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Viewing Transformers and Adapters for Your French Holiday - AdviceTransformers and Adapters for Your French Holiday - Advice
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When preparing your French holiday, do not forget to do a little research and pack the correct adapters and/or transformers for your small appliances. Otherwise, you will get yourself into trouble and blow up your appliances. Read these handy tips. By Corina Clemence When preparing your French holiday, do not forget to do a little research and pack the correct adapters and/or transformers for your small appliances. Otherwise, you will get yourself into trouble and blow up your appliances. Firstly, you must understand the terminology. Adapters are simple devices which allow you to connect one plug into a different-shaped plug. You can get adapters for American to European, English to European, Australian to European and vice versa - basically any combination for different-shaped plugs. You can even purchase expensive adapters to plug in anywhere in the world. Adapters are light in weight. These are not to be confused with transformers (also called converters) which modify the characteristics of the current which is fed to your appliances. Transformers or converters are usually much heavier and bulkier than adapters, as they have a metal coil in them. Transformers are not adapters. The tricky part is that some transformers can also be adapters at the same time if the terminal is adapted for a different-shaped foreign socket. Next before you jet off you need to consider plug differences. The electrodes (terminals) on an American plug are flat. The electrodes on all French plugs are cylindrical. All wall outlets in France only accept these cylindrical plugs. Quite simply, you won't be able to plug your flat American plug into a regular French socket unless you use an adapter. The United Kingdom also has flat plugs and British tourists also need adapters. If you want to buy an adapter, you should be able to find inexpensive ones at your local hardware store. If you are lucky, you might be able to pick up an adapter at a market for around 1 pound. If you still cannot find one anywhere, you can usually buy them at an inflated price at the airport or the ferry port or the Eurotunnel terminal - but you will pay about three times more. Adapters come in all shapes and forms. The more sophisticated (and consequently more expensive) also allow you to use your devices anywhere in the world. I paid 9 Euros for a European to worldwide adapter at the Eurotunnel terminal in Calais. Next, you need to consider the power voltage differences. England has 240-volt standard power like France. European power typically comes out of the electrical outlets at 230-240 volts. Europe has over twice the voltage of America, where the standard voltage is 110. If you plug a 110-volt American appliance into a French socket with an adapter and no converter or transformer, you will blow it up. You can get electric shavers and other appliances rated to operate at 110 volts or 240 volts, which will not burn out when you plug it into a French socket. If you want to take your portable CD player, laptop, digital camera, mobile phone, electric shaver, or any electrical appliance and their chargers, you must first look at the voltage they support. If your appliance comes with a converter, a small device which converts a 110-volt current into a 9-12 volt current, you also need to check its input voltage. The label should clearly state which voltage it accepts. If it states '110 volts', that is not good enough. You will burn both appliance and converter when you plug them into a French or any European socket. You should only pack appliances that work in the 110-240 volt power band, or at a low voltage of 9-12 volts with a transformer (or converter) that supports an input voltage of 240. You need a converter which accepts the 110-240 volt range. Good news - transformers for laptops are normally rated to work at 100-240 volts. But make sure you check it first. If your laptop only operates at 110 volts, go to your local computer store, and buy a suitable multi-voltage converter for your specific model. Similarly you will need to check the labels on the battery chargers for mobile phones and digital cameras and the labels on the transformers which come with them. Some battery chargers will accept the higher 240-volt current, some won't. Hairdryers usually suck in a large amount of power in order to produce the heat to dry your hair. If yours does not operate at 110 and 240 volts, you will have to buy a transformer, and these are normally quite bulky. You should call the hotel first to check whether they provide blow-dryers in the rooms. If they do, travel light and leave yours behind. Now that you are thoroughly prepared, you can sit back and enjoy your French holiday. Remember there is more to France than Paris. The Loire Valley 2 hours south of Paris is incredibly popular and definitely worth an extended visit. About the Author: Corina Clemence runs a luxury French chateau in the Loire Valley near Blois, for up to fifteen people - perfect for touring vineyards and chateaux and relaxing French holidays. It is also ideal for a French wedding, party, or event. Rent the whole castle or a suite. Rent a castle in France, or rent a chateau in France. Article Source: Adult Escapes - http://www.AdultEscapes.com More free articles: 1st Rate Articles - 1stRateArticles.com |
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