While in Europe many other countries also the Schuko plug, so the common in Germany plug, use, see the socketsin the US already significantly different. But not only visually distinguish the American outlets, what US travelers should know, they learn in this guide.

From Schuko to NEMA – Socket Adapter for USA

In the US and Canada, the so-called NEMA plug is in use, so the socket standard is technically correct. Also in Vietnam, China or Japan a NEMA plug is used.
In addition to the small two-pin plug, there is also a larger version with a third protective contact.
An important difference between Germany and the North American area is the grid voltage. This is in Germany at 230 volts, in the US only at 125 volts. Because of this low voltage, European devices only operate at half power in the US, while older devices often still allow manual switching.
Most end devices work without any problems at all common mains voltages and a sticker on the device gives information about the possible operating voltages (eg „110-240 Volt“).
If the voltages of the desired device are incompatible with the American mains voltage, travelers must use voltage converters. Converters provide reliable conversion for short periods of up to two hours, and for longer use a transformer is used as an adapter. Decisive is the wattage of the terminal.

Sets and protective contacts – Which different adapters are available?

The main differences with the socket adapter are between the 2-pin plugs and the 3-pin plugs with the corresponding protective contact.
Although the socket adapters with only two contacts are narrower and usually cheaper, but if nothing decisive speaks against it, travelers should rather take socket adapter with protective contact. Due to the larger plug receptacle, these are suitable for all forms of German devices.
Many vendors also sell their socket adapters in a compact set Smartphoneand tabletin the luggage. It is therefore advisable to take several adapters with you in order to always have fully charged technology on site.
Travelers with small children should also make sure that the socket adapter has appropriate child protection.
Flexible adapters are more expensive, but not just for the US. In these systems, the contacts used are simply extended with sliders. This is not only optimal for round and world travel, but also saves many a new purchase in the life of a frequent driver. But these world travel adapters cost about 30, – Euro – single adapters are not so expensive even in a set.

Travel without adapter? – With Travel Kit and USB plugs

In addition to using an adapter, manufacturers such as Apple offer an additional option to load the devices in the USA, Canada and many other countries. Through a special travel kit are simply the essays of power adapterreplaced with the socket. This is an elegant variant to use the familiar technology with the usual comfort on site without any problems. However, this is limited in the application and is recommended only for longer trips.
If you are traveling for a short time, you will find the much more versatile device in the universal adapter for the USA.
But not always the adapter must really fit on the German plug, after all, smartphones, tablets and some laptops are loaded via USB. A USB charging port is therefore perfectly adequate for short trips, especially if the hotel has hair dryers and the dry shaver is not a must.

The right adapter for the USA trip

Travelers should not be late for one travel adapterthink, because while there are many possibilities and a large selection in Germany, the purchase locally is much more difficult. Often only the last minute purchase at the airport remains and that is correspondingly expensive.
With the right adapter for the US standard NEMA in the luggage, the trip to the United States is already a worry poorer.