hassle of carrying several types of adapters.

Example
 
Willis said:
CAUTION!!

I'm half italian and when I go to visit family, not ALL TWO PRONG plugs are the same.

Some are thinner and others fatter. Some two pin prongs are further apart!! Others now have 3 prongs. It sounds ridicuous, it is... but thats is my experience!

So my best bet for you to to get 2 or 3 types. The age of the buildings affect this variation in sockets. Its the same in nearly all EU countries. (France, Germany and Austria come to mind where this has happened to me)

Otherwise, enjoy your stay!
Click to expand...


He's right. I've been to Italy on many holidays. But if your staying in a newish hotel then your fine. The old fashioned 2 pin system without the grounding plug is very very old and not used as much anymore. All the new sockets have the 3 pin style with the ground wire in the middle. So you should be all ok :)
 
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