Power Question for world travelers

[sunbutter]

I haven’t traveled to Europe since the early 2000s...I’m going to Switzerland next week for work.

What do I need to be sure I can charge my computer and phone?

Also, I have an overnight layover in Heathrow. Any tips for actually getting sleep somewhere safe in the airport?

[mommyatty]

www.sleepinginairports.net/guides/london-heathrow-airport-guide.htm

Here’s info on where to sleep in Heathrow. Looks like there are some hotels attached to the airport, as well as their version of Minute Suites. There’s also an Admirals Club. You could always buy a day pass there if you aren’t flying business class or first class or don’t have a membership.

[phdmomma]

sunbutter, there is a hilton attached the airport. That's where I stayed last time I had an overnight there. It's great, and well worth expensing to my account. I have a world adapter, which I love. Where I can configure the charing prongs into whatever they need to be. It was like $20 at target, but I forgot it once, and got on at the airport. Typically they have the switchable ones. The United Club there is super nice, with showers and everything. If you aren't a member, it might be worth buying a day pass.

[drjeep]

I second phdmomma with the world adapter. I also have one and got mine at my local AAA club. It was a bit pricier at about $60, but that also includes free replacement if it gets lost, stolen, or doesn't work correctly. Have fun! I love traveling abroad.

[sunbutter]

May 10, 2019 10:00:32 GMT -5 phdmomma said:

sunbutter, there is a hilton attached the airport. That's where I stayed last time I had an overnight there. It's great, and well worth expensing to my account. I have a world adapter, which I love. Where I can configure the charing prongs into whatever they need to be. It was like $20 at target, but I forgot it once, and got on at the airport. Typically they have the switchable ones. The United Club there is super nice, with showers and everything. If you aren't a member, it might be worth buying a day pass.

How much time should I expect to go through customs and security to use the Hilton?

[drjeep]

May 12, 2019 6:16:09 GMT -5 sunbutter said:

May 10, 2019 10:00:32 GMT -5 phdmomma said:

sunbutter , there is a hilton attached the airport. That's where I stayed last time I had an overnight there. It's great, and well worth expensing to my account. I have a world adapter, which I love. Where I can configure the charing prongs into whatever they need to be. It was like $20 at target, but I forgot it once, and got on at the airport. Typically they have the switchable ones. The United Club there is super nice, with showers and everything. If you aren't a member, it might be worth buying a day pass.

How much time should I expect to go through customs and security to use the Hilton?

I always find that customs coming back into the States takes a lot longer than going out of the States. There are also a lot of variables to take into account when going through customs, so it's hard to nail down an exact amount of time that it will take to get processed and through customs. It depends on how many flights have just landed that have people going through customs at the same time, the time of day it is, how many custom agents are available to process people, if there are agents pulled away due to getting tips for possible entries coming into the country on a watch list, etc. I would allow an hour just to be on the safe side because you never know what may be happening at an airport when you land. That way if you are able to breeze through in about 20-30 minutes it seems like a bonus!

[phdmomma]

sunbutter, less than an hour when I did it. They asked what brought me to the UK, and I said my United Layover. And showed them my ticket. If you have a US passport, they aren’t too picky.

[sunbutter]

Ok, I booked a room in an attached hotel. I was reading some awful online reviews of people trying to sleep overnight in terminal 3, gate 7, apparently where they herd all of the overnighters on the airside.