German power adapter work in Switzerland?

  • rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    24 April 2017 at 7:02:27 #811529

    Hi MSW,

    I have a travel adapter to convert Australian plug (Type I) to German Schuko-style (Type F). See attached.

    Will this fit a Swiss socket or will I need a further Type F to Type C (2 pin) or J (3-pin) adapter. I am only going to be using for two-pin unearthed appliances.

    I’m not sure if the prongs on on the German plug are too thick to fit Swiss two pin socket.

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    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    24 April 2017 at 11:39:40 #862072

    Hi Rockoyster,

    No the German plugs won’t work here. Both the large plastic case and the pins themselves won’t allow you to plug them into a standard Swiss socket.

    Most sockets are sunk into the wall like my attachment.

    Lucas

    Removed user
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    24 April 2017 at 13:16:13 #862073

    Hi rockoyster,

    All the power outlets I have seen in Switzerland look like one of these two:

    Older type (and in my experience more common in hotels)

    http://www.englishforum.ch/at tachments/complaints-corner/19856d128752889 3-open-letter-manufacturers-swiss-electrical-appliances-fig-1-swiss-powerpoint.jpg

    Newer type

    http://www.internationalconfi g.com/prod_shot/76101x 45.jpg

    As Lucas has already advised you, your pictured German adaptor won’t fit either of them, but you can buy an adaptor for it, to use piggy-back style (see attached picture German-Swiss). I have never seen adaptors that take Australian plugs on one side and plug into Swiss power outlets on the other side, so this piggy-back arrangement seems to be the only solution.

    If you have USB devices to be charged, it is easiest to buy an adaptor such as that pictured in “SwissUSB”, but I would advise you to buy it in Switzerland. I had a Korjo USB adaptor that I bought in Australia that looked like it should fit Swiss power outlets. It fitted the newer recessed type of power outlet, but the prongs were slightly too wide apart for the older type of outlet.

    In my experience, many hotels use all the available power outlets for lamps, clock radios etc. It can get very annoying having to unplug a lamp to charge your devices. I ended up buying a small triple adaptor (see attached picture), which was worth its weight in gold.

    There is a shop called InterDiscount, which has a branch in most major railway stations. You can get the adaptors there. Various brands of USB adaptors are also available at most post offices. Some supermarkets might sell the USB adaptors, but probably not those for power plugs.

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    24 April 2017 at 21:09:07 #862074

    Hi Guys,

    Thanks, for the great advice.

    Korjo now make an AU to Swiss 2-pin adapter, Alpenrose. http://www.korjo.com/Product-Range/Adaptors-(1)/Adaptor—Europe—Italy—Switzerland-(KA-EU-IS).aspx

    But given your experience with their USB adapter I think I will buy the right thing on arrival. I’ll have a look for InterDiscount at Basel SBB.

    Do I take it from your photos that ALL wall outlets provide for 3-pin plugs or do I need a 3-pin and a 2-pin adapter?

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    24 April 2017 at 23:49:25 #862075

    >> Korjo now make an AU to Swiss 2-pin adapter, Alpenrose. www. korjo. com/Product-Range/Adaptors-(1)/Adaptor—Europe—Italy—Switzerland-(KA-EU-IS).aspx

    But given your experience with their USB adapter I think I will buy the right thing on arrival.

    Interesting, thanks for that. But, as you said, it’s a bit of a risk that it won’t fit the non-recessed power outlets.

    >> I’ll have a look for InterDiscount at Basel SBB.

    Actually, it turns out that Basel SBB is one major station that doesn’t have an InterDiscount store within the station! However, there is one very close by (see attached map).

    If that doesn’t suit you for some reason, you can do a search on the InterDiscount website for other stores.

    http://www.interdiscount.ch/i dshop/index.jsf

    If you don’t read German, French or Italian, this might help:

    Filialfinder – branch finder

    PLZ – postcode

    Stadt – city/town

    Umkreis – within distance of …

    >> Do I take it from your photos that ALL wall outlets provide for 3-pin plugs or do I need a 3-pin and a 2-pin adapter?

    There might be a 2-pin outlet in the bathroom, but any other outlets in hotel rooms will be 3-pin. Certainly I never encountered a hotel where I was unable to charge my devices using the adaptors pictured in my previous post.

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    25 April 2017 at 1:17:53 #862076

    Thanks Alpenrose. We are staying one night close to SBB so the store you have identified is very convenient. Much appreciated.

    udayaditya
    Participant
    55 posts
    25 April 2017 at 13:19:37 #862077

    Hi Alpennrose

    Is there amy Interdiscount store located in Thun?

    Do you have any idea about the adapters needed for Indian devices??

    Thanks

    Udayaditya

    udayaditya
    Participant
    55 posts
    25 April 2017 at 13:23:02 #862078

    Hello

    Here are the photos

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    25 April 2017 at 16:03:55 #862079

    Hi udayaditya,

    Yes there are Interdiscount stores in Thun (2). One is downtown near the train station!

    Lucas

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    26 April 2017 at 6:09:17 #862080

    >> Do you have any idea about the adapters needed for Indian devices??

    I assume you mean Indian devices that have to be plugged into a power outlet (not devices that can be charged using a USB cable).

    I wouldn’t count on getting an adaptor for Indian devices in Switzerland. I would recommend getting one in India before you leave.

    Where the InterDiscount store will come in handy is if you can only get an adaptor in India that fits the round type of European power outlets. This adaptor will not fit a Swiss power outlet, so in the InterDiscount store, you can get a second adaptor that will adapt the European adaptor to Swiss power outlets, i.e. you will need to use both adaptors together with your Indian device.

    Indian device => European adaptor => Swiss adaptor => Swiss power outlet

    Alpenrose

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    26 April 2017 at 7:31:31 #862081

    Attached are two products that will achieve what Alpenrose recommends. (sorry first attachment got duplicated and I couldn’t work out how to delete)

    Try googling to find on-line if you have time to buy before travelling. digitech in Switzerland list the India- Europe unit. http://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/p roduct/skross-country-adapter-india-israel-denmark-europe-2-pole-multi-travel-adapters-283161

    udayaditya
    Participant
    55 posts
    26 April 2017 at 14:29:54 #862082

    Hello Alppenrose and Rockoyster

    Thanks so much for the detailed information

    Udayaditya

    Removed user
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    72625 posts
    26 April 2017 at 16:41:06 #862083

    FYI,

    Digitec is online only. You can pick it up at a few locations though. Just be sure to order it a day or two in advance (the web page above will tell you how long shipping takes to each town in Switzerland that shipping is available for).

    Cheers!

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    26 April 2017 at 20:48:37 #862084

    Thanks Lucas. I was going to buy one of these http://www.digitec.ch/en/s1/p roduct/steffen-adapter-europa-schweiz-3-pole-schuko-plug-travel-adapters-220004 from Digitec as their store is closer than InterDiscount to our hotel in Basel. Now I know I must order in advance.

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    26 April 2017 at 21:18:49 #862085

    Hi Udayaditya,

    InterDiscount has both the SKROSS items.

    http://www.interdiscount.ch/i dshop/product/netz-ladegeraete/917082_ER-8826296991745/skross-india-israel-daenemark-to-europe/detail.jsf

    http://www.interdiscount.ch/i dshop/product/reise-elektronik/876105_ER-324635328922240/skross -single-travel-adapter-europe/detail.jsf

    You can order online to pick up at any of their many stores. Website is not in English but pretty easy to navigate with minor assistance from Google translate.

    In den Warenkorb = to shopping cart

    bezahlen = pay

    Abholung in der Filiale = pickup in store 😉

    LeVoyageur
    Participant
    58 posts
    27 April 2017 at 2:18:17 #862086

    PLEASE DESTROY!

    It seems that I can’t post message when I use your site with with my iPad. I can type but nothing appears in the text box but, strangely, the message gets posted! Sorry about this… My “real” message was sent separately!

    LeVoyageur
    Participant
    58 posts
    27 April 2017 at 3:04:47 #862087

    Very interesting topic! Can you tell me if a 2-pin type C adaptor (rectangular with rounded edges, that can be used in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, etc.) actually fits in a swiss outlet. I have read that it does, provided that it physically fits in the outlet (I have some that are round and they obviously do not fit). For example, I usually use these to recharge my camera batteries. Another thing that I found confusing is regarding the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit. This kits basically allows you to change the “plug portion” of your iPad charger to make it compatible with various outlets. The box says that the “plug” designed for Continental Europe will work in Switzerland. I have checked with Apple Canada and they didn’t give me 100% faith! So I’m turning to this forum to see if you Lucas, or another user, is/are using and iPad that has a European 2-pin “plug” that fits in Swiss outlets (even better would be a reply from someone who might have used it in Switzerland AND in other “Continental European countries).

    AS always, this forum is really a goldmine of information! Keep up the good work!

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    27 April 2017 at 3:19:46 #862088

    Hi LeVoyageur,

    I can’t say for sure but my impression is that the Type-C plug will fit most of the older style (flat plate) outlets but not the recessed Type-J socket.

    ps There is a known bug with entering messages on iPad. The message is there but disappears out the top of the text box when you type. You can scroll in the text box to bring the text back into view. When using iPad I first type message in Notes so I can see what I am doing and then copy paste into the MySwissAlps text box. I reported the problem a few weeks back and I understand a fix is being worked on. 😉

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    27 April 2017 at 6:53:03 #862089

    Hi LeVoyageur,

    If the Apple plug looks like the 1st photo attached below then it should fit any Swiss socket. I think Apple know what they are doing when it comes to products.

    The World Travel Adapter shown on the apple.ch is shown in the 2nd attachment below.

    I can’t be sure but the plug bottom right looks like a Type-C. The plug middle top looks like a 2-pin variant of the Swiss Type-J.

    This USB charger http://www.apple.com/ch-de/shop/product/MD813Z M/A/apple-usb-power-adapter?fnode=91 looks dead set Swiss.

    And to perhaps lay the Type-C debate to rest “A type C plug fits perfectly into a type J socket.” See http://www.worldstandards.eu/ electricity/plugs-and-sockets/j/ I guess it depends on how close the manufacturers stick to “the standard” and also how closely the old-style flat plate sockets (see link to picture in Alpenrose666 post timed Apr 24, 2017 – 1:16 PM above) comply with the pin spacing for the recessed Type-J. Maybe the debate is not laid to rest at all.

    Happy adapting 😉

    LeVoyageur
    Participant
    58 posts
    27 April 2017 at 16:39:51 #862090

    The European one is the middle one on the top line!

    Many thanks!

    rockoyster
    Participant
    8889 posts
    28 April 2017 at 3:20:18 #862091

    More on Type-C v Type-J compatibility . . . .

    Type-C http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/ typeC.htm good up to 2.5Amps double insulated appliances

    Type-J http://www.iec.ch/worldplugs/ typeJ.htm good up to 10Amps

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