Garmin with downlaod of Ireland maps

Depends on which model Garmin. My old Garmin (which I sold after I realized how superior my smart phone was) came only with US maps, but I was able to buy a European map card for it on eBay. It worked, just not as well as my smart phone later did. Other Garmin units may have come with world maps that you can update. Mine didn't.

You don't need to use data to use your smart phone as a GPS. Google Maps for example has an "offline" mode - download the map for an area ahead of time, put your phone in Airplane Mode, then try navigating somewhere. (I mean, download your home area first and try it at home, then download an Irish map within 30 days of the end of your trip.) The larger the offline map you store, the more space it takes on your device, though.

Just make sure you bring a USB car charger for your phone, because GPS drains the battery pretty quickly. Get a USB "cigarette lighter" adapter (in the US, $1 at Dollar Tree) and plug any USB charging cable into it...and get a windshield suction cup for your phone if you don't have one.

SIM cards in Europe are super cheap though, Google Maps works fine without data to drive (not for walking/public transit though, just driving), but Google Maps works even better with data (you can get traffic info for example). It's another whole discussion how to get a good SIM card for phone, however, if your home carrier doesn't have an affordable international roaming plan.

We used a Garmin in Ireland and it worked just fine.. We did buy the most current Ireland/ UK card for it. It did not come with European maps.

My most recent Garmin (I've had a few of them) is great. It came with "lifetime maps" for Europe and North America. Have't driven in Ireland with it, but I have driven in England, Scotland, Italy, Solvenia, Croatia, Montenego, Japan, Canada and Mexico - and soon I'll use it to drive through Lithiania, Latvia and Estonia. Way, way better than relying on a phone IMHO.

We have the same type as David with lifetime maps of Europe and North America. We have used it in 2015 for France, Germany , Luxembourg, day trip to Switzerland and Belgium as well as 23 days of driving in the UK in 2017. Worked really well. We are hoping it will do just as well in Ireland in 2019.

I've used my Garmin in Europe multiple times and have had few issues. I don't even have the latest maps. I figure that the towns, castles, abbeys, etc. have been there for centuries, so won't be going anyplace soon. The issues I've had are the same as one would have in the states; trying to take you on a non-existent road, or over a pedestrian only bridge, etc. I've been trying the downloaded maps for offline use before my next trip and they seem to work just fine on my old iphone.

Our Garmin came with International maps and we update them before our trips. We were in Ireland in October and it worked great! The Garmins that come with International maps are pricier than the ones without them (about $250) but we also used it in Germany and Austria and never got lost. It was worth the investment.

I suspect most of the people who swear by their Garmins have never tried using their phones instead. I know that, after I did, I sold my Garmin as fast as I could.