Charging Tablets and phones

Mo2tie

In US and Europe, hotels have electric outlets which accommodate UBS charging cables for Phone and tablets.
Will we find such in China hotels and ship booked for this trip? Thanks.

Claudia Sails

I haven't seen very many USB charging ports in US or European hotels. I always bring the appropriate adapter even on Tauck's river ships where 110 outlets are available (and USB ports are being added) for convenience. With 2 people charging items it gives us more flexibility.

If you read the Before You Go, Upon Arrival information for this tour here on Tauck's web page you'll find the following:

"The electrical current in the hotels in Asia is 200/240 V, AC. If you plan on bringing electrical devices with you, it is suggested that you bring an electrical converter with an adapter plug set, although it may not be necessary as all hotels have pre-adapted outlets for razors, as well as hairdryers. The electrical current on the riverboat is 220 V; however, it is 110 V in the bathrooms."

BKMD

I was on this trip a few months ago. Every hotel and the boat had "universal" outlets that would accommodate US, European (round), and local plugs. I brought adapters with me, but never needed them.

Ken from Vegas

Just a note about USB charging ports. USB ports have different current ratings (amps). This is basically how fast the current can flow through to charge the battery. Phone chargers are typically 1A. Tablet chargers are typically 2-2.4A. Some chargers are smart chargers that have a chip so that they sense what the best current is for your device or speed up charging by giving more current to start and then throttling back to avoid damage to your battery.

USB charging ports found on planes and hotel desks are often 1A. This is fine for your phone, but will take twice as long (or more) to charge a tablet. For best results, use your original charger or buy a third party smart charger. For travel, I have one from iClever (available on Amazon) that puts out up to 2.4A for two devices, but is "smart" so that it works well for phones or tablets.

mike666

It's the best to take the original charger for tablets and phone, and a travel adaptor.
We had a trip to China last year, we had no problem with our ipads and iphones.

lovesgolf1

Just an FYI, if you own an iPhone or iPad and want to bring it on your tour, Apple sells an "Apple World Traveler Adapter Kit" for $29. We have found this to be very handy on our 11 Tauck Tours all over the world.

https://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/4981/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/aos/published/images/M/D8/MD837/MD837?wid=445&hei=445&fmt=jpeg&qlt=95&op_usm=0.5,0.5&.v=0

kfnknfzk

I realize this is an old thread, but I saw something today that might be of interest to some fellow travelers. Costco has a two-pack of 30W USB-C wall chargers for $27.99.

I only take a cell phone on trips and typically charge by using the TV's port, so I have no clue whether or not this is a good deal. Nor do I know if this item is available nationwide. If nothing else, they might make great holiday gifts.

AlanS

$27.99 is not bad, but there are less expensive ones on Amazon. Like most of the ones on Amazon, however, I suspect the ones at COSTCO are not Apple branded if that matters to anyone. Amazon charges $35.99 for just one Apple branded 30w USB-C charger without cord!

Also, you might want to check the charger end of your charging cord before buying a USB-C charger. Until fairly recently, most phone and tablet chargers used USB-A ports. USB-A and USB-C plugs/ports are physically different so you might need a new cord, i.e. you might need to switch from a lightning-to-USB-A cord to a lightning-to-USB-C cord (if you have an Apple device- iPhone, iPad, etc. with a lightning jack)

To make things even more fun, Apple has decided to switch the charging/sync ports on their devices from lightning to USB-C sometime in 2023 or 2024.

Finally, 30w (30 watts) exceeds the recommended charging power of most iPhones so the referenced charger is better suited to a MacBook, iPad, etc. You might want to check the fine print to make sure it is a "smart charger."