Gear & packingBy Clever Tourists · Published
Most of the world uses 220 to 240 volts and one of a handful of plug shapes, so one universal adapter plus chargers rated 100-240V covers almost every trip. The exceptions are the Americas and Japan (100 to 127 volts), the UK and Ireland (the three-pin Type G), and Italy and Switzerland (their own extra shapes). The table below, built from WorldStandards, covers the countries on our 20-country route and the common ones beyond. Plug shape and voltage are separate questions: an adapter changes the shape, only a converter or a dual-voltage device changes how the electricity is used.
• Adapter: a plastic shell that lets your plug fit a foreign socket. It does nothing to the voltage.
• Converter or transformer: needed only for devices rated for a single voltage that does not match the country, such as a 120V-only hair dryer in a 230V country. Plugging such a device into an adapter alone can burn it out.
• Dual-voltage devices: look at the small print on the charger. If it says Input: 100-240V, it works anywhere with the right adapter. Nearly all phone, laptop, tablet, camera and power-bank chargers are labelled this way. Hair dryers, straighteners and kettles often are not.
• Type A: two flat parallel pins. North America, Japan, plus mixed sockets in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
• Type B: Type A plus a round earth pin. US, Canada, Japan (some sockets).
• Type C: two round pins, the Europlug. Most of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Indonesia, South Korea (with F).
• Type E and F: round pins with an earth clip (E, France, Czechia) or side contacts (F, Schuko, Germany, Spain, much of Europe). A Type C plug fits both.
• Type G: three rectangular pins. UK, Ireland, Malta, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia.
• Type I: angled flat pins, Australia, New Zealand, China (also A).
• Type L: three round pins, Italy (with C and F), and Type J for Switzerland.
Plug types and voltages as listed by WorldStandards:
• Spain, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, Turkey: Type C and F, 230V, 50Hz.
• Italy: Types C, F and L, 230V, 50Hz. A standard Type C plug fits most sockets.
• Czech Republic, Morocco: Type C and E, 230V, 50Hz.
• England: Type G, 230V, 50Hz. Details in our England plug guide.
• Philippines: Types A, B and C at 230V and 60Hz.
• Thailand: Types A, B, C and O at 230V, 50Hz. See our Thailand plug guide.
• Vietnam: Types A, B and C, 230V, 50Hz.
• Indonesia (including Bali): Types C and F, 230V, 50Hz.
• South Korea: Types C and F at 230V, 60Hz. See our South Korea plug guide.
• Japan: Types A and B at 100V, 50Hz in the east and 60Hz in the west. See our Japan plug guide.
• Australia and New Zealand: Type I, 230V (officially; Australia is often closer to 240V), 50Hz.
• United States: Types A and B, 120V, 60Hz.
• France: Types C and E, 230V. Switzerland: Types C and J, 230V.
• India: Types D and M, 230V, 50Hz. China: Types A and I, 230V, 50Hz.
• Hong Kong: Type G, 230V. Brazil: Types C and N, with 127V or 220V depending on the region, 60Hz.
Check the destination before you buy a cheap adapter, since some countries mix standards in different regions.
A single universal adapter with USB ports, or a compact multi-port USB-C charger plus two or three single-country adapters, covers most itineraries. Look for one that accepts Type A, C, G and I, and check the maximum current it can handle. Avoid adapters that claim to be fused for high-power appliances unless the label says so.
Leave 120V-only hair tools at home; most hotels supply dryers. For camera batteries, laptop and phone, the 100-240V charger is enough. Our long trip packing list and camera gear guide cover the rest.
Power banks must go in carry-on baggage, never in checked luggage. Some airlines and countries now restrict use and number; Japan's rules since 24 April 2026 limit passengers to two power banks of 160Wh or less on flights to and from Japan, as covered in our Japan plug guide. Check your airline before you fly.
• Buying an adapter for the wrong region. A US-to-Europe adapter will not fit England; buy one that lists Type G or a universal model.
• Plugging a single-voltage hair dryer into an adapter. An adapter does not change voltage, and the dryer may fail or start a fire.
• Assuming every USB charger is dual voltage. Cheap unbranded ones are sometimes marked for a single voltage; read the label.
• Packing a power bank in checked luggage. Lithium batteries must go in the cabin.
• Forgetting the earth pin. Some laptop chargers have three-pin plugs; a two-pin adapter may not fit, so check which plug your charger actually has.
Count the devices that need charging at the same time, not the countries. One adapter with four USB ports can charge a phone, a watch, a camera battery charger and a laptop at once, which is far more useful than a single socket adapter. For two people, carry one multi-port charger and one spare single adapter.
On a multi-country route, the universal adapter saves you from buying a new shape in each place. If you only visit one or two regions, single-country adapters are lighter and fit sockets better. Our Japan, Thailand, South Korea and England pages cover each country in detail.
Usually just an adapter. Check the charger label: if it says 100-240V, it will work anywhere with the right adapter. Single-voltage appliances such as 120V hair dryers need a converter or should stay at home.
A universal adapter covering Types A, C, G and I handles most of the world, including the US, Europe, the UK, Australia and Asia.
Often yes, because many sockets there accept Type A flat pins, but voltage is 230V, so check that your devices are rated 100-240V.
Japan uses Type A and B sockets, the same shapes as North America, at 100V.
Yes, mostly 230V at 50Hz, though the plug shape varies slightly (C, E, F, L and J), and the UK uses Type G.
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