AC Adapters - Know Where You Are Going!

So you’ve got the plane tickets, packed all the things that you need, but did you know that if you are going to another continent - or even just another country - you may need ac adapters to plug in any electrical items you may have packed. Without these foreign plug adapters your electrical appliances are only going to be as good as doorstops. 

In North America (and South America, Japan and some parts of the Caribbean) we use an ungrounded electrical plug that has two flat prongs (See Fig.1 Power Adapter examples below) or a grounded plug that has an additional third prong. In most of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and other parts of the Caribbean they use a plug with rounded prongs. If you want to be able to plug a device from another country into an outlet you’ll need an ac adapter. 

I’ll outline the other kinds of power adapters you may need. Most electrical adapters come in a both grounded and ungrounded versions but some counties only use three pronged plugs so the only travel adapter listed will be a grounded adapter. 
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and China use a slanted two prong adapter.
Great Britain, Ireland, Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore use a three prong plug, with two flat prongs in line and one perpendicular.
Some places in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean use a grounded adapter.
Italy uses electrical outlet with 3 rounded in-line prongs.

About the Author

Tara Pearce is the publisher and webmaster of http://www.a1-travel-accessories.com
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