my daughter is in florence
we forgot to send a two prong adapter for her european converter so she can use her lap top
before isend one via fed ex where can she buy an american plug adapter to change a three prong to a two prong electical cord

thanks
sydney

Probably she will have no problems in finding it in florence. Some Computer shop, or maybe an adapter at the airport, station, etc.

The New Happy Weeks and Last Minute offers
at Casina di Rosa - Holiday home in Tuscany

There is a guy with a knife and screwdriver stand just outside the farmacia beside the San Lorenzo Chapel that sells them for 5 euro. got one there a week or so ago for my digital camera.

~passerotto~

Not all who wander are lost. JRR Tolkein

Many electrical devices today are powered off a transformer. This is because modern electronics need a steady and clean source of power to protect the delicate electronic circut boards from spikes in the power which coould damage them. So if you are taking a device with a transformer, check the transformer. It will tell you the range of voltage that it is designed to handle. If it lists an input of 120-240 volts you are in luck and all you will need in Italy is a plug adapter.

If it lists 120 volts than you will need a converter. Converters come in two flavors. There is the lightweight one designed for high wattage appliances like hair driers. These are less expensive as well. Then there is a device designed for items drawing less than, usually, 75 watts. This would be your battery charger and possibly the charger on your cell phone, or a tape player etc. If you use the high wattage adaptor, you run the risk of burning out the device.

In the states, I have found the low wattage adaptor at Radio Shack. Sharper Image and travel stores also have them but they ahve been much more expensive. Make sure your adaptor has the proper prong for the country you are visiting.

Wine Notes*Tuscan Restaurant List* Wine, Opera & Food* Trip

words of wisdom to live by from Stephen Sondheim's The Frogs
{The chorus is singing a prayer to Dionysus...}
Dionysius "A hymm to me, the god of wine..."
Xanthius (His slave) "I thought you were the god of drama?"
Dionysius "I am the god of wine and the god of drama. A little wine will get you thru a lot of drama"

I believe that unless the laptop is more than five years old, it is almost certain that that it will adapt to the local electicity without a converter or transformer.

Take a look at the "brick" on the power cord of most laptops...there will be a listing of important information, like model number and input. If the input is 100V-240V, the laptop will automatically adapt to the proper voltage.

It is very easy to find a prong adapter at any computer store or "elettrodomestici" in most Italian towns.

Jim Zurer
Great Travels Inc.
Washington DC 20015
My Slowtrav Classified Ad
http://www.great-travels.com
jim@great-travels.com