Using US Hair dryer in Italy?

I'm unsure of which adapter/converter to get for my vacation to Italy. I'm needing this to be able to use my hair dryer which is approx 1800-2000 watts. HELP ME PLEASE!Using US Hair dryer in Italy?
Electricity is totally different in Italy -- not only the voltage (they use 220 volts, whereas we in the US use 110) but also the shape of the wall socket (they use a round-pronged plug, whereas we use a flat-pronged one).





As such, you're going to need a plug adapter, so that your American hairdryer will fit into the plug socket. But you're also going to need a step-down power converter or transformer to convert the voltage down from 220 to 110. Hairdryers are extremely high current devices, which means that when you go shopping for your converter/transformer, you're going to need to find one with a power rating that meets or exceeds the power rating of your hairdryer.





If all this sounds confusing, you might consider contacting the property you'll be staying at in Italy and asking if they have hairdryers -- the all around simple solution would be just to leave yours at home, you see, and use theirs. (Still bring a plug adapter for other smaller devices, though; it'll come in handy for things like battery chargers.) If they DON'T offer hairdryers, you might just want to buy a small cheap one once you're actually in Italy. This saves you from having to carry around a heavy converter.





Hope this helps! Good luck with everything, and have a great trip!


--HollyUsing US Hair dryer in Italy?
Probably the adapter from Radioshack will be more expensive than a cheap Italian hairdryer.


Most hotels will have hairdryers available for the guests.


For more info and tips about traveling in Italy, have a look at my page below.


Have a good trip!
Top 6 Power Adapters for Travel By James Martin, About.com





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european power adapter
It's not the wattage that is important. It's the voltage. U.S. electricity is 120v/60hz. In Italy, it is 230v/50hz.





You will need both a voltage adapter and a plug adapter. (Italy has different electrical outlets than the US, so you can't just plug in a US device.) Try an electronics store such as Radio Shack. I've haven't bought these items recently, but I've had success buying them there in the past.