How to Know What Adaptors You Need For International Travel

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My cousin just sent me a text with a photo of a whole slew of plug adaptors asking: “Help! Which adaptors do I need for travel to the UK, Ireland, Europe, Argentina and Chile?”

As you can tell, he’s getting ready for a big trip and doesn’t remember which adaptors he needs. I also have a similar box full of plugs and adaptors so I’m guessing most frequent travelers do as well. So today’s tip is about what I do when I’m traveling internationally, especially to a country where I’m not familiar with their electrical outlets.

1. I always travel with a universal plug so it can be used in 100 countries. I recommend always having a travel adapter like this in your bag.
2. I usually bring one or two extra plug adaptors that pertain to that country just in case my universal charger breaks, I lose it or I need more than one thing charged. So I go through my box of adaptors and bring the appropriate ones.
3. I consult WhatPlug.info to refresh my memory on what the plug looks like.
4. I also bring a small power strip so I can charge more than one device at a time.
5. I make sure I don’t bring anything that will break because the voltage is different. My wife has had her expensive hair flat iron pop in a hotel in Thailand once and that set us back $100.