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04 — Carry-On / Guide

Travel adapters by country

An adapter changes the shape of the plug. A converter changes the voltage. Confusing the two is how people destroy a hair dryer on day one.

By Brijon M.Last updated How we pick
A universal travel adapter plugged into a wall socket with cables attached

The short answer

For Europe you need Type C or F; the UK and Ireland need Type G; Australia and New Zealand need Type I. A universal adapter covers all of them. You only need a voltage converter for a heating appliance -- laptops and phone chargers handle 100-240V on their own.

01 — First

Adapter or converter? This is the only question that matters

A plug adapter is a passive piece of plastic. It changes the physical shape of the pins so your plug fits the socket, and it does nothing to the electricity passing through it. That is all almost anybody needs.

A voltage converter is an active device that steps 230V down to 120V, or up the other way. You need one only when the device itself cannot handle the local voltage -- and most modern electronics can.

Check the fine print on the power brick. If it says "INPUT: 100-240V, 50/60Hz", the device is dual-voltage and a plug adapter is sufficient. Phone chargers, laptop bricks, camera chargers, electric toothbrushes and almost every USB device are dual-voltage. Anything that makes heat or spins a motor -- hair dryers, straighteners, travel kettles, curling irons -- frequently is not.

The practical advice is to not travel with the heating appliance at all. Voltage converters rated for a 1,800-watt hair dryer are heavy, expensive and often fail. Buying a cheap local dryer or using the hotel's is the better plan in almost every case.

02 — The chart

Plug type and voltage by destination

Plug type decides which adapter. Voltage decides whether a converter is needed. The two are related but not the same, which is why both columns are here.

DestinationPlug typeVoltageWhat you need
United States, Canada, MexicoA, B120VNothing, if you are coming from the US
Most of continental EuropeC, F230VAdapter; grounded Type F for 3-pin devices
ItalyC, F, L230VAdapter -- Type L is the Italian three-pin outlier
SwitzerlandC, J230VAdapter -- Type J is Swiss-specific
United Kingdom, IrelandG230VAdapter -- Type G, the large three-pin
Australia, New ZealandI230VAdapter -- Type I, angled pins
JapanA, B100VNothing physically; chargers run slightly slower
ChinaA, C, I220VAdapter -- sockets vary, so a universal helps
India, Nepal, Sri LankaC, D, M230VAdapter; Type D is round-pin and uncommon elsewhere
BrazilC, N127V or 220VAdapter; voltage varies by city, check locally
South AfricaC, D, M, N230VAdapter -- Type M is large round-pin

03 — Shapes

The three plug types that cover most trips

There are fifteen plug types in use worldwide. For most travelers from the US, three of them account for nearly every trip.

Type C and F -- continental Europe

Type C is the two round pins you picture when you think of a European plug. Type F is the same two pins with earth contacts on the sides -- the German Schuko. A Type C adapter fits a Type F socket, but it has no ground, so anything with a three-pin plug needs the grounded version. If your laptop brick has a three-pin cable, buy grounded.

Type G -- the UK and Ireland

The large rectangular three-pin plug, used across the UK, Ireland, Malta, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Singapore and a number of former British territories. A UK socket will not accept anything else, and a UK adapter is physically unmistakable.

Type I -- Australia and New Zealand

Two angled flat pins in a V, with an optional third below. Also used in Argentina and parts of China. The angled pins mean a US plug will not go in no matter how hard it is pushed, which is worth knowing before 11pm on arrival night.

04 — Exceptions

The three countries that catch people out

Italy, Switzerland and Brazil each have a plug standard that a cheap universal adapter may not handle.

Italy uses Type L alongside C and F. Modern Italian sockets are usually the hybrid kind that accept several shapes, but older buildings and smaller hotels still have the three-in-a-row Type L sockets, which a standard Europlug may or may not fit. A universal adapter with a retractable Italian pin set, or a cheap local Type L adapter bought on arrival, solves it.

Switzerland uses Type J, a three-pin arrangement unique to the country. A two-pin Type C plug fits a Swiss socket, but a grounded Type F Schuko does not -- the recess is a different shape. If you are carrying anything with a three-pin European plug, you need a Swiss-specific adapter.

Brazil uses Type N, and its voltage varies by city: 127V in São Paulo and Rio, 220V in Brasília and much of the northeast. Check the voltage where you are staying rather than assuming a national standard.

05 — Choosing

Buying an adapter without overbuying

The honest answer is that most people should own one universal adapter and stop there. The case for anything else is narrow.

  • A universal adapter with built-in USB ports replaces the adapter, a multi-port charger and several cables' worth of wall warts. That is the real space saving.
  • Check the USB output. A 5W USB-A port will not fast-charge a modern phone and will not charge a laptop at all. Look for USB-C PD output of 30W or more if you want to charge a laptop from it.
  • Grounded matters more than it sounds. A cheap ungrounded universal adapter cannot take a three-pin plug at all, which rules out many laptop bricks.
  • Avoid the stacked-tower adapters that put a heavy charger weight on a loose European socket. They fall out, and in some older buildings they arc.
  • Buy country-specific if you go to one place repeatedly. A simple Type G or Type C adapter is tiny, cheap and more reliable than a universal with moving parts.
  • Carry a short extension lead or a flat power strip if you travel with several devices. Hotel rooms are chronically short of accessible sockets, and one adapter plus a strip beats four adapters.
  • Do not buy a voltage converter unless you have a specific non-dual-voltage device you refuse to leave at home.

What to buy

The gear we would buy for this

Trail & Terminal earns a commission when you buy through our Amazon links, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we pick -- see our affiliate disclosure and selection method.

1

Best for one adapter for everywhere

EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter

Slides between US, UK, EU and AU pin sets, with USB-A and USB-C on board. The default universal adapter.

This is the sensible default. It handles the four socket families that cover most travel, and the USB ports remove the pile of separate chargers that otherwise fills a cable pouch.

Check the USB-C wattage against what you need before relying on it for a laptop. The full field, including higher-output options, is in <a href="/carry-on/best-travel-adapters">best travel adapters</a>.

Specs

  • Covers Type A/B, C, G and I sockets
  • Multiple USB-A ports plus USB-C
  • Built-in fuse with a spare
  • Does not convert voltage

Good for

  • One object covers the overwhelming majority of destinations
  • USB ports mean you can leave most wall chargers at home
  • Fused, with a spare fuse included, which many universal adapters are not

Bad at

  • No voltage conversion, which the packaging on this category routinely blurs
  • The sliding pin mechanism is the part that eventually breaks
  • Bulky in a loose European socket, especially with a heavy plug in it
2

Best for grounded three-pin devices in Europe

Ceptics Travel Adapter Plug Set (Grounded)

Small, solid, country-specific plugs with a ground pin. Nothing moves, so nothing breaks.

If you fly the same route regularly, country-specific plugs are the better purchase. They are smaller, they cost less, and the thing that fails on universal adapters -- the sliding pin carriage -- does not exist here.

Grounded is the feature to insist on. A laptop brick with a three-pin cable will not connect to an ungrounded two-pin adapter at all, and discovering that at a hotel desk is a bad evening.

Specs

  • Separate plug for each socket standard
  • Grounded, so three-pin plugs fit
  • Dual inputs on several models
  • No voltage conversion

Good for

  • No moving parts, so far more durable than a sliding universal
  • Grounded, which cheap universal adapters often are not
  • Small enough to carry two without noticing

Bad at

  • You have to know which one you need before you leave
  • A set means several small items to lose rather than one to keep track of
  • No USB ports on the basic plugs
3

Best for the one case where you genuinely need a converter

BESTEK Voltage Converter 220V to 110V

An actual step-down converter for a single-voltage US appliance abroad. Heavy, and almost always avoidable.

Included to be complete, and with a recommendation not to buy it. The devices people want a converter for are heating appliances, and heating appliances draw far more wattage than a portable converter comfortably supplies.

Check the device label first: if it reads 100-240V, you do not need this. If it reads 120V only, consider whether buying a cheap local version at the destination is simpler than carrying two pounds of transformer. Packing-weight tradeoffs are worked through in <a href="/carry-on/how-to-pack-light">how to pack light</a>.

Specs

  • Steps 220-240V down to 110-120V
  • Limited continuous wattage -- check the rating against the appliance
  • Includes several plug adapters
  • USB ports on some models

Good for

  • Lets a genuinely single-voltage device work abroad
  • Comes with the plug adapters, so it is one purchase
  • Protects the device rather than hoping it survives

Bad at

  • Heavy and bulky -- a meaningful share of a carry-on allowance
  • The wattage rating is easily exceeded by a hair dryer, which then fails
  • Almost always unnecessary, because modern electronics are dual-voltage

Questions

Frequently asked

What travel adapter do I need for Europe?
Type C or Type F for most of continental Europe. Type C is the two round pins; Type F adds earth contacts for three-pin plugs. Italy also uses Type L and Switzerland uses Type J, so check those two specifically.
What is the difference between a travel adapter and a converter?
An adapter only changes the plug shape. A converter changes the voltage. If your charger reads 100-240V on its label, an adapter is all you need -- which covers nearly all modern electronics.
Do I need a voltage converter in Europe?
Almost certainly not. Phones, laptops, cameras and most toiletries chargers are dual-voltage. You would only need one for a single-voltage heating appliance like a US hair dryer, and leaving that at home is easier.
Does a universal travel adapter work everywhere?
Nearly. Most cover Types A/B, C, G and I, which handles the majority of destinations. Italy's Type L, Switzerland's Type J and South Africa's Type M are the common gaps worth checking before you fly.
Can I charge my laptop with a travel adapter?
Yes, as long as the adapter is grounded if your laptop has a three-pin plug. If you want to charge from the adapter's USB-C port instead, check that it outputs at least 30W -- many output far less.
Do I need an adapter for Japan?
Usually not, coming from the US -- Japan uses Type A sockets. The voltage is 100V rather than 120V, so chargers work but may run slightly slower. Older Japanese sockets lack the ground slot that some US plugs have.

References

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