Your Ipod and digital camera will probably accept 220 volts, so you do not need a converter, simply an adapter plug to fit the outlet.  Check the acceptable “inputs” (listed on the charger on a permanent label or molded into the plastic) for your camera.  If it lists 220, then just the adapter plug.  You’ll need one adapter plug for UK and Ireland and a different one for the rest of Europe.
 
You can buy a set of adapter plugs (also includes plugs for Asia, South America, etc) for about $10 in the travel/luggage section of Target, Walmart, K-mart, etc.

Yep.  You can also find them in luggage stores, if there is one in your nearest mall.  But you should also be able to find them at Kmart, Target, etc.

If you happen to live close to some large community of European or Asian expats check out if they have “220 v. electronics” or “video conversion” stores. Ones in Chicago used to sell European-to-US plug adapters for buck apiece.

If you are running out of time, you can also get a converter at the airport upon arrival, although it’s gonna cost a lot more. For some reason every large European airport seems to have an electronics store.

I got mine 4 years ago at radioshack. I say get a converter that has different adapter heads. The reason is that my laptop and music player accepted 220 but I noticed that they heated up much faster when I only had them in adapters vs. having them in converters. I mean they used to get REEEEAly hot over an hour of use.
 
Anyway…. go to RADIOSHACK. They’ll have generic store brands and sometimes name brands. I took mine around europe and used it for 9months and I’m about to take it again next month. They work great. You can also order from their website. Catalog No. 273-1413.
 
Have fun!

I will be taking my digital camera to Europe, and I was wondering if the converter was a safe bet even if it takes 220V. Previous posts relayed that some electronics heated up, and I do not want to get to Europe and find that a week into my month trip, that I have fried my camera.
 
If I purchase an adaptor, how big are they, can tray store well, I will just be taking a backpack. Also what do they cost, ballpark…
Thanks
B

Converters should always be safe bet.  But as was brought up earlier, if your appliance says 110-220 V or 110-230 V, or something of that sort, that means that it can support both the 110V that we have in the Americas and the 220V in Europe.  Therefore, you shouldn’t need a converter that converts the electricity from 220V to 110V, if your appliace can support this voltage range.  All you need is an adapter so that you can plug your device into European outlets (which take two cylindrical prongs, as opposed to the two flat ones used in the US, Canada, Mexico, and most of the Americas.)

When buying a covnerter, there are different converters for different type of appliances, for example, some converters are appropriate only for small appliaces that use kess than 50Watts.  Other converters are only for larger appliances that use more than 50 watts.  Look at the appliance(s) you plan on bringing with you to Europe, to see what kind of Watts they use. 
 
example of a simple adapter:
[image]http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/graphics/400.jpg[/image]
 
Converters need not be very big:
[image]http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/graphics/1004.jpg[/image]

 
And finally, even within Europe, there are differences.  Britain and Ireland do not use the two cylindrical prongs used in the rest of Europe, so shop accordingly if planning on visiting these countries.  As for the rest of Europe, here too there can be differences.  Almost a growing number of outlets in Europe are suppressed into the wall.  like this:
 
[image]http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/images/F%20plug.jpg[/image]
 
 
So make sure that your converter/adaptor will be able to work in these types of outlets too.
 
For example, a device like this:
[image]http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/graphics/11600.jpg[/image]
will not fit into many outlets.
 
Get a device more like this:
[image]http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/graphics/ts237ap.jpg[/image]
which will be more universal in continental Europe.