Abroad Newbies - Plugs

[Ironduke12]

Hello all, hope you can help. In about 3 weeks I'm going abroad (Majorca) for the first time in 27 years, the last time being when I was a teen. I have no idea how to deal with the connections for UK mains devices to EU mains outlets (namely hair straighteners/phones). Going with an elderly mother and teenage daughter equally clueless as me but very insisting that I find out.

Never going abroad as an adult has been a learning curve. New passports, GHIC cards, money, just booking a holiday!

Upon researching, there are two types type C and F outlets. How do I know what the hotel has? What mains adapter do I need. I know the voltage is the same so hopefully no chance of blowing anything up.

If anyone can share a link to a suitable adapter that would be very helpful.

Less of a concern for phone as I guess most hotels have USB connections bedside but we will take one or two mains chargers anyways.

[Fitz666]

Something like this will work..

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Travel-Adapter-Plug-UK-Wh...

And for ease take a UK 4 plug extension with you.

[Tabs]

Exactly what we do. With the 4 gang extension you can plug in all your chargers etc as you do in the UK.

[Luke.]

Or something like this if it's just a bunch of USB cables you need to plug in to the travel plug...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Rekavin-Adapter-C...

[toon10]

A little travel hack for you is to take a UK 3 or 4 plug extension with you and just attach a standard European plug adapter to that. You can plug all your UK devices straight into the extension as you would at home.

[Doofus]

Be wary of putting too much through one of those - especially an unrated Chinese one. I had one melt many years ago because I tried to run a total of about 1.1kw through it.

I'd never run a gang socket through one, personally.

[Truckosaurus]

For phone charging you can get a Euro USB adaptor from Amazon (etc) to save faffing about with UK/Euro adaptors.

[Puggit]

Doofus said:

Be wary of putting too much through one of those - especially an unrated Chinese one. I had one melt many years ago because I tried to run a total of about 1.1kw through it.

I'd never run a gang socket through one, personally.

We have a holiday home in France where we have rewired UK 4-way gangs with EU plugs - essentially the same, but without the dodgy Chinese equipment.

[//j17]

Type C are just 2 pin plugs and for low power applications - so things like lights and your phone charger.

Type F are 3 'pin' plugs (one pin's actually some earth contacts on the edge) and for higher loads - so kettles and probably hair straightners.

At a guess your hotel room will have a mix of both, they might not always be in the most convienient place for what you want to plug in to them. You will need either 2 adaptors or a multi-adaptor that has Type F. Most multi-adaptors don't but eBay/Amazon will be awash with them.

If you'll have a lot of things to plug in can be worth chucking a UK multi-block into your suitcase...

Edited by //j17 on Thursday 6th July 14:31

[Doofus]

Puggit said:

Doofus said:

Be wary of putting too much through one of those - especially an unrated Chinese one. I had one melt many years ago because I tried to run a total of about 1.1kw through it.

I'd never run a gang socket through one, personally.

We have a holiday home in France where we have rewired UK 4-way gangs with EU plugs - essentially the same, but without the dodgy Chinese equipment.

That's what I've done.

[Mammasaid]

We take a couple of these, we're still alive...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FX1FPGR/ref...

[MrBig]

toon10 said:

A little travel hack for you is to take a UK 3 or 4 plug extension with you and just attach a standard European plug adapter to that. You can plug all your UK devices straight into the extension as you would at home.

I made of one those years ago. Cost pennies and still blows everyone's mind when we go on holiday

[HustleRussell]

I bought one of these, I use it everywhere and have been super happy with it

[Doofus]

Mammasaid said:

We take a couple of these, we're still alive...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08FX1FPGR/ref...

That's because they're rated to 3.25kw. The cheap Chinese ones linked above aren't.

[leyorkie]

Doofus said:

That's because they're rated to 3.25kw. The cheap Chinese ones linked above aren't.

I’m glad someone has raised this hairdryers and curlers need this, the cheap ones aren’t rated this high

[Rushjob]

Puggit said:

We have a holiday home in France where we have rewired UK 4-way gangs with EU plugs - essentially the same, but without the dodgy Chinese equipment.

This

100% this.....

[Rushjob]

toon10 said:

A little travel hack for you is to take a UK 3 or 4 plug extension with you and just attach a standard European plug adapter to that. You can plug all your UK devices straight into the extension as you would at home.

This.....

[Doofus]

Rushjob said:

toon10 said:

A little travel hack for you is to take a UK 3 or 4 plug extension with you and just attach a standard European plug adapter to that. You can plug all your UK devices straight into the extension as you would at home.

This.....

See posts above. Not this for the OP's use case.

[Rushjob]

Doofus said:

Rushjob said:

toon10 said:

A little travel hack for you is to take a UK 3 or 4 plug extension with you and just attach a standard European plug adapter to that. You can plug all your UK devices straight into the extension as you would at home.

This.....

See posts above. Not this for the OP's use case.

In what way would this not work for the OP's need??

[Doofus]

Rushjob said:

In what way would this not work for the OP's need??

Because those cheapo adapters will only handle a couple of hundred watts, at most. Hair straighteners draw more than that.

Running three or four devices simultaneously using a no name adapter is dangerous. Somebody else linked to one rated for 3kw, and that's safer, but it depends upon what else they want to power at the same time.