Hi Laura,

I'll let others answer your 2-4-1 questions, but I can make a suggestion regarding GPS (or SatNav as it's called in the UK).

In 2012 I bought a used TomTom GPS unit on eBay. I paid about $70 including shipping and it came pre-loaded with maps of the US, Canada and Mexico and all of Europe including the UK.

As I recall, Hertz wanted $8-10 per day, so on my 16 day trip to Devon/Cornwall and the North of England and Southern Scotland I'd have paid double the cost of the unit, not to mention the fact that I could program it with the postcodes of the places I wanted to visit and save them as favorites. The postcodes are very accurate and make entering an address very easy.

I found the maps to be very accurate and only once in Cornwall did I encounter a new roundabout that was a surprise to me and the TomTom alike. Fortunately since it was a roundabout, I just drove around it a couple of times while I got my bearings!

I've used it on multiple trips to England since and my list of favorites just keeps growing!

-Charles

I use my iPad to map my journey, so I zoom in and take screen shots while moving to the "Next screen" and just screen shot the entire journey along with the surrounding area. I zoom on the inner city areas too for parking etc. Then when I need a "map" i just go to photos on iPad.

Yes the photo can be one that you take and print out as long as it meets the size requirements. For the record you can take your own passport photos too - I do.

4) - Buy a road atlas at a petrol station or supermarket for £5

You don't say when you are planning to go (even whether this year!), but note that the Tower of London does not accept the 2 for 1 deals for a period in the summer approximately equivalent to the school holidays.

Thanks all,
We are headed to England June 5-18 (the Tower of London voucher extends into July thankfully).
We already have a garmin gps, and downloading a map onto it is an option. I like the screenshot idea though!

My sister and I will be driving through England and Wales next spring, should we have a GPS or are apps on our phones good enough along with an atlas we buy there? Great thoughts, I need to look into the 2-4-1 deal's too.

I second ramblin' on. We drove all over Scotland and bought a Road Atlas to do so. It was also a cool souvenir. :)

4 - Look into Navigon for your iPad or smart phone; using no data, we have used it for the last 5 years all over Europe and UK.

Usually on sale around holidays, we love how it often gives us 3 alternatives to get from place to place, time required, interesting sites, petrol and other along the drive. We love it!