Title says it. We have a nuvi garmin gps from around 2012. Wondering if Ill have issues using it with the car lighter socket for power in a toyota corolla there? I also saw elsewhere people recommended external antennas. But that thread was from 2007. Your take?
What about other considerations like for iphone chargers and other devices?
Any other issues I should be aware of?
Your Nuvi will need to have European maps to work in Europe. My Garmin did not have them - I had to buy a separate map card for it to use it for driving in Europe.
But that was before I had a smart phone. Now I can use Google Maps for free, and I don't even need internet or mobile service. I can download the maps "offline" (say for Ireland) ahead of time and drive with the phone in airplane mode, using it as a GPS, and not use any data, even if I have it on my phone. Sounds like you have an iphone - just use that.
"Cigarette lighter" power port is the same in cars in Europe as in the US.
Excellent advice! I just went on google maps and downloaded the map for ireland. I think we will plan on using both so we have a backup.
I’ve download European maps for my Garmin and used it in Europe.
I think there were free maps available online for my Garmin - but the maps were not from Garmin . I had to buy those, which as I understand were supposed to be of higher quality than the free ones. But each model of GPS is different; some may come with free subscriptions to these maps, but my Garmin did not.
As for me, I sold my old Garmin a couple of years ago, once I realized how much more advanced Google Maps is than an obsolete GPS unit.
Bought an old Garmin at a museum fundraiser "rummage sale" for $10, bought a European maps card and will use it next month; also got a SIM card for my phone with 3 GB of data so I can use Google Maps online for traffic updates in addition to offline use. And I have a Michelin map of France. Hmmm...OCD, anyone ?? (All items combined cost less than the rental GPS would have done.)
hey Jay I actually purchased a map for the UK (included Ireland) on ebay for about $15. I suspect there was some sort of copyright violation but my gps has a little slot for a mini disk and I loaded the map from ebay that way. I also loaded the map to my computer and then used my computer to load the map to my GPS to make sure it was on the GPS. My GPS is a "drive 60". The map worked great in Ireland, many of the really rural roads only showed up as being there, some did not have a name on the map but it was very helpful when deciding where to turn around when lost!!! My rental car over there was a "Seat" brand, I believe a VW offshoot, and the lighter and my windshield suction cup worked great. The map from Garmin would have cost me $80. I took the cheap route and it worked out.
I just downloaded the Google Maps app and then the Ireland map. It shows on my iPad, that it will expire in 29 days. I guess that indicates I will need to do this again in a month?
offline maps from Google do need to be updated. If your device is plugged in and wifi it will update automagically usually. It will send out the odd notification to warn you that it needs updating.
For Google Maps Offline, if you download a map as large as "Ireland" does it still have the street by street details? Or is it better to download in chunks?
For example, I'm going to Greece in three weeks. I had planned to download separate maps for Athens, Hydra, Kalambaka and Santorini. Would it work just as well to download the entire area in one map?
Yes, Google insists on keeping your offline map fairly up to date. (I consider that a good thing, after driving for years on out-of-date Garmin maps.) Don't bother downloading a map for Europe now if you aren't going for three months. You can do it right before you leave or even after you get to Europe if you'll have WiFi. Just put it on your "to-do" list.
The offline map takes space on your device. Yes, it is a detailed street map. But the larger of an area that you download (Google lets you choose the size), the more space it will take. If you have a phone with limited storage space, remember that the map takes space away from photos, videos, etc. that you might want to save on the phone. If your phone has the ability to add a memory card to add more storage, consider doing it - these memory cards have gotten quite cheap. I just bought a 128GB microSDXC card for my Android phone for $35 on Amazon.
I suggest you try out Google Maps "offline" at home if you are curious about how it will work. Download the "offline" map for where you live, then put the phone in airplane mode and ask the phone for directions somewhere. It's a little different than the "normal" Google Maps navigation...but it works. Delete your "home" area map after your experiment so you'll have enough space to download the offline map for your destination.
We only had one time when the GPS would not fit into a car’s lighter socket for power -and it was an included GPS from Avis; car was picked up at Linate airport/Milan. It was a Fiat. But we have rented cars in Europe yearly for a long time and that was the only time it has happened.
We have a Garmin and have a micro chip with European maps and never have had a problem using it in any rental car.
