Laptop For France

[Gary Brown]

Hi,

Our student daughter will be roughing it in Paris for the spring term.
She will face a problem with the different power system.

Would she do better to buy a laptop power adaptor for each power
system, a single French-US converter for everything (she will still
have her iPod and whatnot to run), or a separate converter for
each gizmo that plugs in? (I hope that's clear.)

Any brands you would recommend?

Any other computer or power related gotchas she might encounter?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[UT Student]

Hi,

Our student daughter will be roughing it in Paris for the spring term. She
will face a problem with the different power system.

Would she do better to buy a laptop power adaptor for each power system, a
single French-US converter for everything (she will still have her iPod
and whatnot to run), or a separate converter for each gizmo that plugs in?
(I hope that's clear.)

Any brands you would recommend?

Any other computer or power related gotchas she might encounter?

Thanks,
Gary

I've got no idea what's out there, but I would try a single French-US
converter, supplying power to a $5 surge protector

 

[Dave]

Hi,

Our student daughter will be roughing it in Paris for the spring term.
She will face a problem with the different power system.

Would she do better to buy a laptop power adaptor for each power
system, a single French-US converter for everything (she will still
have her iPod and whatnot to run), or a separate converter for
each gizmo that plugs in? (I hope that's clear.)

Any brands you would recommend?

Any other computer or power related gotchas she might encounter?

Thanks,
Gary

I'm writing this in France on a UK laptop. My power adapter accepts 100-240v
input, so I could use it anywhere in the world with a suitable travel
adapter. Don't laptops sold in the US come with a similar power adapter? If
not you will need a 220 / 110v transformer.

Mutli-sockets that accept all kinds of plug can be bought in big
supermarkets here as can adapters to plug a modem cable into a French
telephone socket.

You can get pay-as-you go dial-up from Wanadoo (among others). You need a
French address to sign up, but if you can use a friend's address you can
sign up from the US.