voltage adaptors for the UK?

[jason 77]

Hello all.... I don't know if this is the correct section to post this...

My parents are going on a vacation shortly to England "more specifically Whales", I know some of you guys on this site are from that neck of the woods so I was wondering if I could ask a favor. I need to find a voltage adaptor that will work with our North American 120 volt 60Hz. Are the voltages and plugs the same over all of Great Britain? Can someone suggest a particular adaptor they know of that works well?

Thanks!

 

[Nyctophiliac]

Yes, our plugs and voltages are the same all over including Wales. 240v 50Hz.

I just bought a US to UK adapter for my Stanley HID charger - It needed 120 at 60Hz and 9watts. The adapter I bought at Maplin ( a electronics a and computer chain of shops - there is one in most big towns, but your parents might like to buy one before they go.

It's called a AC to AC convertor and outputs 110v at 45W - worked great. Cost £20.

I'm sure that your travel shops over there probably have an equivalent?


Good luck.

 

[DM51]

Most electrical equipment will work on 110V - 240V so your parents may not need a voltage converter. They'll need to check the specifications of each item though.

They will probably be able to pick up a couple of travel adapters at the airport, if they can't find them before they leave. For the UK, they'll need ones that look like this:

 

[jason 77]

Thanks for the advise guys....


I thought you guys used a 2 prong plug with round prongs on it, or is that the old style?

 

[DM51]

The 3-rectangular-pin type in that pic is the main type you'll find in the UK. All modern power sockets look like that. Shaver plugs in bathrooms are the same as everywhere, so you won't need adapters for those.

Edit: If they are going on afterwards to the EU (France, Germany etc) they all use different types :green: so they'll need a trunk-full of different adapters, or one clever multi-type that can sometimes be found.

 

[mcnair55]

One last tip,plenty of shops over here sell adapters and no need to get conned at the airport,just nip into a decent high street store and walk out with what you need including the types they use in the other parts of the EU.

And welcome to Wales

 

[Mash]

The 2 round prong are the MAINLAND Europe standard, ie France, Italy, Spain, etc UK just had to be different, again......
Re the adaptor, as mentioned above, most equipment wont need a Voltage Convertor, just a plug adaptor. HOWEVER depending on what equipment they take, and if they are just phone, ipod, camera chargers etc, ie no high wattage stuff, they can just plug their US cables, into the shaver sockets of hotels, as mentioned above. Just call the hotel in advance to make sure they have one, I have seen some hotels without them these days...