It has happened to some of us at one time or another; you’ve just booked into your dream hotel, need to straighten your hair, or found out you need to charge your phone or laptop. Then you are surprised, your plug does not fit the socket.
Struggling to buy adapters or even step-down transformers when on vacation or at a club can be a nightmare and often cost a small fortune, finding yourself overcharged or without your amenities for the duration of your stay.
Europe, and more importantly Spain, being one of the most popular timeshare locations has meant that buying travel adapters is much, much easier than it used to be. So it is often a matter of being armed with the most appropriate knowledge so that you can be content with the fact that you are not in for a big surprise when you arrive at your villa or apartment.
Whenever you pack gadgets for the holidays, there are two things you should first consider; Firstly, the type of plug, secondly, and much more importantly, the voltage. The plug/socket type is important as it will physically determine whether or not you can plug in your appliance. Spain uses a round two-pin European plug, something common on the continent that you’ll also see in France, Germany and other countries.
I must say here that the voltage is the most important thing to make sure is correct, this is because it could ruin your device or possibly cause an electrical fire. To check your voltage, you need to look for the “input” written on the plug or AC adapter, depending on what you have. In some cases where the information cannot be found, you can refer to the manual or ask the manufacturer for more details. Once you determine the information, you need to look for a number that ends in “V”, which means the voltage.
Some appliances may work alternately or differently, for example 100-240v means it will work anywhere within 100 volts or 240 volts or 115/230v means it can toggle between 115 or 230v. If there is only one lone number (ie 120v) that indicates it may be just that voltage. An American appliance (usually 120v) that is used in Europe would not work, because the European power grid uses 220-240v. If you were to simply use an adapter at this point without altering the voltage, this would at least “fry” the device and render it useless.
The Spanish national grid runs on 220-240v, so if you live in Europe, the UK or anywhere else that uses the same, you just need a plug adapter. If you live further away, like the US or Canada, where the voltage is different, you will need a step-up/step-down transformer. The transformer can “step up” or “step down” the voltage depending on the voltage, making sure your device isn’t fried.
It has to be said that if you plan to use your Anfi timeshare on a regular basis, you may want to buy appliances that work directly from the electricity grid, although if you have floating weeks in different countries or Diamond Resorts Points (DRI points), you still need to prepare first.
