I have read several of the posts on electrical adapters and converters. I have the voltage converter from my trip to South Africa last year, but I do not have the plug adapter for Spain. My question is should I purchase that before I leave the US or is it possble to purchase it in Spain? And if so, where can I get it? The hotel lobby shop? The airport? (I am staying at the Husa Princesa in Madrid.) I need this for my flatiron & digital camera battery charger.
Thanks in advance for any tips / advice.

It's a lot easier to purchase it before you leave the States since most plug adapters you find here will be fore converting European plugs to US ones, not what you need.

You can easily find them in the US at a WalMart, Target or similar store. They tend to be a bit more expensive if you buy them at a travel shop. The airport will sell them but for about 3x the price. I've never seen them sold in a hotel (but I haven't really looked there either)

Also AAA and stores like Brookstone have them. We left all electronic at home so I have no first hand experience, but I know there are several different options. They did tell me that they are not meant to be plugged in for long periods because they can get quite hot.

I got my charger set from Magellan's and it has served me well. I have used it overnight with my digital camera battery and it held up just fine.
I would certainly buy the little adaptor here. If you wait and can't find one abroad you are really up the creek. By the way, most digital camera batteries these days automatically adjust for 110/220, so all I had to do is plug the little beauty in!

You can get them anywhere, including Radio Shack or any electronics store. Most of them have adaptors for all different parts of the world.

Just be careful because sometimes they get hot if you leave an appliance plugged in for a long time. Use them only for a short time, and then unplug the device.

Winston

Just a little warning....These are the items we tend to forget in the hotel room only to realize when it is too late. If you do plug it in (for whatever) put something in the middle of the floor (a book etc) to remind you, and don't pick it up until you've recovered your converter and/or plug.
PS: I also do this for the toiletries and other highranking "oops i forgot it in the hotel room" items.

You might want to check with the hotel too if they have "adaptor americanos". We were recently at Hotel Colon in Barcelona (review soon!) and they had some to lend.

You can pick up adaptors for whatever you need, inexpensively at any electrical store, they are everywhere, look for stores with "Lamparas" in the name. There are a whole bunch of them on Hortaleza just north of Grand Via (metro Grand Via, linea 1). Bring in an appliance to make sure you get the right thing. You can also get transformers for 220 to/from 110. They are quite heavy, but transformers always are (loths of wire wrapping a heavy iron core). You can also get plug converters for the large diameter plug prongs to smaller diameter prongs sometimes needed for Spanish plugs.

Check out www.1stclasspinups.com
for a Classical Alternative in
Pinup Art!