Italy Plug Adapter: Type C, F and L, 230 V for US Travelers

Where these numbers come from

Italy is the country where adapters go wrong. Besides the common types C and F, Italy has type L, a three-pin design in two sizes that are not interchangeable. The 10 A version has 4 mm pins spaced 19 mm apart. The 16 A version has thicker 5 mm pins spaced 26 mm apart. Power is 230 V at 50 Hz, so US devices need a plug adapter, and 120 V-only appliances need more.

The 10 A socket accepts the small Europlug but rejects Schuko and French plugs, whose 4.8 mm pins are thicker than Italy's 4 mm holes. The 16 A socket accepts neither. That is why a cheap C/F adapter that worked in Berlin sometimes fails in an older Italian apartment. Newer installations use dual-function outlets that take more plug shapes, but you cannot count on them in a rental.

Practical plan: pack an adapter with a real type L 10 A option, or a universal adapter that lists type L. Phone and laptop chargers with a two-pin shape are the easiest, since the small Europlug fits the 10 A outlet. A three-prong US laptop cord needs the L adapter with an earth pin. Use the 16 A type only for high-draw items like a kettle, which you will not pack.

Consider a week in Rome with a laptop at 65 W, a phone at 20 W and a camera charger at 10 W. Total 95 W, about 0.4 A at 230 V, far inside the 10 A rating. The risk is shape, not current. Some rooms offer mixed-type outlets, but an apartment may have only type L, so carry a second adapter in case one is taken.

A final Italy tip: test-fit an adapter at home against a photo of a type L outlet, or read the pin spacing on the package. The 10 A type L plug has pins 19 mm apart, the same spacing as a Europlug, which is why slim chargers work. Bulkier grounded plugs are the ones that fail.

Compare with Spain and Greece, where C/F adapters are generally enough, and with Switzerland, which has its own type J. Pick the right one in the plug adapter finder. Plug-and-voltage facts here are general travel information. Always read the rating label on your own device.

Sources

• CEI 23-50 Italian plug and socket standard
• Mains electricity by country (reference table)
• Power plugs and sockets: Italy (US traveler view)
• AC power plugs and sockets (type reference)

Figures checked on September 30, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal, insurance or travel-agent advice. Fees, rules and limits change, so confirm the figures with the official sources listed above before you book or travel.