driving with USA GPS help

I used a Garmin in Europe with a SD card map years ago but not in the UK - it was in Czech Republic. It worked fine.

You don't need mobile data to use your phone as a GPS FYI - though it will have limited function. You can download an "offline area" map into say Google Maps, then put your phone into airplane mode and navigate to your heart's content. But no traffic info and only works for driving directions.

Thanks. Do you remember if you could access that map or type in a pre trip plan before you left? I can’t seem to figure out if it will just automatically show up over there or if I did something wrong.

I have a Tom Tom not a Garmin and I was able to. One tip though for the UK, check that it will allow you to plug in an address using the postal code (zip code), both times I've rented in the UK, the rental car guy advised me of that. I ended up using the car's GPS because mine wouldn't take a postal code.

yes, postal code is critical.

Fire it up, be outdoors and give it time to find the satellites as usual. It should show you where you are unless it now has no map for where you are, but anyway when it gets stable as it to find near a town or city - say London (in the upper right corner) . Then go to a type of place, say hotel or attraction, and see if it can find one. Route to it and see what it says (probably thousands of miles) and try to save it. Then route to it from history.

I've used Garmins for decades. They all work pretty much the same - sounds like you are used to using yours at home. I wouldn't try entering an actual address until the previous worked.

When you do enter an address, it will ask for a town or post code. then address should be easy.

Yes you can enter a UK address. You just need to figure it out. To test to see if the maps are working just search on a town in the UK. For example, use York or London. Each is large enough that Garmin will have some sights already preloaded. As Nigel pointed out, after plugging in the address, the postal code is important (when the possible locations come up).

With my Garmin for my recent Spain trip, I saved all my hotels and places I planned on visiting. After the first few days we ended up using downloaded Google maps as they seemed to work just as well. The Garmin worked well in Wales and the rest of England on our other trips.

Also somewhere in the settings sub menus the gps will display the maps available. My Garmin used to take a while once overseas to decide where it was. Took the gps to Italy earlier this year, will not carry it again. Phone plugged into the USB port on the dash and Waze/Google popped up on the vehicle screen with audio directions just like home. Get the rental folks to show you how to change the vehicle to English if needed.

Good info you guys, but this is my problem. I’m currently in texas and want to make sure the IK map thst I loaded on the sd card actually works before I haul it to England. I can type any address in the USA and it shows up. But there are zero addresses or places, or point of Interest that will pop up. So my question is will the UK map ONLy show up or allow me to pre plan a trip when I’m actually in the UK? I know with google maps I can pull up any place I want in England. I get zilch when trying here. It’s kind of Aggravating because I could have just spent 12£ a day for one in the rental car but decided to buy one to own and they were out of stock of the less expensive ones so my husband paid $399 (!!) for a fancy one PLUS the $99 for the Europe map. Now I have zero clue if it works and garmin support is closed until after we leave the USA.

No experience with garmin, but we used google maps for four weeks in England and it worked perfectly. Plugged my iphone into the USB port in the car, google map showed up in the car’s display screen. I had data, but in some areas where cellular coverage was spotty it flipped to the offline map I had downloaded. All that to say, if the garmin doesn’t work your phone and google maps will. You just need a cord to plug it in.

So my question is will the UK map ONLy show up or allow me to pre plan a trip when I’m actually in the UK?

No, it should show up whether you're in the UK, Texas or anywhere else in the world with a GPS signal. You should be able to locate an address in the UK from home and plot a route, the Garmin will give you options that run into thousands of miles obviously but that will indicate that it's working.

Have you loaded the map onto the SD card correctly? My recollection is a bit fuzzy but I'm sure when I loaded US maps onto mine years ago I had to create a specific directory on the card and copy the files into it otherwise the unit wouldn't find them.

Cathy, it doesn't take long to set up a Google Maps "offline area" for the UK so you can use your phone as a GPS without any mobile data connection, in case for some reason the Garmin doesn't work out. I'd just plan on that as a backup. Maybe the Garmin will work fine or you'll figure it out once you get over there.

Press: where to
Press: address or attraction. The top of the screen will show country you're currently using.
Press: change country at bottom of screen.
Press: done.

Have you put the SD card with the UK maps into the GPS to try it? You mentioned trying it on the computer but not trying it in the actual GPS.

In the past I’d always pre type some addresses into the GPS for European locations into our Garmin before we left California and it worked fine. Once we landed in Europe I started the Garmin before we left the airport so it would find a satellite before we got to the rental car and needed directions. The last few years we have used our phones but sometimes take the Garmin with us.

I think there is also a change location feature you have to go to with some GPSs so maybe try that while you have it in TX but you will need the SD card in the GPS.

Thanks you guys. I’m going to just bulldog this thing. I know the SD card loaded because when I view it on my computer there are files that look correct. However, when I go into the garmin settings to show “myMaps” the only load that show up are the ones that are downloaded at purchase on the divide itself. It’s like I don’t have a card in there even though the setup went flawlessly, recognized the card and shows up in the settings to show how much memory is left. I HATE that I can’t contact support on a weekend. Ugh. I’ve scoured and scoured the Internet and YouTube. All ya’ll suggestions are things I’ve already tried. Yes, google maps loaded so no cell data is my back up plan.

We just pulled our Garmin out of the travel drawer, turned it on and it recognizes that we are home when we choose Where To. In the upper right hand corner where it shows our city you click on it and it says Different City. My husband typed in Frankfurt and several options came up including Frankfurt am Main. It’s ready to navigate. I then type in addresses and say go but of course it won’t navigate there but when we get to Europe the addresses I’ve typed in show up in Recent. Good luck!

And my experience is different. I just plugged in my NUVI in the truck, it is convinced we are still in Bologna and cannot locate the GPS satelites here. When I ask "where am I" it searches endlessly for the Satelites while displaying the last know address in Italy.
My SD card displays as CN Europe 2021.10 set, so I am assuming there are NO USA maps currently loading.

I experienced this with my GPS several years ago when the GPS could not locate any European info while in the states while testing.. Perhaps there are different map packages? I remember that it took it a while to load in France, but eventually displayed the proper European information.

There is a note on the Garmin support page that when the GPD acquires the satelites that it will automatically load the correct map.
Bet it works when you get there!
From Garmin, Note the last line:

"To acquire satellites:

In an area with a clear view of the sky, turn the device on and remain stationary.

Allow 3-5 minutes for the device to acquire satellites.

It may be helpful to connect the device to power during this time to prevent it from entering “sleep” mode.
When the device has acquired satellites, it will automatically use the correct map. For more information about this, see the following FAQs"

Thanks everyone. We got it figured out but it entailed me having to join a garmin Facebook group and pose the question. The admin of the group had me open the SD card on my computer to see what the files were and where they were located. For those techie people, the garmin file had another file that was titled maps and all the map files were in that folder. Sounds right, huh? Nope. I had to drag and drop all the files in the map folder into just the garmin folder without the sub folder and then reinsert it to the gps. Bingo! It now shows up and works. Two days of messing with it and it was as simple as that.

I think JC had it. Glad it worked out for you cathy. One less thing for the worry list.