Q: I am traveling to Italy (EU). What cords or chargers do I need to bring?
A: To travel to Italy or any other European Union country, here's what you'll need:
1. A USB wall charger
Your smartphone or tablet will typically come with one with every new purchase. If you have one that looks similar to the one above, it will work. If not, check out ZMI's wall charger here.
2. A European plug adapter (outside of UK)
You need a European plug adapter to use with your wall charger so that you can plug it into a wall outlet in Italy or elsewhere in Europe (except the UK). There are all kinds of "World Plug Adapters," ranging from basic ones that are simple but would do the job, to sophisticated but pricier ones. Above shows one that is the bare minimum of what you'll need to get. You can see that your wall charger or power plug's prongs will fit right into the sockets of the plug adapter. Sitting on the other end of the plug adapter are two round pins Italians use in their country. You can get one similar to this at a Walmart store (just ask a Walmart employee to help you find it in one of their isles).
For the UK, you'll need a different plug adapter. Ask for a three-pronged plug that looks something like this:
For more information about AC plug types used in countries worldwide, please check out this exposition.
3. Your phone or tablet's charging cable
You will need to use this cable to charge your phone as you would normally. Plug the European plug adapter into the wall outlet. Then plug your wall charger into the plug adapter using the two prong holes. Finally, connect your phone or tablet to the wall charger using the charging cable. If you have an iPhone or iPad, it will look something like the cable above.
4. You may be also looking at one of ZMI's PowerPack portable chargers. To use a PowerPack 10K in Europe, you can just connect your device normally to charge like this:
5. When the PowerPack runs out of juice (no lights flashing when side button is pressed), you will have to recharge the battery. To recharge, use the PowerPack's micro-USB cable (it comes with the box). Connect it to the wall charger which is plugged into the plug adapter.
The above image shows a connected PowerPack ready to recharge. After this setup is complete, you will plug your wall charger into the plug adapter which should be plugged into a wall outlet.
6. Final note: This battery pack weighs a little over 6 oz. If you prefer something lighter and smaller, there are also many choices out there, but they have less capacity. To summarize, you will need the following list of items for your trip to Europe:
1) Your phone or tablet
2) Your phone or tablet's charge cord
2) A USB wall charger
3) European plug adapter
4) (optional) A battery pack and short battery recharging cord.