Italy follows the European standard of 220 volts. It alternates at 50 cycles per second. It is different from the United States, which uses 110 volts at 60 cycles per second. If you are traveling from the United States to Italy, you need a lot of checking in your devices. Since you usually use 110V appliances, it will not be supported by the standard volt in Italy. There will be minor adjustments to your trip to Italy. Power plugs in Italy are different. The wall sockets in Italy are separate in size and shape. The prongs that can fit the sockets varied, as well. There are three different types of Italian plugs. They have type C, type F, and type L plugs. Here is the difference among the three types: Type C The type C plug socket has two round holes next to each other. The holes are typically for live and neutral pins. The holed on type C is flat rubberized like several plug sockets in the market. Type F In type F plug socket, the are two circular adjacent holes intended for live and neutral pins. On the opposite side, there are two grounding clips below and above. Type L It is a squared hexagonal-shaped power outlet. You can recognize this type because of the three adjacent holes next to each other. The holes are for live and neutral ground pins, as well. Unlike the previous plugs I mentioned, type L can either ten amps and 16 amps. The 10 amp version has 4mm pins spaced at 45.5mm apart. On the other side, the 26 amp version has 5.5mm holes spaced at 8mm apart. Hotels usually have the type L plug, which will allow you to use a 230V hairdryer in Italy. In case you do not give these types of pins, you will need a plug adapter to fit your device to the socket. This plug adapter, however, does not convert electricity. A voltage converter and plug adapter are different from each other. If you want to make sure your hair dryer can work perfectly well in Italy, you need to buy an adapter and converter. Bringing these two may be many hassles to you, purchasing a hairdryer in Italy is your next best option. Of course, you will need to consider your length of stay in Italy. If you stay there longer, buying one is ideal. But if you will be in the country for just a few days, bring your converter and adapter is better.