Charging the iPhone 5 when visiting France

A guide showing you how to power the iPhone 5 from a French power outlet with a Lightning connector with a Europlug Type C USB charger and powering the iPhone 5 using a two pin Type E power adapter.

French power outlet

When organizing a trip it's useful to know if you can use any important electrical devices such as mobile phones or tablets at your hotel. But by not knowing which wall socket is being used in France you may pack the wrong power charger, meaning having to buy a suitable power adaptor on arrival that could be incompatible and damage the device. Various combinations of frequencies and standards can often be confusing when planning on staying in another country if you've never been there before. If visiting France this page has instructions showing you charging the iPhone 5 by using their standard Type E or C 230 volt 50Hz plug outlets, please note Type E power outlets will be used by a majority of French. If you are visiting France from another country ensure your iPhone 5 can accept a 240 volt supply. If your iPhone 5 was purchased in a country which uses a lower voltage such as 110 volts check the device is dual voltage (marked with 100-240 volts) else you may need to use an additional voltage converter to stop the device from being damaged when charging it. If you plan on staying somewhere like Paris read the France Wikipedia page [1] for further details. These instructions assume that you have installed Apple iOS 7 or greater on the iPhone 5.

Charging the iPhone 5 in France

Can you use the iPhone 5 in France?

Yes, you can connect the iPhone 5 to a French power outlet.

What is the best power adapter for the iPhone 5 in France?

If you are travelling to more than one country then the best travel charger for France to buy is a multiple USB adapter which includes swappable plugs such as a 4 port USB travel charger. There are two different types of power outlets that French use (E and C) and bringing this will ensure that you are covered for type C. As these chargers come with interchangeable pins and can handle 100 volts - 240 volts will mean you can travel to multiple countries around the world just by switching the supplied plugs over. If your iPhone 5 can support Fast Charge then you'll benefit from much quicker recharging times by using one of these USB power adapters along with compatibility with certain power hungry devices like tablets. Having a four port adapter means you can recharge multiple devices at the same time without needing to pack multiple power adapters. By only packing a single lightweight USB travel charger will help keep the overall weight down, making it ideal to fold up and store in hand baggage while travelling as well as being suitable for charging your iPhone 5 at the airport or on your flight. Due to their versatility these types of chargers can be used when back at home so when you’re not travelling they can sit under your bedside table charging multiple tablets, phones and e-readers using just a single power outlet.

For those travelling to France we suggest searching for an adaptable travel charger of this nature at your preferred electronics retailer - the travel charger illustrated below is the 4 Port USB Wall Charger which has been successfully tested for powering multiple USB devices in numerous different countries around the world with good reliably.

Alternative travel adapter for France

The 4 port USB travel charger is the most compact option for travellers from any country who only have USB devices such as the iPhone 5, but for those also wanting to use their domestic plugs these power converters provide larger but more versatile solutions. All three power adapters offer surge protection which is necessary for travellers to counties with unstable power supplies to prevent damage to any connected devices. These travel adapters are supplied with interchangeable type C, I and G plugs covering Continental Europe, America, Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, China and over 150 destinations:

  • BESTEK Portable International Travel Voltage Converter - The BESTEK travel converter has 4 USB charging ports with 3 AC power outlets and is the best selling compact option for travellers originating from America going to France.
  • ORICO Traveling Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip - Similarly having 4 USB ports but only 2 AC power outlets the Orico is also aimed at travellers from the US using type B plugs. This is a cheaper alternative to the BESTEK with just one less AC outlet at almost half price.
  • BESTEK International USB Travel Power Strip - This power strip has 2 AC outlets but offers a flexible 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 France. [8] [AD]
What is the best power adapter for the iPhone 5 in France?

How to use a Type C power charger for recharging your iPhone 5 from a French power outlet

A guide showing you how to power the iPhone 5 from a French power outlet with a Lightning connector with a Europlug Type C USB charger.

  1. In order to supply power to the iPhone 5 using the French power outlet you will need to buy a Type C USB power plug adapter [4] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple will typically supply the cable with the iPhone 5).
  2. Start the process by plugging the Type C USB power plug adapter into the French power outlet. This unearthed power supply (sometimes called the Europlug or Type C power outlet [3]) is identified by the two round adjacent holes next to each other for live and neutral.
  3. Then connect the USB end of the USB Lightning cable into the bottom of the USB power adapter and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 Lightning connector is situated at bottom of the iPhone 5 under the home button.
  4. Switch on the French power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which you'll find in the top right hand corner of your iPhone 5 screen will display a charging icon to indicate that the phone is recharging which takes roughly 1 - 4 hours to recharge. [AD]
How to use a Type C power charger for recharging your iPhone 5 from a French power outlet

Powering the iPhone 5 with a French power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type E USB adapter

A guide showing how to power the iPhone 5 from a French power outlet with the Apple Lightning connector with a Type E USB adapter.

  1. To power your iPhone 5 using the French power outlet you will need to use a Type E USB power plug adapter [7] and a USB to Apple Lightning cable [5] (Apple usually include this USB cable when you buy the iPhone 5).
  2. Begin the process by plugging the Type E USB power plug adapter into the French power outlet. This recessed round plug supply, sometimes called a Type E power outlet [6] or CEE 7/7 plug, can be identified by the two 4.8mm round adjacent holes next to each other for live and neutral and a single metal earth pin protruding the top to form a triangle pattern.
  3. Plug in one end of the USB to Apple Lightning cable into the mains USB charger and the other end into the Lightning connector on the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 Lightning connector can be found at bottom of the iPhone 5 under the home button.
  4. Switch on the French power outlet.
  5. The battery icon which appears in the top right corner of the phone will display a charge icon to indicate that the iPhone 5 is charging which typically takes roughly 60 to 240 minutes to fully recharge to full capacity. [AD]
Powering the iPhone 5 with a French power outlet by using a 2 pinned Type E USB adapter

See also

  1. Wikipedia - France 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 E power outlet
  7. Type E USB power plug adapter - Meeting CEE 7/5 and CEE 7/6 standards, the Type E USB power plug adapter uses the Schuko standard with two round pins and an earthing hole. It adapts European outlets such as Germany to USB-standard ports for USB device charging..
  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..