*Travel Tips>>>Netherlands Travel Tips

Current/voltage?

Travel Info
I was wondering about the voltage/current in the Netherlands. I have a friend who said that the voltage was 220/240 V. But then, another person said that it's 100 watts. I know those are two different units, but I was wondering if anything I were to take there would need to be UP TO that voltage/wattage or if it needs to be EXACTLY that wattage/voltage.

Travel Tips

Wattage varies with the equipment, but you need to use the proper Voltage. All of Europe is at 220V and 50 Hz, whereas in the USA most outlets are 117V or for high power items like dryers, oven or kitchen stoves 220 - 240V 60Hz.
Many small items like chargers for laptops, cell phones, shavers and similar have power supplies (or power bricks) that show that they can be used for 100V to 240V 50 or 60Hz. Essentially they are universally usable without worry of burning something out. Hail technology!
Others

Holland is 220, as is most of Europe.
Also the plugs are different so you will need an adaptor, but thats another issue.
Some appliances come with dual 110/220 (hairdryers usually do, so do Laptops, mobile chargers and most eletronics). But check cause if they dont it will burn down.
If there are no dual voltage, then what you need is a trasnformer and that is heavy, if good. There are some portables, but they stink.
Some hotels will have both 110 and 220.
Then there are the plugs, but plug adaptors can be found at the airport (specially Amsterdam, it麓s huge!) and they are cheap and handy.
Check the outlet of your mobile charger or your lap top charger... it should say - inlet: 110 ~ 220 (or 240), then you are safe.
Hairdryers usually have a little switch to change into 220.
I worked on ships many years and it was always a nightmare, the right plug, the right voltage etc...
Also here in Brazil we have both 110 and 220, depends on the city... nightmarte!!
Good luck.
for plug adaptors check "Go", it麓s a brand.
I cant find the site, but they have a broad variety of adaptors of all kinds. Just stay away from transformers, the portable ones are bad.
The most important number for small appliances is volts - the USA uses 110 volts and Europe + most of the world uses 220 or 240 volts. The wattage refers to how much electricity the item will draw - for example, a toaster oven would use a lot more watts than a regular light bulb.

Another factor is the Hertz or cycles - think of pulses of electricity. For example, an American electric clock designed to operate on 110 volts/60 cycles will run slow even if you use a voltage converter (to "convert" 220/240 volts to 110 volts) to connect it to 220 volts/50 cycles. The converter will reduce the voltage going to the clock, but can't change the number of cycles.

Heinz M is correct and items from the USA like laptops and cellphone chargers almost always work in Europe - look on the power supply. You just need an adapter to allow the flat-prong American plug to work in a round-prong European outlet. Adapters are cheap and are available at luggage shops + stores like BestBuy.

However, other standard USA items do not work well in Europe (even with a voltage converter), partly because of the difference in cycles.

It's best to get items like blow dryers and curling irons in Europe, and probably cheaper than buying a converter.

There are small blow dryers that are made to be dual-voltage (there is a switch on the case) and for those you would only thee an adapter. Look in luggage stores and on sites like: www.travelsmith.com
within 10% of 230 v

look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Mains_electricity

(sorry internet adress is to long for yahoo, just copy it)