Iphone Charger in a Car in Europe?
 

Here at home in the US I use a "cigarette lighter" type of charger to run my iphone5 in my car. Google maps and the like take a lot of battery otherwise. If I have a rental car in Europe could I bring and use this same charger? Buy something similar in Europe? Or would my car maybe even have a USB connector? If it makes a difference I am renting in Athens, from Avis, a compact car (the example model is a "Toyota Auris or similar").

Yes, we used Belkin 2-Port Car Charger with Lightning to USB Cable for iPhone 5 / 5S, iPod touch, iPod nano, iPad and iPad mini, 2.1 AMP in Sicily in February. Our car was a Fiat 500 and it worked perfectly in the cigarette lighter. The cords didn't work but we used our apple charger card.

Car chargers in Europe should be the same as car chargers in the US. I know I used my GPS in a car in Europe - same "cigarette lighter" connector.

A new rental car might even have USB outlets to charge a phone if you are lucky.

I think that the cigarette lighter connection in cars is a world wide standard, so you will have no issues with your USA device. 12 volt, centre +ve.

The cigarette lighter connection delivers more charge than an USB connection, so I would prefer that even if there were a USB port. GPS services are real battery drainers.

The cigarette light connector is the same. You cannot count on cars having USB outlets.

However, you have another option. I used to take a cigarette connector, but since I use a smartphone for navigation, which is not picky about the type of USB cable like Garmin, I have switched to a battery extender to quadruple the run time. Additional benefit of a battery extender vs. cigarette lighter is that now the charging system is portable. I can also use it on plane, trains, buses, boats, while hiking, etc. It is heavier than a cigarette adapter, but it takes less space than cigarette adapters with long coiled cables.

bvlenci: <i>The cigarette lighter connection delivers more charge than an USB connection, so I would prefer that even if there were a USB port.</i>

That is true, but a phone draws so relatively little current to charge a battery that it should be irrelevant. A phone can only charge your battery only so fast; providing 10X more current doesn't charge the battery 10X faster. Those in-car USB chargers (if your car has one) are designed to provide enough current to charge a phone. Otherwise, why would they even have them?

Will you be using the SIM from your US provider, or will you buy a Greek SIM?

<i>but it takes less space than cigarette adapters with long coiled cables</i>

2012 called. The USB cigarette lighter adapters aren't like that at all anymore (if they ever were like that): http://amzn.to/2bBgAR9

A powerpack only makes sense if you're going to be in a position where you have no access to power.

For the record, when we travel with our GPS (I am a die hard TomTom user), this is what I take: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Spe.../dp/B005MIZYOW

Greg is a switched-on guy. Sorry I couldn't resist.

He is progressive, however, in that a lot of tech people I know who travel are using battery extenders. Charge them overnight, and you are good to go all the next day, and as he says, the form factor is pretty convenient.

For the ultimate in utility, I got my wife a handwarmer that also works as a charger. Next year, maybe I'll find one that doubles as an electric toothbrush.

I am finding more uses for the USB battery extender. At accommodations without power plug near the bed stand, if I want a cellphone on the bed stand next to me and want to have it charged overnight, I just use the battery extender. I let the extender unit charged using an "inconveniently" located outlet during the day. I got hit with two extended power outages at home this year. The battery extender again came to rescue in allowing me to continue to use my cell phone over extended period of time.

sparkchaser: >>2012 called. <<

Close - the thread IS from <B>2014</B>

Why does that matter, janisj? The subject seems to require an updated conversation...

We have a battery pack and it has been really useful. I don't like using USB jacks in public places for security reasons, and electrical outlets can be scarce. We also used it on a camping trip in Mexico. And of course it also makes it possible to charge devices on the go. I wasn't sure that it would be worth having, but now we wouldn't be without it.

LOL @ janisj