GPS.... I surrender

I have absolutely zero adice on the GPS. Just wanted to say that I am green with envy that you are moving to Europe. :)

Hi Tom,

We love our Garmin Nuvi 260W. It's an excellent unit.

Paul

Tom,

I have a Garmin Nuvi and it works fine for primary and secondary roads in Germany. My research, at time of purchase, deduced it was the best on the market to meet my needs. Only led me down a dead end once. And I think that was because Dutch authorities recently blocked the road.

You may want to consider a model with a 'traffic' feature to alert you to traffic jams and construction. There are no subscription fees for this feature in Germany. But, like James eluded to, wherever, or whatever, you buy, get European maps preloaded. Buying them later will cost $100+.

Enjoy,
Sam

I love the Garmin Nuvi. It lets you switch to a map view, so no issue there. When you buy the model - I have the 255 - the "W" means it's wider and the "T" means it comes with a traffic subscription for the United States (when you buy it in the United States). Definitely buy with European maps loaded because adding them later is very expensive and you might run into memory capacity issues.

Thanks for the advice. So far looks like the consensus is Garmin Nuvi (or an Audi!), and buy it when I get to Europe.

"We love our Garmin Nuvi 260W. It's an excellent unit."

I don't think the 260W has European maps. Someone told me that the Garmins that have "7" as the second numeral are the ones with the European maps.

The TomTom is made in Europe - one reason (along with good reviews) that I picked it.

Tom,
Can I say this clearly?
Get a Garmim, Get a Garmin, GET A GARMIN!!!!!!!!!!!
We have a Garmin nuvi.
You can get one really cheap over here, we have never been lost, it gets us every where.
DON'T get a TomTom, we have relatives with those, and they get lost all the time!

I have two TomTom's and they have been very reliable. I have driven in France, Andorra, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein & Luxembourg as well as in many states in the U.S. with a TomTom and always got to my destination. I would not have a problem with either a Garmin or a TomTom and would get which ever one you can get the best deal on with Europe maps. I think every GPS will usually get you where you want to go although not necessarily the best route and we don't always know whether it is going the best way unless we are familiar with the roads or compare it with a map. No GPS will be 100% accurate due to road changes or new roads but they will usually recalculate another route for you. This is a good reason to have a good map in addition to the gps.

I'll add something else... when I have used a GPS, I used it basically like a map, I don't use the direction finder. That's why I like the Audi version. If I wanted the big view, I could zoom out all the way out, but if I wanted to see individual streets in a small village, you could zoom in as well. So really, what I'm looking for, is something like Google Maps, where I can zoom in and out and scroll around easily.

I used to think that maps are sufficient, but I changed my mind a few years ago when the authorities in Bonn dumped us into downtown traffic due, I think, to road repairs. I discovered that a map is not much use if you don't know where you are to begin with. All the map did was direct to an access road that was closed, I had to wander about on my own. When I finally found an intersection I could identify, it was at the opposite end of town from where I needed to be, but I eventually found my way. This time, things were different. I bought a Garmin nuvi 275T last fall and found it a lifesaver on trips to unfamiliar cities in neighboring states before I took it with me to Munich this March. It performed flawlessly in getting me through endless connections from Erding, around Munich and through rural Bavaria to Füssen without a single missed connection. It worked equally well the remainder or the trip. If I had relied on maps as in the past, I might still be circling around trying to find my way out of Munich. That experience made a believer out of me. The GPS with American and European maps was one of the best travel purchases I have ever made.

"If I had relied on maps as in the past, I might still be circling around trying to find my way out of Munich." OK, I'm convinced... mainly because I remember circling around Munich hopelessly lost myself!

The Garmin Nuvi we bought has saved us many a row and countless headaches over the last couple of trips.

I know that being lost is part of the charm of a European vacation but spending 3 hours trying to get through Poggibonsi on a Friday afternoon went a little too far.

Waiting to hear from Paul NYC area. Does the Garmin that you love have European maps loaded?

My TomTom 920 zooms in and out with a touch on the screen. It stays for only a short time (maybe ten to 30 seconds) then goes back to it's normal view which covers the next few miles.

Hi Cheryl,

No European maps loaded. The European map card cost about $149 extra.

Paul