What GPS Is The Best For The UK? Europe?

[artnbarb]

Last year AutoEurope updated their GPS units. they gave away the older units, and that's what we used in Slovenia - and than god we had it!!! Unfortunately next summer our travels will take us to England and the GPS doesn't have UK maps. Now perhaps AE will offer free GPS rental for next summer, but perhaps it's time we bought one of our own - what do you all think?

Which company has the 'best' GPS for England - and is the same company also good for Europe? It's not worth upgrading our current unit, esp since we don't have England maps - but there seem to be so many choices! How does one ever decide???

 

[Chris]

I've had such good luck with Google on my iPhone in France and Spain (no need to buy maps) that I'm not sure I see any need for a separate unit. I am switching to T-Mobile so I'll have unlimited data in Europe and won't have to worry about keeping track of that.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks Chris! I have just bought a smartphone with T-Mobile but figured I'd need something more detailed. I know about the unlimited data and text, but figured for driving we'd need something more detailed. Good to know I'm set!

 

[Chris]

I hope it works as well in England--I don't have any experience with it there!

 

[Pauline]

I have not used Google Maps on my smartphone but will give it a try in England and see how it does.

I use a Garmin. We tried a Tom-Tom because people say their maps are better for England, but they are not. I replaced it with a Garmin.

But, as with all GPS things, you need a paper map to oversee it.

 

[Chris]

I agree about the paper map. Shannon and I used the paper map too.

 

[Pauline]

The paper map gives you a better overview - you can see more of the whole route. Plus it lets you override the GPS when it tells you to take the narrowest lane in the world to avoid an extra half mile on a main road. Garmin does that - maybe Google Maps is better.

Plus you can study the paper map to memorize all the towns on the route, so you can navigate that way too.

 

[Chris]

The overview on a paper map is really important. You'd never know about the cool place just off the road if you just follow instructions slavishly and don't have any sense of where you are in relationship to the area around you.

 

[artnbarb]

I did buy a paper map - I think Pauline recommended it - it's the Cotswolds and Chilterns A-Z visitors Map - and it's easy to read, which is very important - not just for my old eyes, but also when you're in the car, moving, trying to read it!

I guess I just assumed I would need additional help from GPS, or at least my phone! If I don't need to buy a GPS unit, I'm okay with with that!

 

[Panda]

We have a Garmin that is helpful if either one of us is driving somewhere unfamiliar alone, though I agree with Pauline about some of the odd choices - it tried to send us up not just narrow roads but pathways last year . It also sent us to a farmyard instead of a large hotel, with a milk lorry driver coming pulling over to tell us it was a well known GPS glitch !

If driving together, with one navigating, we like a paper map for an overview with Google maps to go in for closer detail. With a paper map, it is easier to make a quick decision about a change of route to get around a traffic snarl up then back to the Google maps for some of the smaller roads. The AA site (theaa.com) has a good traffic news map, showing traffic incidents and delays and the BBC site travel section has frequently updated descriptions of these incidents ( used all of these recently on my phone whilst we sat with engines off for an hour on a major road going nowhere...)

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks all! So - I've got a decent map, and a smartphone with Google maps - do I need anything else? Any apps I'd need to download ahead of time?

 

[Pauline]

I will try Google Maps on my smartphone and report back. We are doing two longer drives this week, to Oxford and to Bath, so can try it out.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks!

 

[Chris]

Here is a review of Google maps vs. Apple maps.

 

[artnbarb]

thanks Chris!

 

[Pauline]

I tried Google Maps on my phone and was not patient enough to figure out how it works. I like my Garmin GPS. @Chris - you will have to teach me how it works. Or maybe @artnbarb can this summer.

 

[Chris]

It's not immediately obvious how to get it started. Type in your destination, then click the little blue arrow to the left of the destination. It will show a map of your route. If you want verbal instructions, click start at the bottom. That's all there is to it.

 

[Chris]

Before you click start, you can choose whether you want driving instructions or walking instructions, which may be different.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks, I will give it a try again. We are driving down to Bath on Wednesday and I can try it out when Steve is driving.

I bookmarked your posts

 

[ItalophileNJ]

If you are a solo traveler, having a GPS makes all the difference in the world. No way you can look at a paper map while on the road.
I used to use a Garmin; now I use Google maps on my iPhone, even (or especially) when walking in a strange city. No more walking two blocks in the wrong direction before realizing you are ---- going in the wrong direction.
I also use an app called Waze, which I can vouch for in NJ, California and Israel. I assume it works in the UK as well, but have no personal experience. It's a "social" app so is extremely good at helping one avoid traffic jams and closed roads; this assumes of course that there's a large enough body of user in the area.