Many people ask me about traveling with portable electronics and there is a lot of confusion out there about the difference between an adaptor and a converter. Let’s clear some of that up! Ireland and Scotland's electrical systems (and most other countries for that matter) run on 220 volts. America’s systems are all running at 110 volts. One of the main reasons other countries use a higher voltage system is so that they can install less outlets in a room and still meet power demands. This is beneficial in countries with a lot of old buildings (it’s difficult to retrofit old buildings), or buildings that are primarily made of brick and masonry. This has a significant impact on travelers. For starters, finding an open plug while on the road can be problematic. You may have to unplug a lamp in you hotel room to charge your phone or dig around behind a dresser to plug something in. Also, you will be sharing hotel rooms with other travelers and they will need plug space too. This can also be an issue in airports and other busy travel depots. Other travelers may have already taken all the open outlets. I usually travel with a small plug splitter like this to alleviate this problem:

You can find this particular one on Amazon for about $15.

The next issue is voltage compatibility. Most electronics that have been produced in the last decade or so have been designed to run on 110-240 volts. Look carefully at stickers on cords, plugs and the back of your device to confirm this. What this means is that you will not need a power converter. A converter takes one amount of voltage and changes it to meet the needs of your device. If you device already accepts the voltage in your intended country then you don’t need a converter.
That being said, I need to make a disclaimer about hair dryers, curling irons and any other device with a heating element. These devices don’t handle the change in voltage well, especially going from the American 110 volt to 220 volts in another country. Most of the time the device can’t handle the extra voltage and will die in a blaze of glory. Most of the hotels on our trip will have a blow dryer in the room so the best option is just to leave yours at home. If that doesn’t work for you then look into buying a power converter, or adopting a different hairstyle while on tour.
The next major issue to discuss is the fact that the sockets and plugs in Ireland and Scotland are different from ours here in the US, and there is relatively little conformity in socket style usage throughout the country. Many places will have this type of socket:

Notice the large flat prongs and the switch on the socket itself. That switch controls the power at the socket. If this is off then no matter what plug in it or what other switch you turn on, there will be no power. This plug is typical in the UK but there is usually little conformity in other countries so be prepared for anything.

The way around this plug issue is to bring a travel adapter. Adapters do not change the voltage, only the plug configuration. You need one that will accept the plug from your device (make sure it accepts 2 and 3 pronged plugs) and will then plug into a local socket. There are many different types (universal adapters, ones with removable plug ends, etc.). A few years back I purchased this “Universal’ adapter:

I’ve used it in a few different countries now successfully. The only issue I have with it is that it can be bulky when trying to fit other plugs in the same socket or on a power strip. Also, sometimes the sockets in another country will have a recessed portion and this adapter does not fit. You can find this one on Amazon.com for under $5.
Another important item to consider is the battery life of your devices. When it’s difficult to find a place to charge your device or you’re on the go and don’t have time to wait for things to charge, a backup battery comes in really handy. Nowadays there are many options for this. Be sure to find one that is compatible with your device and will hold enough juice to charge your device a few times before it’s empty.
Another issue travelers face when toting electric devices is the amount of stuff it takes to make them “portable”. Cords, plugs, backup batteries, adapters, converters, etc. etc. etc. It can really start to add up! Usually the only device I bring is my smart phone. It has a great camera, I can use wifi to keep in touch, I’ve loaded books on it with an Amazon Kindle App, it’s a music player, I pre-load some Google maps so I can access them off-line, I use the airline apps to keep track of flights and sometimes I can even check in and get boarding passes on it. It does pretty much everything I need and I only need one cord and one adapter. Carefully consider the items you want to bring. Can one device perform the same function as another? Can one cord fit other devices? Can you do without it for a week and a half? Just remember that every item you bring you have to carry around for days while we roam from hotel room to hotel room, board different flights, jump a bunch of different buses and potentially walk mile after mile. Sometimes less really is more.
What devices do you plan on bringing? What has worked for you on your past adventures? Leave a comment below.

Simple ways to find funds for your tour.

Alright, so you have taken the leap of faith and signed up for a trip hoping that somehow the money you need will grow on the tree out your window. Here are some simple, and more likely, ways to find funds for your trip.

1. Cut back on unnecessary expenses – In order to make your savings plan successful you need to put your travel plans as your top priority. That may mean you or your parents giving up some of your regular expenditures. For example, many people make a trip to Starbucks every morning spending $5 - $7 on a cup of coffee. If you brew it yourself and bring it from home you can save over $150 per month or over $1800 per year! Eating out less often, drinking your own bottled water instead of a daily soda, buying clothes secondhand, cutting back on your utilities usage, finding a cheaper cellphone plan without data charges etc., dropping your cable/satellite plan and just watching Netflix instead are all areas where you may find ways to save. By examining your spending habits closely you may find other ways to save significant amounts (you may even develop some healthier habits in the process!).

2. Sell anything you don’t regularly use – Many of us have quite a few items we have accumulated that we think we need but in reality we rarely use. When I was in my early 20’s I lived in Southeast Asia for two years and frequently moved from town to town. I had to be able to stuff everything I owned into a suitcase at a moment’s notice. I came to realize how easy it is to do without many of the things I thought were essential. When I got home I gutted my room and found a plethora of items that I didn’t need anymore (I still had my high school football practice jersey!)
When examining your stuff a good test to use to decide if you need it or not is the 6 month test, if you haven’t used it in the last 6 months odds are that you don’t really need to have it around. CD and DVD collections, dad’s old fishing gear that he never uses, last year’s prom dress, instruments you don’t really play anymore, sports equipment you don’t use, that treadmill that is just gathering dust in a corner, books that you have read over and over again, anything! Having a yard sale is a start but many people come to yard sales looking to score crazy deals and won’t pay you what your stuff is worth. Try Ebay, Amazon, Craigslist or even local consignment shops to maximize your earning potential.

3. Work your network – If you really start to think about the amount of people you know you’ll be surprised at how long the list is. People at church, school groups, close relatives and distant obscure cousins, neighbors, people you work with etc. Now think about what would happen If everyone you know thought about everyone they knew. The numbers would add up pretty quickly. Imagine if everyone on that list gave you $5 for your trip. You would reach your fundraising goal in no time! For example, if you had 100 people who each gave you $5 and they each had only 10 friends give you $5, you would have raised a total of $5500!
There are some great tools out there to help you spread the word and raise money for your cause. You can link a PayPal account to your Facebook account so your Facebook friends can donate with one easy click. You can start a campaign at gofundme.com. You have a built in Donate button in your EF account that friends and family can use to donate directly to your tour costs. You could even go “old school” and start a letter writing campaign. Just make sure everyone you know and everyone they know knows, you know?

Here are some other suggestions that may prove beneficial to you:

Have your rich Uncle Sam pay for it. If you sign up at the right time you will have up to two tax returns that you can apply to your trip costs.

Get creative with credit. Many credit cards offer lengthy introductory 0%  interest periods (some up to 18 months!) and some great rewards. You could pay the EF costs in one swipe and buy yourself more time to pay off the credit company. But wait, there's more! Many cards offer great rewards for spending a few thousand within the first few months of using the card. You could pay off your trip and be well on your way to earning another one from your credit company all in one stroke!

Connect with your church or community groups and hold a fundraiser like a bake sale, a silent auction, or a spaghetti dinner.

Hold a video game tournament. Charge players to enter the tournament and then give away a portion of the "pot" to the winner.

The bottom line is, you have to make saving for your trip a priority. It also helps to think in terms of a monthly payment instead of a lump sum. Trying to come up with a few hundred each month is easier than finding the total price all at once. Make sure you thoughtfully consider every penny you spend, critically evaluate your needs and don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can do it!

What are you doing that is working for you? Share your fundraising success with others by posting your ideas below.