Adaptors that work in the various electricity outlets in Europe
Are there any single-plug (not "powerstrip"-style) adapters that can work for Italy, France, the UK, and Switzerland? It seems very cumbersome to have to pack 4 types of adapters.
'European' outlet, used in continental EU-countries
Outlet used in island countries of EU (Britain, Malta, Cyprus, Ireland)
Swiss outlet
(Image sources - http://tripolo.pl/turystyka/porady/standardy-napiec-i-wtyczek-elektrycznych-na-swiecie/)
Update: Both the answers provide what I was looking for, but given the cost and the lack of product reviews on those type of items, I decided against it. I was looking for an adapter from US to Country XYZ that would work for all countries in Europe.
Best Answer
You don't need to spend $50 for a "ballistic" one. Here's one I bought for $5 in a 7-11 in Singapore or Thailand when I realized the dedicated adaptor I bought in Malaysia wasn't going to be enough:
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Does all of Europe use the same electrical plugs?
All of Europe operates on the same 2 round pronged outlets except for the UK and Ireland that operates on its own unique 3 flat rectangle pronged outlets. If you are travelling through the UK or Ireland (including London) you will need a UK and Ireland power point adapter.What is a EU adapter?
(Consider replacing your appliance instead, or traveling without it.) A small adapter allows American-style plugs (two flat prongs) to fit into British or Irish outlets (which take three rectangular prongs) or continental European outlets (which take two round prongs). Adapters are inexpensive \u2014 bring a handful.How can I use American Electronics in Europe?
Fortunately, most modern electrical devices like phone chargers and digital camera chargers work on a range of voltages. This means you can simply take your device, with the proper plug adapter, and just plug it in wherever you're going in Europe.Do I need a converter or adapter for Europe?
A travel power adapter or European converter adapter fits the plug into the wall socket, while travel converters change the electrical current from 120V to 220V or vice versa. The only time you'll need an international converter is if you're traveling with a device that is not dual voltage.TRAVEL ADAPTERS and Power PLUGS explained | World Travel Tips
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Answer 2
Have you tried the Tumi adapter kit...? http://www.tumi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4209721
$ 50 may seem expensive, but it's never let me down. You can also look for cheaper alternatives if you search for "Universal Adapter Kits".
Answer 3
I've got the Samsonite Luggage Universal Power Adapter. It works pretty much everywhere, and I really love that it also has two USB ports for charging my devices.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004B9RYDM
Answer 4
This Wikipedia page provides information about electric plug types used in various countries.
You can find various types of adapters/switchers for this purpose. My girlfriend went to the Balkans and got the following adapter for 15 TL (about $7). She doesn't need to use it much but I guess she used it once or twice and had no problem. The product supports any type of plug and converts it to any other plug type.
PS: I guess this site has some more details about the type of product I'm talking about.
Answer 5
One not so straight-forward, but cheap alternative would be the following. Note that this will only work for devices with a two-pin plug:
- Use a US to Europe adapter. with two plugs (this will work with the Swiss plugs as well), there are really cheap ones: http://www.amazon.com/Ceptics-Europe-Asia-Plug-Adapter/dp/B0084OPT8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378801703&sr=8-1&keywords=us+to+european+plug+adapter
- Use a second Europe to UK adapter. For the two-pin version you can get really cheap and simple plastic adapters for less than a dollar. It's not a real adapter, but more of a plastic helping you to fit the EU plug into the UK plug. I didn't find a picture, but I used them all the time in Singapore and they work perfectly and weigh close to nothing. You can achieve the same thing, by using a pen on the third pin to be able to fit the EU plug into the UK socket. (Be cautious though).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Ksenia Chernaya, Obsahovka Obsahovka, Obsahovka Obsahovka, ready made