Plugging a laptop into a power outlet in France?

Question

I just got an international converter set but I'm afraid it won't be of help because it says not to use it with appliances that use more than 25 W.

The set has five different adapters (for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia...) and a converter.

Can I just use the adapter without the converter?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Most laptops don't need a converter, just an adapter. Check your laptop AC adapter for the following mention:

Input: 100-240V~

This means it will work anywhere with the correct "plug". Same goes for mp3 players.

Answer 2

You just need the adapter to be able to stick your flat two-prong US plug into the round two-prong French outlet.

Your laptop AC adapter will take care of the 110V (US) to  210V (French) voltage conversion. You can actually check your adapter input rating; it should indicate something like "110-220V, 50/60Hz".

Answer 3

I wouldn't.  The converter converts  the charge so you won't have a problem with the higher amount of electricity.  I have a friend who plugged in her charger for her camera without that converter and she shut off power in the hallway and she totally fried her charger.  I wouldn't suggest doing that unless you want a fried laptop.  I'd suggest going to internet cafes instead because they're cheap, often 1-2 euros an hour and the connection is fast.