GPS recommendation for Germany

The best quality, especially if you're looking for sights etc., has Google Maps. Of course their navigation requires Internet access.

Have you considered buying a free-standing GPS unit at an electronics store, or online? Just make sure it has European maps. I'd suggest that you DO NOT get a machine to use at home as well. Treat it as an almost disposable unit, to be discarded when the screen cracks or the maps get too out of date. And if your destination B&B (?) is not in the POI database, enter the street address, or enter the TI office and go in and ask. Rather than using the "City" destination, I often select a "Parking" destination if I know I'm going to be stuck paying for a garage anyway. Make sure your car has a window sticker for city-center access-ask the rental agent.

Hi,

The parking is actually another question i'd like to ask. It's my first time using GPS. Could it direct us to the nearest parking spot or rest area? What should we input for that?

Hi Tim
The sticker for city centre access in Germany is the green sticker right?

TIA

There are no shortage of signs pointing you in the direction to all of these well-traveled towns and sites. If need be, you can easily find all of them, and the associated parking lots, without a GPS.

The signs for parking are unmistakeable and very visibly posted. As you approach any German city, you will see a list of the parking areas in the inner core, with names of the nearby landmark closest to each parking garage/lot. Often, the signs will even have a digital display to indicate how many spaces remain vacant. Trying to pre-plan this via GPS is usually more complicated than just following the signs. Even hotels usually post signs along the priority roads that point you in the right direction.

A GPS can be useful in cities, but even here, I would rarely try to pre-determine where to park. Instead, I would enter the address of my destination, then look for parking once I got close.

Tom, no argument with you. The point I was making is that the quality of the POI database is not a major factor. But having driven in at least ten countries of Europe, I am much happier with a G****n GPS on the dashboard. I want advance notice of which roundabout exit, or which highway ramp is going to be mine. It also reduces marital discord. I've been to plenty of countries, like Portugal, where the road signs are inscrutable and inadequate. After picking up a car at the Cologne HBF, I was glad to have authoritative advice on getting away to the Netherlands. And on curving, blind roads in the Black Forest, the GPS is a big help. When you want to find an obscure destination, like the Vitra Design Museum or Augusta Raurica, the GPS is far superior to road signs. And if you see that you're within 2 minutes of the destination, you can look (visually) for parking or garages-if you know the actual destination is not going to be laid out like the Mall of America ...

Just as in the USA, sometimes the algorithm (such as "fastest" or "shortest distance") produces unnecessary local road use, or a turn that doesn't match up with the actual "Schloss Rick Steves" arrow sign beside the road. In that case, I try to go with the bricks-and-mortar sign.

3 years ago when we went I just purchased the cheapest GPS with European maps I could find because it was cost effective since I rented in the Czech Rep.. I think that renting a GPS in Germany would have been cheaper but there is no guarantee that they will have one as I have read in other posts. Of course I was able to get familiar and program mine while still at home.

When we were looking for places to stay we tried to book B&B places that had free parking. Those that did not have free parking could point me to a parking nearby for about 10 euros a day.

Obscure destinations, locations of hiking trail heads, home or business addresses, yes, a GPS is invaluable.

Neuschwanstein, Zugspitze, Rothenburg odT, and other destination that attract thousands of other tourists? You can't possibly miss them if you follow the road signs. A GPS is more likely to complicate the matter if you have to make adjustments for full parking lots or road construction detours.

I'm not saying don't use a GPS, I'm only saying if you're getting to the level of detail where you're entering in the address of parking lots for the above well-known attractions, a GPS can sometimes make life more difficult than it needs to be.

We borrowed a friend's GPS and installed the European maps that we needed on it. It was a win-win - we got a free GPS and he got free European maps.

I agree with the posters who say that the places you have listed are all rural enough and clearly marked so that you should be okay with a good lap-map (i.e. there are only a handful of roads leading to Rothenburg and then the town is small enough that you can easily find parking without a GPS). The ability of the GPS to find parking is nice but not necessary in these smaller places. If you were driving into cities that would be another story.

Even with a GPS I always have a lap-map handy (we travel to Germany a lot so bought a detailed map book). The GPS has led us astray a few times so I always like to have the map as a backup anyway.

We have rented cars in Germany roughly 7 times in the past few years (Sixt and Auto Europe/Hertz/Avis) and only once (our first or second rental) did the car not come with GPS ... and we never ask for GPS with our rentals. They are becoming pretty standard. That being said, there is no guarantee.

I have a TomTom GPS with European maps. I purchased it on Amazon because Best Buy does not carry GPSs with European maps and I did not have time to download them. This GPS already has the European maps installed.

Yes, many rental cars now come with an installed GPS. When I rent my car, they ask if I want a GPS and I decline. If you say "yes" they will charge you for the installed GPS. This way, I have the car GPS, if I want to use it, and my own GPS. On my most recent rental car 4 weeks ago, the installed GPS was hard to figure out and use. Also, I have found that the car's installed GPS has complete maps only for the country that you rent the car in. Maps and directions for other countries is limited--it may not locate a specific address.

As previous posters have mentioned, I also take along a Michelin map. Depending on the settings for the GPS, you may want to take a more scenic route and the GPS may be programmed for a faster (autobahn) route.

If your rental car comes with a GPS, make sure you, or the rental agency attendant, sets the GPS to English.

Without my TomTom GPS, I would not have been able to locate the B&Bs I booked and get around as easily. It is a life saver for me and I won't leave home without it. If you do order one, purchase a dashboard mount and a hard carry case for it. I always take it out of the car and carry it with me. Don't want to attract thieves.