Travel adaptor in Egypt - can I buy the UK adaptor in Cairo?

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Accepted answer

You can try the Radioshack chain in Cairo, I found a good quality adapter there for a reasonable price after realising I had forgotten to pack one. There are several stores in central Cairo and the staff have a good level of English.

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For practical purposes the answer is "Adaptors will be reasonably available AND importantly, European equipment will work properly on the provided Egyptian voltage and frequency".

Also, Egypt notionally uses the "Europlug" (type C below) so many continental European appliances will plug in directly. You will also find the type F Schuko plug in use.
So, in many cases, you will be able to use continental European round pin plugs without an adaptor.

Your question has a less obvious answer than you may expect. There are several "European plugs" - these are in some cases interchangeable, even if they are not intended to be. And the UK is in Europe (or was :-) ) but uses a quite different style of plug.
So I assume that by "Europe plug" you mean either one of the 3 round pin plugs in use in continental European countries, or the type of plug used in the UK.

I have no personal knowledge of buying these in Egypt BUT you can be virtually certain that they are available at major airports (at the usual inflated tourist prices) and in major shops in Cairo and elsewhere. Also, major hotels will stock them for sale to guests.

Adaptors such as this are not much more than plastic and metal and represent far too profitable and necessary an item to not be attractive to sellers.

More important is the question

  • "Will UK appliances work in Egypt when an appropriate adaptor is used?".

The answer is, yes, Egyptian mains voltage and frequency are the same as in the UK (230 VAC and 50 Hz).

In a very very small number of cases UK wired equipment, and "European" equipment which includes a "ground" connection, will not work with an adaptor, even though it worked in its country of origin, because the equipment is wired incorrectly and uses ground as a return. Where the target power socket (Egyptian in this case) does not provide a ground connection the badly wied equipment will not work. However, metallic parts of the body MAY be live at 230 VAC relative to ground. In such cases the equipment is potentially lethal - both in Egypt and in the home country.

This site provides a superb list of voltages, frequencies and plug types by country.

It will be seen that there are a range of round pin plug types.
"C" is the "Europlug" which may have been what you were meaning. (Image Wikipedia)

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"E" mainly France (Image Wikipedia)

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"F" Schuko. - widely used (Image Wikipedia)

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The following is an incomplete list of plug types used in a number of European countries. C & F are most common, but there are many other variations.

C, E France

C, F Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden

C, F, L Italy

C, J Liechtenstein, Switzerland

G (K) Gibraltar

G, (D M F ) Ireland

G, D, M UK

One of the two main styles oh Egyptian power outlets. Both use round pins. enter image description here

Mains voltage and frequency worldwide.
Larger version here

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These people will sell you Egypt power adaptors PLUS provide Egyptian travel guides, maps etc.

Adaptalec will sell you Egyptian mains adaptors online

They say:

  • Arab Republic of Egypt (GumhΕ«riyyat MiαΉ£r al-ΚΏArabiyyah) Adapters If your appliance is already compatible with 220-240 volt electrical input, one or more of the following travel plug adapters (depending on which type of outlet is installed in any given specific building) will allow you to plug in. Click the link to view the ordering page for that adapter.

    • Adapter for "Type C" European CEE 7/16 Europlug

    • Adapter for "Type E/F" European CEE 7/4 or CEE 7/5 Schuko

BING interactive zoomable world map

Travel advice by country

Weather Europe wide

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