Using British electrical devices in Spain

pinkacidbootson · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:20

My girlfriend is going to Spain for the next year of her Uni course, so she will need to take some plug adapters with her. After a quick search on the rainforest website, i've found universal plug adapters for less than a tenner.
Will these be good for all her electricals, or will she also need for example a new power brick for her laptop?
Any other related advice would also be apreciated.

Rameses · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:26

God, for a minute then I thought you were dvdbunny.

Any will be find, I mean ones you find in local shops, and of course airport. She will even find plenty out there in Spain.

Laptop will again be fine running off an adapter. Might even be able to use a native power plug if you can buy one out there. All do the same thing when powering a laptop.

kibblerok · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:27

its the same supply

just buy a few adaptors from poundland - not sure what you're buying for a tenner?

Jotun · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:28

http://www.andalucia.com/travel/electricity/home.htm

The Spanish domestic power system is 220 or 225 volts AC.

British will only need a plug adapter which is easy to find and, if all else fails, can almost always be purchased at the airport.

Sounds like the voltage won't need steping up or down so an adapter should be fine.

pinkacidbootson · 18 Apr 2009 at 23:46

Thanks I'll get her a few cheap ones then

acevuk · 19 Apr 2009 at 00:38

I went to Holland a couple of weeks ago, and took one adapter and a 4-gang UK socket with me. Worked fine, and I didn't need any other adapters! I plan on doing the same when I go to Canada in July.

EDIT: Maybe not, as Canada are on 110V!! I'll have to get a converter as well...

likwid · 19 Apr 2009 at 10:04

There is a small issue which I found that there are two types of socket which earth electrical equipment in different ways. When I first moved here I was a little alarmed to find my computer discharging a small amount of electricity through the case until I sought advice and bought the right adapter.

What you have probably bought is like this:

http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/9643/wm/pd176604.jpg

As you can see it has two pins protruding from the plug and also contacts at the top and bottom which connect with the recessed socket contacts. The house I am living in doesn't have the recessed socket and earth by way of a third prong in the middle of the plug. Quite easy to spot and easy to buy another adapter in a Spanish hardware store if necessary.