I am planning a trip to Europe in Sept. and would like to purchase a hand held GPS can anyone recommend one? I use one in my vehicle here in the states but I am not familiar with the hand held type. I do know I will have to purchase extra programs for Europe.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32324 posts
Carol,
I'm currently in Europe and using a small Garmin Nuvi GPS. It's worked reasonably well so far, although there have been a few times when it seemed to go into "brain lock".
The biggest drawback with many handheld GPS units is battery life. This is mostly due to the fact that the display is active all the time. I've found that it's best to use the GPS to get to a specific location, and then turn it "off" until I need it again.
You won't have to buy "extra programs" for Europe. Simply choose a GPS that is equipped with the European maps. Check Amazon for current prices on the Nuvi 275T. The Tom-Tom units are also very popular, but I don't have a lot of information on them.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9369 posts
A handheld with maps for Europe is going to be a lot more pricey than carrying a Nuvi. I have a handheld Garmin, but the Europe maps for it are another $100 or so. The unit itself is more costly than a Nuvi, as well, but I use it for other purposes. One advantage, though, is that it runs on AA batteries. It can run for days on one set, and with rechargeables, it's not that expensive.
Posted by
OP
Hubbardston
8 posts
Thank you for your help. I ordered the Nuvi 275T from Amazon. Can'wait til it gets here.
Thanks so much
Carol