Plugs, sockets & voltage
Plug adapters for Europe
One European adapter covers almost the whole continent. Sockets take two round pins (Types C, E and F) at 230V, the same voltage as home, so everything you own works.
- No adapter needed
- Bring a UK adapter
- Adapter + check voltage
France and Belgium use sockets with a pin sticking out (Type E), Germany, Spain and most other countries use side clips (Type F), and a two-pin Europlug (Type C) fits both. Buy an adapter labelled 'Type E/F' or 'Schuko' and it works from Lisbon to Lapland.
Where it differs
- France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal and most of EuropeBring a UK adapter
Type C, E or F at 230V. A standard European adapter works.
- SwitzerlandBring a UK adapter
Type J, recessed and six-sided. Chunky adapters often don't fit, but a slim two-pin Europlug does.
- ItalyBring a UK adapter
Type L (three pins in a row) alongside Type F. A slim two-pin adapter fits most sockets.
- Ireland, Malta and CyprusNo adapter needed
UK Type G sockets. No adapter needed.
Sockets you'll find
- Type CEuroplug · 220-240V
- Type EFrench · 230V
- Type FSchuko · 230V
Thick or thin pins?
European adapters come with thick 4.8mm pins (for Type E/F) or thin 4mm pins (Type C). Thin pins fit every socket in Europe, including Swiss and Italian ones. Thick pins grip better but won't go into some older or recessed sockets.
What to pack
- One adapter per device you charge overnight. Hotel rooms rarely have more than two free sockets.
- A UK multi-way extension lead turns one adapter into four sockets. Check the fuse rating if you plug in a hair dryer.
- A USB-C charger with two or three ports saves carrying separate plugs for phone, watch and earbuds.
- Nothing for voltage. Europe runs at 230V like the UK, so your appliances work as normal.
Where else this adapter works
The same Type C, E or F adapter covers most of mainland Europe, Türkiye, Morocco, Egypt, much of Russia and Central Asia, Indonesia including Bali, South Korea and most of South America's Atlantic coast. It won't fit Switzerland's recessed sockets unless it has thin pins, and it won't fit Italy's three-pin Type L, though most Italian sockets take two-pin plugs too.
Before you go
- Hotel bathrooms often have a two-pin shaver socket. It won't power a hair dryer.
- Ferries and Eurostar trains have European sockets, and some have USB too.