Best GPS to use while driving in France?

We have used a TomTom on our travels. However, if you are going to purchase one chose one preloaded with European maps. Test them in the store if possible and pick one that works best for you. A standalone gps, for me is better because you do not need data plans etc. as we, if you can, take a paper map for planning.

I have had very good results with a Garmin Nuvi with a European map card. Garmin also makes on that has both Europe and North America built into it and doesn't need the accessory card. Definitely purchase your own portable unit and learn how to use it before you go. Also back it up with a good paper map. GPS tells you exactly where you are but if you are trying to figure out where you are on the large scale, you are screwed. By the time you zoom out far enough to see where you in terms of a days drive you will have lost all the detail on the screen.

I like my Magellan but Garmin and TomTom seem to be more popular. I agree with Bob and Irv's advice, get one here and buy a Europe map as well as the North America map that will come with it. I bought my Europe map online (with AAA discount) from Magellan. It took about 4 hours to download and taxed my (limited) technological knowledge. But worked fine.

I too prefer a dedicated GPS in the car, used in combination with a good road map. Michelin has area maps, or a France road atlas if you'll be traveling widely, that you can wait to buy over there. Once in awhile a GPS will send you in a dumb direction, not often, and a map helps you know where you really are and gives you confidence in your (still superior so far) human brain. It helps to set the GPS for kilometers instead of miles, so its directions will synch with the signage.

The fun part of GPSing in France, for us, was the voice's inability to pronounce French place names. She'd mangle them totally. We still remember getting off the highway in Caen for Avenue Marechal Montgomery, wondering who Rachel was.

I have used Garmin in the past and now have a TomTom, which I like better, but Garmin was OK. It is definitely better to have your own GPS so you can practice with it at home and program hotels and destinations for your trip in advance.

Practice using settings to favor or avoid major highways (interstates, autostrasses, etc.) to avoid or get around congested areas or simply weird routings that a GPS sometimes chooses. Also make use of via or midway settings to get more direct or scenic routes. I have found that practicing those routes on the viaMichellin web site beforehand gives me ideas about setting routes on my GPS.

As others have noted, paper maps really come in handy for fine-tuning routes. But printed maps are becoming harder to find these days, as we found out in Germany last spring, so I am going to buy maps online ahead of time in the future.

I was going to post something, but Roy said everything I was going to say! Please read his post twice and make sure you follow what he says.

The only thing I can add is that a friend of mine bought a TomTom on Amazon dot com that came preloaded with both North American and European maps, and it wasn't expensive (I think less than $150). It also worked better in Sicily than his Garmin did (I know you're not going to Sicily, but the Garmin simply didn't have certain rural roads in its database that the TomTom did).

Thanks everyone for your input We will definitely follow your advice!

It will probably cost less to take your own GPS and there are other advantages.
Garmin or Tom Tom...go to a Best Buy or a similar store and try them out. Don't be surprised if the store employees don't know about all the different models or if they even have a European model in stock. Just play with a few in the store, they are not hard to figure out. I prefer Garmin and have had no trouble finding my way around France and Italy using one. Once you narrow it down compare prices and features on Amazon. Buy a unit that has "Lifetime Maps" included.

I look up addresses on Google Maps using my tablet over wifi in the hotel room, then I search the GPS unit and compare the results. You have to be very careful to enter the correct city and then address you are searching for. The Garmins I have owned default to only looking in your current city so you need to be specific.

Practice with the GPS before your trip. When you first turn the GPS on in Europe it will take longer than usual to acquire satellites so be patient.

I love driving in Europe with a GPS.

I use a Garmin that's now going on 8 years old and came with US and European maps. Having subscribed to lifetime maps I receive update notifications from Garmin a few times a year. I've used this on 6 European vacations and have been happy with it.

A little time saving tip I learned is that when asking for a location, you're given the option of entering city or postal code. I usually check with my tablet what the postal code of my destination is. Much easier to enter than trying to enter place names. Also useful when there is more than one town or city with the same name. Another tip is to enter destinations while in your hotel and then save them as "favorites" since all you'll have to do in the car is chose the destination from your favorites instead of doing all the typing in the car.

By all means get a GPS that comes with both map sets. And as others suggested, get it ahead of time and practice using it. On a trip through Portugal, I ran the GPS and my iPhone simultaneously. I definitely recommend using the dedicated GPS. iPhone is great for turn by turn walking directions.

I recently purchased this one for our coming trip to France in Sept.
http://www.thegpsstore.com/Garmin-Nuvi-2577LT-with-Maps-of-North-America-and-Europe-P3531.aspx

Last year we used an iPhone which worked fine but my daughter lives there, has unlimited data on a French phone number so a data plan was not an issue. On a previous trip, we used an older Garmin(370 maybe) it worked great, even warned us of speed cameras. That one was lost so I got this new one. I've used it here and really like it.
I prefer the dedicated GPS since with a phone you seem to have to worry about phone signal issues, which may not be a problem in most places but I know that here in NH, cell service is spotty up north, my iPhone gps was pretty useless last month when I needed it.

Part of my night before the trip ritual has become the programming on the GPS with all our hotel and major attraction addresses. Wouldn't go on a trip without our Garmin because it reduces travel stress so much and lets us go off and explore any country road that looks interesting because we know that it's just a push of a button to get us pointed back to our hotel for the night. Our current Garmin was the cheapest thing we could find on Amazon that had both North American and European mapsets. (Just note that you may need to add a memory card to the GPS for extra map storage space when you're doing 'get one current map update for free' deal upon registering the GPS at Garmin's web site.)

Nice feature- letting me know the speed limit in areas where road signs can be scare. It's not perfect because it won't pick up every temporary construction zone, but that's another reduction in travel stress.

Minor annoyance- it's hard for the unit to pick up a signal in the concrete parking garages where you often pick up rental cars. So do know the route for the first quarter mile or so leaving a garage until your unit picks up a nice strong signal.

Amusement- 'Aussie voice' trying to pronounce road names in German

We used our Garmin in France this summer and it was very helpful. Just one word of caution to you is to never leave the Garmin or other gps device in your car when you park especially if you are in southern France. Take it with you because apparently thieves love these things. The Garmin is small and will fit in your purse or backpack.

We bought a used TomTom with french maps on eBay for $35. On a 4 week trip it worked out great.

Agree with the previous poster that our Garmin will not pick up a signal in a parking Garage. Even if you are in out in open air it may take a while for it to pick up Satellite signals. Seems that if you are moving in your car it can take even longer. So if you pull out of the rental/parking garage and start driving thinking your have directions instantly, that may not be the case.

So here's what I do to get around this. Make sure your GPS is fully charged before leaving home. When your plane lands, turn on the GPS. It's likely that someplace between landing, going through immigration, and getting in your car, your GPS will know where it is.