Ever felt like you're playing a high-stakes game of plug-and-pray when traveling abroad? Welcome to the world of international plug roulette and electrical outlets and travel! Picture this: you arrive in a new country, ready to charge up your gadgets and conquer the world, only to be greeted by a wall socket that looks like it's from another dimension. Seriously, who knew there were so many shapes and sizes for something as simple as an electrical outlet?
So, you whip out your universal adapter, hoping it's the magic key to unlock the mysteries of foreign electricity. But alas, it's like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole – quite literally! You find yourself contorting into bizarre positions, holding your breath, and crossing your fingers as you attempt to plug in your devices. And just when you think you've cracked the code, you're hit with the dreaded realization: the voltage is all wrong!
It's like a cruel joke played by the travel gods, testing your patience and problem-solving skills at every turn. You start to wonder if you should have paid more attention in physics class or invested in a degree in electrical engineering. But fear not, fellow globetrotters, for in this electrifying game of cat and mouse, perseverance is key!
Armed with your trusty adapters, voltage converters, and a healthy dose of humor, you soldier on, embracing each new plug-shaped challenge with gusto. After all, isn't the thrill of travel all about stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the unexpected? So, here's to the electrifying adventures that await – may your plugs always find their sockets, and may your devices stay charged enough to capture every unforgettable moment along the way!
Let's get serious about the curse of electrical currents and outlets
North America is on 110 volts and most of the rest of the world is on 2/20 volts this means you cannot take certain items and Simply put on an adapter and plug them in elsewhere. You need a proper transformer. I know this from personal experience having blown up a couple of things when we first moved to Europe.
The biggest culprit that I have found is hair dryers. I think that's why most hotels provide them now but some women really like to use their own. I have personally experienced this in Milan, with a work colleaugue of mine who insisted on using her own hair dryer. She blew the fuzes in our hotel room as well as next door.
On our trip coming up my partner was thinking of taking our electric toothbrush but again it won't work. I don't think it'll blow anything up though.
When we did our world trip, I realized I was going to have to have a number of adapters then they did purchase a great little all in one. Due to the different countries we were visiting we needed three different types of plugs. In fact, if you include Switzerland which can sometimes habits own our European won't work, that would make four.
Electrical Outlets and Travel in South America
Only recently I decided to check on South America and boy was I surprised.
Colombia and Ecuador are on 110 volts while it it appears that the rest of the countries in South America are on to 220. The majority of these have a similar plug as those in Europe but ohh no not Argentina which has one like New Zealand and Australia and then there is Brazil which is more like Switzerland.
Here's a wonderful article with the perfect image that explains Electrical Outlets and Travel for South America all in greater detail.
Electrical Outlets and Travel in South America
