Stay plugged in: Here’s a handy guide to plugs and sockets for international travel

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Few things are more annoying than arriving in a country for a vacation and discovering you can’t plug in your devices and need to seek out a hardware store for an adapter.

Although many hotels offer USB charging outlets, travelers can’t count on that. If you accidentally leave your converter in one hotel and arrive at the next converterless, don’t hesitate to ask the front-desk staff if you can borrow a charger or converter that another guest left behind.

If the country you’re visiting operates on 220-240 volts, Matthew Price, owner of a Mr. Electric (mrelectric.com) franchise, recommends packing a converter with surge protection, because it acts “like a sponge — if any voltage spikes, it absorbs it and takes it safely back to ground.” (Mr. Electric is part of the Neighborly platform (getneighborly.com), which helps connect consumers to home-service providers.)

Conrad McGregor’s worldstandards.eu website, the source of this chart, notes that the voltage in most countries is between 220 and 240 volts (50 or 60 Hz) rather than between 100 and 127 volts, on which the U.S. operates. Worldstandards.eu also lists countries (ranging from Afghanistan to Vatican City) omitted here.

“For travelers, it’s about safety,” Price said. “The cool thing about 100-240 volts is that most smartphones are designed to charge at either 110 or 220 volts.”

Also, the International Electrotechnical Commission’s website is another resource. Here’s a listing of plugs and sockets and some of the places where they are used.

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Type A

Mostly used in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Japan
Two pins
Not grounded
15 amp
Usually 100-127 volt
Socket compatible with plug Type A

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Type B

Mostly used in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Japan
Three pins
Grounded
15 amp
Usually 100-127 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types A and B

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Type C

Mostly used in Europe, South America and Asia
Two pins
Not grounded
2.5 amp
Usually 220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Type C

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Type D

Mostly used in India
Three pins
Grounded
5 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug type D (partial and unsafe compatibility with Types C, E and F)

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Type E

Primarily used in France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic
Two pins
Grounded
16 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types C, E and F

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Type F

Used almost everywhere in Europe and Russia except for the United Kingdom and Ireland
Two pins
Grounded
16 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types C, E and F

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Type G

Mostly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Malaysia and Singapore
Three pins
Grounded
13 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Type G

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Type H

Used exclusively in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Three pins
Grounded
16 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types C and H (unsafe compatibility with Types E and F)

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Type I

Mostly used in Australia, New Zealand, China and Argentina

Two or three pins
Two pins, not grounded; three pins, grounded
10 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Type I

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Type J

Used almost exclusively in Switzerland and Liechtenstein
Three pins
Grounded
10 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types C and J

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Type K

Used almost exclusively in Denmark and Greenland
Three pins
Grounded
16 amp
220-240 volts
Socket compatible with plug Types C and K (unsafe compatibility with Types E and F)

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Type L

Used almost exclusively in Italy and Chile
Three pins
Grounded
10 amp and 16 amp
220-240 volts
10-amp socket compatible with plug Types C and L (10-amp version); 16-amp socket compatible with plug Type L (16-amp version)

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