I have traveled to these countries once before but forgot if they have adapters that we can borrow at the front desk for cell phone chargers and hair straighteners.
No, they generally don't have adaptors or hair straighteners behind the front desk, I'm afraid. There are too many different types of plugs in the world and they would need a several drawers full of adaptors, especially if they were to have enough to try to provide them to everyone staying in the hotel. You can get adaptors at any travel goods store though, and though quite rare, some hotels have outlets in the wall that fit American plugs. I had the good fortune to travel on the Tauck London Event a few months back, and there was an outlet on the desk that fit without using an adaptor, so you may be lucky and not need them — although personally, I'd bring them anyway, just in case! I certainly needed the two I brought.
Thanks for the info..yea i can't quit remember the outlets from the hotels in London or Paris and have bad luck with the adapters I brought from home to use as the last one I tried blew up my hair dryer. Keep fingers crossed that the wall outlets fit American plugs )
The UK has its own standards for electrical appliances and power delivery. I can almost guarantee the London hotel's will not have American standards! Why would they? They are not part of America. It wouldn't make any sense for locals, either, would it? You will need to do as Tim suggests. Buy an adapter plug that will fit on the plug end of your appliances, and provided they are dual voltage of course, plug that into the power source. Your hair drier most probably blew up because it was not dual voltage. Don't bring your own this time. Use the one in your hotel room. It will be the correct voltage for the country you are visiting.
British plugs are three pin and the pins are a square shape. An ADAPTOR is just for adapting the plug on your appliance to the plug socket in the wall. Remember, British power is double the American power, 240 as opposed to 110/120 --- so if you do not have a dual appliance it will blow up. If you need to change a 110/120 appliance to 240 you will also need a CONVERTER. All the hotels will provide hair dryers, so why take your own. Now another thing, admittedly I have only stayed in one British hotel in the recent past, but generally there are usually NO outlets in British bathrooms apart from a special outlet for electric shavers. So you may find you have to search for an outlet in the bedroom to plug your hair dryer in. The British take their electricity seriously - water and electric do not mix so no outlets in bathrooms, a shock from a 240 electricity source will more likely be your demise than from a shock in the US.
Just for clarification I was studying abroad in Ireland and was living in a cottage near the college that i went to and they didn't supply hair dryers at that place and I still used a converter too. But I know about not bringing my hair dryer and just use the room one. I have a converter and an adapter that I brought several years ago. I know my cell phone charger will not be a problem with the adapter and converter but I was looking at my hair straightener and I am still a little confuse. It says 100-230 V a.c 50/60Hz 50w so if anyone understands this language perhaps they can help me out. Thanks!
Understanding that sort of stuff really comes down to the difference between voltage, amperage, and wattage, which, I'll be honest, I hardly understand myself. The upshot of it, though, is that you'll be fine to use that, as long as you remember to bring an adaptor plug! 100-230 V means that it accepts electric current in that range, which covers both British and American electric standards.
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No, they generally don't have adaptors or hair straighteners behind the front desk, I'm afraid. There are too many different types of plugs in the world and they would need a several drawers full of adaptors, especially if they were to have enough to try to provide them to everyone staying in the hotel. You can get adaptors at any travel goods store though, and though quite rare, some hotels have outlets in the wall that fit American plugs. I had the good fortune to travel on the Tauck London Event a few months back, and there was an outlet on the desk that fit without using an adaptor, so you may be lucky and not need them — although personally, I'd bring them anyway, just in case! I certainly needed the two I brought.
I hope this helps!
-Tim
Here is a helpful site. http://www.voltagevalet.com/elec_guide.html
The hotel may well have adapter plugs for loan …but it's much better to be prepared with your own.
Cheers,
Jan
Understanding that sort of stuff really comes down to the difference between voltage, amperage, and wattage, which, I'll be honest, I hardly understand myself. The upshot of it, though, is that you'll be fine to use that, as long as you remember to bring an adaptor plug! 100-230 V means that it accepts electric current in that range, which covers both British and American electric standards.
I hope this helps!
-Tim