Charging your iPhone 5S from a power outlet in Greece

A guide showing how to charge your iPhone 5S from a Greek power outlet with the Apple Lightning cable and a 2 pin Europlug Type C power adapter and how to power the iPhone 5S using a Type F Schuko power charger.

Greek power outlet

When planning a vacation to Greece it can be helpful to know in advance if you can use any common electrical devices when you get to your destination. However by not knowing which wall socket is being used you are likely to bring the wrong power charger, meaning needing to buy or borrow a suitable adaptor when you need to recharge. Various combinations of standards and plugs can all be daunting when planning on travelling to another country if you've never been there before. However this isn't as complex as it appears, with only a handful of different types of common standards being used in the world this guide tells you exactly what you'll need to buy in advance to charge the iPhone 5S in Greece. This guide has been written to prevent travellers worrying if they'll be able to charge their iPhone 5S abroad.This page has useful instructions telling you how to power your iPhone 5S when travelling to Greece by using their standard Type F or C 230 volt 50Hz wall outlets, a majority of Greeks will use the Type F plugs in their wall outlets. When travelling to Greece from a different country please check that your iPhone 5S can be charged using a 240v supply. If the iPhone 5S was purchased in a country which uses a lower voltage such as 110 volts check the iPhone 5S is dual-voltage (marked with a 100-240 volt notation) else you may need to use an additional power transformer to prevent the device from overheating during charging. These instructions assume that you are running Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5S.

Charging the iPhone 5S in Greece

Can you use the iPhone 5S in Greece?

You can use the iPhone 5S in Greece.

What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in Greece?

When travelling to more than one country or bringing more than your iPhone 5S then the best international travel adapter for Greece is a multiple USB port adapter which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. Greeks use two different standards of wall outlets (types F and C) and bringing this ensures that you are covered for type C.

Because these types of chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 to 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa simply by changing the included plugs over. If your type of iPhone 5S supports Fast Charge (not all USB devices will) then you'll benefit from faster charging times with one of these types of travel adapters along with compatibility with more power demanding devices like tablets. Unlike other adapters having a four port adapter means you can recharge multiple devices simultaneously without needing to buy seperate travel chargers for your Greek trip. By only needing a single USB travel charger will keep the size and weight down, making it perfect to fold up and store in hand baggage. Because of their space saving flexibility these types of power adapters can be used when you return home so when you’re not travelling they can be used under your bedside table charging multiple tablets and smartphones using only a single power outlet.

We recommend buying a versatile power adapter of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer - the travel charger illustrated is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been tested successfully for charging multiple USB devices in numerous countries around the world with perfect reliably.

Alternative travel adapter for Greece

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country wanting to recharge devices via USB, however for visitors also wishing to use their domestic plugs these power strips provide larger but more versatile solutions. All 3 power strips offer surge protection which can be useful for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies to prevent damage to any connected appliances. These travel converters come with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs which cover Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 countries around the world:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK international travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact option for travellers originating from North America visiting Greece using type B American plug sockets.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Also having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the travel adapter from Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This offers the same set of features as the BESTEK with 1 less AC outlet for almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers 5 USB charging ports. This versatile power strip is compatible with both American plugs and popular plug types A, D,E/F, G, H, I, L and N making it perfect for most travellers from around the world visiting Greece. [8] [AD]
What is the best travel charger for recharging the iPhone 5S in Greece?

How to use a Europlug Type C power charger for charging your iPhone 5S from a Greek power outlet

A guide showing how to charge your iPhone 5S from a Greek power outlet with the Apple Lightning cable and a 2 pin Europlug Type C power adapter.

  1. If you want to charge the iPhone 5S from a Greek power outlet you will need to use a Type C USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5], this USB cable is normally already supplied with your iPhone 5S.
  2. Start by plugging the Type C USB power plug adapter into the Greek power outlet. You can recognise the wall outlet by two adjacent holes next to each other for live and neutral.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the Apple power cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. You can find the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S situated at the bottom of the iPhone 5S.
  4. Turn on the Greek power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the cell screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is recharging which typically takes around one to four hours to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
How to use a Europlug Type C power charger for charging your iPhone 5S from a Greek power outlet

Powering the iPhone 5S with a Greek power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type F Schuko USB adapter

Using the Apple Lightning connector and a 2 pin Schuko Type F power adapter to power the iPhone 5S with a Greek power outlet.

  1. If you want to power the iPhone 5S using the Greek power outlet you'll need a Type F USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (this USB cable is typically supplied with your device by Apple).
  2. Plug the Type F USB power plug adapter into the power outlet. You can identify the wall outlet by the two large adjacent holes next to each other for live and neutral along with a pair of thin grounding clips above and below.
  3. Plug in one end of the Lightning cable into the mains power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 5S Lightning connector is situated at bottom of the iPhone 5S under the home button.
  4. Switch on the Greek power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 5S screen will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5S is powering up and takes roughly one-four hours to completely recharge. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5S with a Greek power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type F Schuko USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - Greek Wikipedia page
  2. Apple - official iPhone user guide
  3. iec.ch - Type C power outlet
  4. Type C USB power plug adapter - Conforming to Europlug specifications, the Type C USB power plug adapter incorporates two 4 mm rounded pins spaced 19 mm apart. It is engineered to adapt electrical outlets commonly found in Europe, converting them to USB-compatible charging ports..
  5. USB to Apple Lightning cable - The Apple Lightning cable is a charging and syncing cable for more recent Apple devices and connects compatible iPhones and iPads to a USB port.
  6. iec.ch - Type F power outlet
  7. Type F USB power plug adapter - Compliant with Europlugs and CEE 7/17 specifications, the Type F or Schuko adapter is engineered to adapt German electrical power outlets into USB-compatible ports..
  8. 4 Port USB Wall Charger - A 4-port USB wall charger is an electrical device that provides simultaneous charging for up to four USB-compatible devices. It often includes interchangeable international plug adapters for global use..