GENERAL
PREPARATIONS
LIFE IN GENOA
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
updated: 5 August 2022
The electrical current in Europe is 220-240 volts, in the US it is 110-120 volts. A US appliance that you bring over here and plug into a wall using only an ADAPTER may be ruined. An ADAPTER allows the plug to enter the outlet. You will need to have a TRANSFORMER or CONVERTER to lower the voltage to an acceptable level for your appliance to function and to survive.
Small domestic appliances should be bought here in Italy. This is particularly true of appliances that use electrical resistance to generate heat, like hairdryers. You can get an inexpensive hairdryer for 15-20 euros that will be fine for the semester. If you bring yours from the US it may be ruined. However, some travel hairdryers have dual-voltage settings to accommodate different currents.
All laptop computers and cameras should have chargers/transformers that allow them to work in both the US and in Europe. Look on the charger at the “input”. Be sure it says “110-240”. Then all you need is an adapter to allow you to plug it in. It is recommended that when you arrive you buy a new cord with the proper Italian plug that will connect directly to your charger. That way you don’t have to worry about the adapter as a separate element.