Maps - no GPS

When it comes to maps we use paper maps. On our recent trip we relied on the maps in one particular guidebook and a large folding map.

First place, I never use something like Booking.com, only town websites, because they have far more options, particularly those on the less expensive side. The sites always have addresses. I look up the address on Google, including here-to-their instructions and save it all to a file on my netbook, which I take with me.

Well, hang on. Maps and GPS are two different things. A map is a representation of the world and is data that you either access via the internet or pre-load into your iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, etc. GPS is a chip in your device that triangulates satellite signals basically anywhere in the world and produces a set of coordinates. You device takes the data (the map) and then gives you a dot where you are on the map. Your iPhone has GPS built in, but your iPad may not unless it is a recent 3G version. The fact that anything claiming to be "smart" is shipped without GPS is, to me, simply unbelievable (the new iPod, for example, is a fantastic device.. except that it has no GPS. That makes it little more than the iPod touch that I bought 5 years ago). Check out MapswithMe in the Apple Store. This app will allow you to download maps (for free) before you go and use them on the go without a data connection. Your GPS in the iPhone will allow you to see where you are on the maps that you download. You can also check out OffMaps 2 or the full version of MapswithMe that offers some extra features. Finally, the links that you are saving in tripit via the booking.com site is linking to a temporary "sale" page that expires. Look up the same thing in Google Maps and then click on the little chain button on the right side of the left column beside the map under the search bar. That will give you links that reliably will take you back to a map of that location/business.

I use a large paper map and then the TI maps for most cities, except for major places like Rome where I'll buy a very good street map. I use booking.com all the time, even if you don't book through them it's a great resource and mostly reliable reviews. I usually look at google maps for a precise siting for hotels and places of interest.

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to do a little of both. I've found a big map that'll be coming. I'll pick up the local maps. I'm going to go check out those aps. I have an iPad 2 and an iPhone 4s. I'm turning my phone data plan off, but I keep hearing things like the GPS works without the data plan. Now, out in the middle of the counry I don't know if that works anyway, but just have the general question. There's worse things than being lost in the countyside of Ireland for a couple hours, that's for sure, but it seems like the address I'm getting for these B&Bs are just coordinates in Doolin. I've written but haven't heard back. Is that how they do things? Thanks for your help!

Hi Tamera, GPS does not require a data plan anymore than a compass does. When a GPS receiver produces the coordinates, it does not need any data transmitted from any terrestrial source. There are satellites in orbit that transmit signals that the GPS receiver picks up and then based on the signal from several satellites, your phone can calculate where you are on earth. Wherever you have open sky, you have access to GPS. Two common problems are 1) if you are in a city, the signals may be blocked or refracted by the buildings around you, and 2) people are impatient about getting a lock. To overcome these two limitations, smart phones use additional sources of information to enhance GPS performance. This additional information, which does travel over terrestrial networks, is not GPS and does not make GPS "work". For the first part, cellphones will triangulate your position based on the physical location of cellphone towers you are connected to and guesstimate where you are based on the signal strength. Our phones are constantly connecting and disconnected between different towers that, miraculously, allow us to maintain a signal even when we are moving around. Because we know where these towers are, we can use them for location data of a moving object. It's not perfect (which is why you see the blue "I think you are somewhere around here" circle in the maps app). The second way that data helps GPS is that your phone can store the positions of where the satellites are expected to be ahead of time. This allows the the GPS unit to speed up signal lock times. Both of these are the A in A-GPS (Assisted GPS). If you take those away by switching off your data connection, you are still left with GPS which will work anywhere from Brasilia to Tanzania to Tokyo where there is some open sky.

Short version: GPS is not dependent on a data connection. Map data is dependent on a data connection and is not part of the GPS system. You need to load that with a data connection/wifi connection before you go, and then GPS will work almost anywhere there is open sky.

I have a soft spot in my heart for any good paper map. That said, however, if you have an iPad, you will never need to buy another map on paper in your life. Simply use the Maps app that comes with the device and zoom in to whatever map you think you'll need, whether it be a driving trip from one part of the country to another or walking from your hotel to the (whatever). As soon as you fill the screen with the best map representation, just take a "screen shot". If you don't know; by holding down the power button and the home button at the same time (I push and hold the power button slightly early - it seems to work better) the device takes a photo of the screen and saves it in your Photos app for you to look at later, without being near wifi. I actually do all of this at home before we leave, taking 100 or more screen shots of various maps and routes. The app can also give you a satellite view. If you are given coordinates for a location (in degrees, with about 10 digits), just input those in the address box and it will give you a pin on that exact spot on the map - very useful for rural locations that would not have a conventional address. You can do the same with your iPhone, but it is more challenging to get a lot of coverage on the small screen. Our last five multi-week, multi-country trips (all included driving) were done without ever bringing or using a paper map. We don't use GPS either.

Well, I just learned a whole lot! Thanks for that info. I've download maps and will now take screen shots of maps, and I'll pick up TI maps, and hopefully will never not know where I am!

My wife and I used only our IPad 3 for maps and turn-by-turn navigation in Europe. We will never bring paper maps again. As long as your IPad has GPS chip, then you can get by without a data plan. The comments to your question, especially by Nicholas all seem correct to me. The IPad maps program that comes built-in is the equivalent of a paper map and works anywhere in the world as long as you can receive a GPS signal. No data plan is needed for that program to show you where you are. The maps are extremely good in that program. However, it is just like a paper map and won't give you navigation to your destination. If you want navigation, then you will have to download a navigation program. We used Garmin Streetpilot for Western Europe. The maps are a bit cartoonish, but the program was worth the $99. It does not require a dataplan since it locates your IPad by the GPS system. There are lots of free nav programs on the Internet, but we chose to go with a proven source and never regretted it. Running the nav program on long drives can really suck battery power, so we brought a car charger. My wife either held the device or set it on the dash and it never had problem picking up the GPS signal.