Travel Ideas:FREE International Travel Adventure Magazine E-zine: Dream or Plan you holidays trips here in Real Travel Adventures

International Magazine

Flag of United Nations

When You Travel Overseas

Here you'll find five charged up questions about electricity you need answers for, before you travel.

Most people want to take an electric shaver, hair dryer, flat iron, or other electrical appliance with them when they travel overseas. Laptop computers, camera chargers, and cell phones especially, are often 'must have' items for vacations and business trips. Yet most people have only vague notions about the differences in electric current around the world. Or about the difference in

configuration of wall plugs in the countries they plan to visit.

1. Before you Plug in, what should you know?

While Mexico, Canada and the United States use the same 110 volt current and wall outlet plug configuration, a great majority of countries around the world are powered by 220 volt current. Europe, China, and India, to name a few, all are powered by 220 v.

Most of these countries, as well, do not share the same wall plug configuration as our standard parallel two prong outlets. This means that you will likely need an adaptor and a converter/ transformer for many of your electrical units when you travel overseas. If not they will most likely fry, the term most commonly used to describe permanent damage from overheating as a result of plugging into a different power supply than America's.

Overseas Destinations like Istanbul Turkey operate on 220v. current

2. How many different wall plugs are there in the world anyway?

There are at least six other wall plug configurations around the world. They come in a variety of sizes and shapes. An appropriate adapter is a simple device which on one end will allow the prongs of your North American device to slide easily into it. At the other end, the prongs of the country you are visiting fit nicely into the wall outlet as they should. Wall plugs for other countries are different than yours

3. What's the difference between an adapter and a converter or transformer?

Converters and transformers actually change the power coming to your electrical or electronic device from 220v. to 110v. by 'stepping it down'. Converters are designed to work with electrical appliances like your iron, tooth brush or hair dryer. Electronic appliances that have a chip or circuit usually require a transformer. While transformers can also be used for electric appliances, they are heavier than the converter units, not so desirable in today's airline weight restrictive environment.

A converter steps down 220 v. current to 110 v.

4. Are there electrical appliances or devices that don't require a transformer or converter?

You can purchase hair dryers and other electrical units with a switch built into them that allow you to flip from one current to the other. Most laptops, battery charters, and CPAP machines have automatic built in converters in them so you can use these anywhere without concern. These dual voltage appliances, as they are called, will indicate that fact with a 'dual' symbol, most often on the bottom of the unit. The numbers displayed will be either 110v.-220v., or 125v-250v or numbers

close to these. Dual voltage units will still require an adapter if you are travelling to any of the countries outside North America that do not share our wall outlet configuration.

Flat Irons, or hair straiteners as they are

more commonly known, must be dual voltage

5. Are there any appliances that cannot be accommodated by a transformer or converter?

Ceramic appliances, because of the heat generated by them, are not compatible with either of the two conversion options. Hair straighteners are the most common of these ceramic based electrical appliances. They can only be used overseas if they are dual voltage. Of all the products,

this is the one that will almost surely burn out if you attempt to use it in a 220 v. country, even with a converter.

The good thing about all the adapters and converter units required for wide world travel is that, not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they are completely reusable and are likely to last many years. You may be able to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa but you can't use hairdryer or electric razor without an adapter and converter.

Forward your travel questions to askjourneys@journeystravel.com. Ron Pradinuk is President of Journeys Travel & Leisure SuperCentre, a large on line travel products store. He can be heard Sundays at noon CST live on www.cjob.com . Previous columns and tips can be found on

www.journeystravelgear.com <http://www.journeystravel.com/> or read Ron's travel blog at www.thattravelguy.ca .

Whether you wish to see Europe, Russia, Asia, or Egypt, the most relaxing way to travel is on Viking River Cruises . You unpack once and then enjoy daily shore excursions to visit both modern and historic places. Viking River Cruises will give you the trip of your dreams with luxurious accommodations, delicious food, exciting entertainment, and fascinating scenery.

You just can't find a real travel adventure while trying to donate timeshare properties. Thankfully at Transfer America you can get out without having to even go through a sell timeshare strategy.

Find the best cheap cruise deal along with cruise reviews, news and opinions at cruiselinefans.com

Wherever you plan to go on your travel adventures, be sure to purchase

the right travel insurance If you plan to be away for a few months then you will need a backpacker travel insurance policy, most of which now include up to two weeks ski or winter sports cover.

_____________________________________________________

Subscribe For Your Free Monthly Travel Magazine
Email:

Travel News

Complete Index of Features

Many Book & Audio Reviews For Your Travels

XE.com Personal Currency Assistant

Find This Place On MapQuest

What Time Is It Anywhere In The World

Send this Page to a Friend

Subscribers:So that your free subscription is not mistaken for spam,

Please copy & paste our E-mail address into your address book: mail@realtraveladventures.com

It's that simple!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Adventure Travels in your Free Ezine

Free Monthly Subscriptions

Home Next Page Previous Page

Peace for Everyone

If any links don't work

PLEASE NOTIFY US

Thanks for visiting us!

Real Travel Adventures International Magazine

Real and Armchair Travelers: Enjoy best trip reviews, travel features, and excellent travel photos in RealTravelAdventures.com, your FREE on-line international magazine. Send your funny or outrageous travel experiences & photos and get published!

Visit or dream of fascintating places with Real Travel Adventures e-zine! This site offers travel humor, photos, stories, helpful guidebooks, and more. Visit for fun or to seek tips for your next travel adventure...and then share your own stories with us here at

realtraveladventures.com, your free online travel magazine, where you'll find great book reviews, international travel adventures magazine, airline tickets, real travel adventures, camping, RV travel, RV's, Cruises, restaurant reviews, RVing, FamilyTrips, traveling with kids and children, Nature and eco trips, ecology, international travel, Ski Trips, Spas, Spiritual Retreats, interviews with Special People, Travel Humor, Travel News, Unbelievable, WeddingTrips, restaurant reviews and advisor, traveling adventures, adventure travels, travel, virtual and armchair travel, Back Roads, off the beaten path, where to go Camping and enjoy RV trips, where to Dine and Sleep, fun Family Trips, our Favorite Finds, Arts and Crafts, cruises and cruise vacations, romantic trips, traveling tips, travel stories, audio book reviews for your travels, books reviews, good books for a trip, wedding trip planner, wedding Trips, Honeymoons, Unbelievable adventures, Travel News, humorous travel stories, spas and retreats, spiritual retreats, meditation retreats, ski trips, week-end trips Near You, nature's Best places, ecology trips, travel guide books, traveling with children, e-zines, FREE Ezines, Free travel magazines, magazine, free online magazines, internet magazines, free magazine subscriptions, web magazines, true stories, humorous articles, funny features, human interest features, nature photos, environment photographs, photos, adventurous stories, real true stories, true adventrues, camping gear, vacation, holidays, safaris, Caribbean vacations, cheap hotels, great places to go, nature hikes, nature photography, family vacations, family holidays, trip planner, great trips, scenic photos, holiday vacations, holidays, holiday stories, foreign destinations, International travel trips. And you can Get published here too! Send us your travel stories and pictures.

If you wish to use our features or photos you must first contact us