We will be renting a car for two weeks in May. Two options I am considering is to rent a car with navigation included, the other option would be to rent a Tep Wireless device and utilize Google maps to get around Ireland. Not much difference in cost. We used the Tep Wireless device on a Baltic Cruise last year and were very pleased ( did not use for navigation, just to have portable internet access). If anyone has better ideas, feel free to voice those also. We are not very tech savvy, so we need to keep it simple .
Thank You!
Posted by
2 posts
The last time we went we used Google Maps offline. Downloaded the area we were going to be in every couple days in a wifi zone. Worked great for us and free! We had gotten a free GPS through the rental agency but it was back in the case in the glove box before we left the rental lot.
Posted by
Chattanooga, TN USA
589 posts
Agree with previous poster to use Google Maps offline. We drove all over Ireland (Republic and NI) for a month with no issues. Be sure you have a way to keep the phone charged in the car because Google Maps is a battery hog. Warning that Google Maps estimates for how long it will take to get anywhere are understated by about 30%. They optimistically assume you will drive the posted speed limit (which is too fast for most non-native drivers) and never miss a turn (which you will).
Our rental car had navigation (which we did not ask or pay for). We tried using it but reverted to Google Maps because we found it easier and more accurate.
Posted by
OP
14 posts
Thank you both for your suggestion! I appreciate your taking time to help us out. Anyone else have have ideas you would like to express??? Thank you!
Posted by
bedford, indiana
459 posts
I bought an Ireland/UK map online for 15 bucks and loaded it into my Garmin GPS, used it over there with much success.
Posted by
OP
14 posts
Thank you for your idea!
Posted by
North Carolina
98 posts
Just adding another thumbs up for Google Maps offline. No wireless or data access required (other than downloading the maps before you set out). I was amazed how well this option worked for us. We found during our trip that we actually did have a nav system in our rental car that worked (though we had declined it). However, we did not find it to be any more reliable/useful than our Google Maps.
Posted by
chicago, il
113 posts
I just left Ireland and with ATT couldn’t get google maps to work
Posted by
OP
14 posts
Thank you!
Posted by
America's Vancouver and the First
111 posts
We also used the offline Google maps, but I don't like the way it often takes you on what we call "cow paths," which can feel like you're going through the back country hinterlands or through an alley. Because of this, we always take a detailed Michelin map and try to plot our route out the night before so that we have an idea of what lies ahead.