# US CDs in Europe **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786 "2006-08-15T05:51:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frelling\_Tralk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Frelling\_Tralk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frelling_Tralk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/1 "2006-08-15T05:51:26Z")
I know that DVDs are coded by region, so one purchased in the US won’t work in a foreign DVD player. Is this the case for music CDs also, or are they universal? I’m heading to Germany in a few weeks and will be doing a decent amount of driving; it would be nice if I could take some tunes with me. ---
**Author:** ![Myglaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Myglaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myglaren)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/2 "2006-08-15T05:58:57Z")
They are universal. I live in the UK but the majority of my CDs are bought from the US or Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Frelling\_Tralk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Frelling\_Tralk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frelling_Tralk)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/3 "2006-08-15T06:49:55Z")
Yay! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/4 "2006-08-15T07:53:31Z")
> [@Frelling Tralk](#): > > I know that DVDs are coded by region, so one purchased in the US won’t work in a foreign DVD player. Actually, region-free DVD players and multisystem TVs are pretty common in Europe, so if you brought some American DVDs over there, it probably wouldn’t be hard to watch them. Going the other way is what usually presents a problem. But as for CDs, **Myglaren** is right, there’s no region coding. ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/5 "2006-08-15T07:57:36Z")
Also ask the car rental place if they have iPod hookups in the cars. Easier than lugging CDs around. ---
**Author:** ![Frelling\_Tralk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Frelling\_Tralk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frelling_Tralk)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/6 "2006-08-24T13:53:30Z")
Okay, I have an iPod and a car adapter for it - do European cars have the same cigarette lighters that US cars have (12V is all I know about the ones in the US)? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/7 "2006-08-24T13:55:23Z")
> [@Frelling Tralk](#): > > Okay, I have an iPod and a car adapter for it - do European cars have the same cigarette lighters that US cars have (12V is all I know about the ones in the US)? Yes ---
**Author:** ![Frelling\_Tralk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecc23a/32.png) [@Frelling\_Tralk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frelling_Tralk)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-cds-in-europe/368786/8 "2006-08-24T14:07:20Z")
Woot! Thanks!