Travel · France · Type E
France: the socket with a pin in it.
French sockets are Type E at 230V / 50Hz, and they are the only common European outlet where the earth contact sticks out of the wall rather than gripping the sides of the plug. A Type C Europlug drops straight in; a German Schuko plug often does not.
How Type E differs from Schuko
Both take two round 4mm pins; the difference is where the earth lives. On a Type F Schuko socket, two metal clips on the rim of the recess grip matching flats on the plug's sides. On a French Type E socket, a male earth pin projects from the socket face into a matching hole in the plug. The two earth in incompatible ways, which is why appliances sold in the region often ship with a hybrid plug carrying both.
| Spec | France | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|
| Plug type | E (Type C also fits) | Buy a Type C adapter and you are done |
| Voltage | 230V | Irrelevant for any 100–240V charger |
| Frequency | 50Hz | Only matters for motors and mains clocks |
| Fits the socket | C, E, and hybrid E/F plugs | Your USB charger will use the C path |
| Does not fit | US A/B, UK G, Italian L, Swiss J | France needs its own head on a universal adapter |
Practical consequence: the round protruding earth pin means a flat-faced adapter body can be held a few millimetres off the wall unless it has a recess to swallow that pin. Adapters sold specifically as "Europe / France" have the recess. A generic two-pin adapter still makes contact, because the Europlug pins are long enough, but it sits proud of the faceplate.
230V, 50Hz, and your American gear
The number that decides everything is printed on the charger itself, usually on the flat face beside the prongs: Input: 100–240V ~ 50/60Hz. Every USB-C charger sold in the US carries it. So do MacBook and Windows laptop bricks, camera battery chargers, e-reader adapters and electric toothbrush bases. All of them need a plug adapter and nothing more.
A voltage converter is a different, heavier product, and it exists for a narrow class of devices: fixed-120V heating elements and motors. A US hair dryer pulling 1,875W, a curling iron, a travel kettle, a corded shaver with a 120V motor. Those labels say 120V with no range. On 230V they burn out immediately. Details and the buying logic are in converters vs adapters.
What to pack for France
- Type E
Type C/E plug adapter (US to France)
Two round pins with a recessed face so the socket's earth pin seats flush. The whole solution for chargers.
- Fits
- Type C, E and F sockets
- Earth
- Recess for socket pin
- Conversion
- None
- 4-in-1
EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter
Worth it the moment France is one leg of a bigger trip — the same body covers UK and Australian sockets.
- Plug types
- A, C, G, I
- USB
- 3× A, 1× C
- Fuse
- 8A, spare included
- 65W
UGREEN Nexode 65W GaN
One brick behind one adapter: a laptop at 45W plus a phone at 20W from a single French socket.
- Output
- 65W total
- Ports
- 2× C, 1× A
- Input
- 100–240V 50/60Hz
Neighbouring sockets: Spain, Germany and Italy are all reachable in a day by train and only Italy needs a different head. Switzerland genuinely does. Overview at Europe; every country at the travel hub; the A–Z reference at plug types by country.
FAQ
Will a German Schuko adapter work in France?
Not reliably. Schuko earths through clips on the sides of the socket recess, while the French socket earths through a pin that protrudes into a hole in the plug. Many Schuko plugs are blocked by that pin. A Type C Europlug adapter works in both countries.
Do I need a converter in France?
Only for single-voltage 120V appliances - hair dryers, curling irons, travel kettles. Every charger printed 100-240V, which is all of them for phones, tablets and laptops, needs a plug adapter only.
Are French sockets grounded?
Type E sockets are, through the pin projecting from the socket face. Your two-pin USB charger does not use it and does not need to: double-insulated chargers are designed to run without an earth connection.
Can I charge a MacBook in France with the US brick?
Yes. Every Apple USB-C power adapter is 100-240V. Swap the folding US duckhead for a European one, or put the whole brick behind a Type C plug adapter.