Map or Phone GPS

I have not driven (or been to) Ireland, but I have driven in several parts of Europe that people insist one MUST buy a good paper map for, just to be safe. But I just haven't felt the need to buy paper maps anymore. I use either my phone or (before I had a good smart phone) my old Garmin GPS, which I've since sold.

That said, I wouldn't rely on any device exclusively. I always look at my routes ahead of time to know where I'm going and know the towns that will be on my route. Sometimes I print out Google Maps directions to have with me just in case. And if I get lost and somehow the GPS or phone is lost, I don't panic. I either keep driving until my device comes back to life...or backtrack if need be. I drove through some pretty rural areas of Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia this way and never had any big problem.

As far a the phone GPS: I recommend having mobile service for your phone if possible (buying an Irish SIM card could be a lot cheaper depending on the plan you would have to buy from your home carrier), but FYI you can use your phone as a GPS even without any mobile service in Ireland. Look into Google Maps "offline" for example. It works surprisingly well.

Thanks a lot for all of this.

It’s really a personal choice. I use GPS and it does a pretty good job. However, we always take a paper map since my wife likes to look at travel books en route searching for side trips or short stops between points A and B. With the paper map she can see where potential stops are in relation to our actual location. On my next trip, I’ll also download Google maps to my tablet for offline use. So no, a paper map is not essential.

Sounds like good ideas. Thanks.

Just returned after a 15 day drive of the island perimeter. We brought excellent paper maps to use for navigating roads, but they were of little use. Imagine a spider web of roads mostly not labeled with signage. Paper map was only helpful for getting a general idea of direction and possible routes.

The GPS provided by the rental car company seemed like ancient technology and we put it in the trunk after 15 minutes. Too many steps for input when you need immediate information on the road.

We considered a mobile WiFi, but it was spendy.

What you want is Google Maps on your phone. International plans are pretty expensive in comparison to a SIM card (15 Euros). There were only a few remote locations where we couldn't get a signal (in which case we stopped and asked for directions).

Go to Swords Pavillions (mall) after landing in Dublin. There are 2 cell phone stores inside. Three/3 (aka EIR) was very helpful to put the SIM card in my phone and input the settings for use. It had a huge amount of data available, covered Northern Ireland, and we could use for phone calls.

Wow, Blymailaz, that is great, detailed information. Thanks a lot.

blymailaz, did you try Google Maps "offline?" Having a SIM does improve the Google Maps experience (traffic info, etc.) but in my experience still works fine "offline" even if you don't have data. I would get the SIM anyway, though, but that seems not to be easy for some people.

Just returned from driving Dublin-Trim-Galway-Cliffs of Moher-Dingle-Cashel-Dublin. Google maps worked great offline (we had no data in Europe) except for one spot on the Dingle peninsula. Just used the satellite and it was great. Also tried the Here app (here we go) but google was more comprehensive.

Just be aware that gmaps will tell you it takes 2 hours to get somewhere that might actually take you 3, and it will send you on roads that start with the letter L. We found those are what we would consider a driveway with hedges or rock walls on both sides, kinda hard to navigate for most Americans. Stick with the R roads or even M roads if you want to get somewhere fast.

We do both. Map to decide where to go tomorrow and GPS to get us there. The car GPS usually works better than a regular GPS.

I use a GPS, but have a paper backup. I also downloaded google maps for offline use. Essentially, your phone becomes a GPS without need to have an international plan. (Needs to be in airplane mode for offline use). With Sprint, international roaming includes free texts, 2G data speeds, and 20 cents a minute calls, and since there is limited need to make a call, I have no need for an international plan.

we are just back from Portugal where in addition to a paper map, we relied on the app HERE WE GO. This operates entirely offline, and it worked great for us while driving. Download your area in advance and you are set.

Can you tell me if google maps off line is an app. Or is this something you can just do on google maps. We are heading to Ireland in Spring and will have a rental car

Can you tell me if google maps off line is an app. Or is this something you can just do on google maps. We are heading to Ireland in Spring and will have a rental car.

Google Maps is an app on your phone or tablet. It has an "offline" mode - go into settings to look for it (should be obvious). It will let you choose an area map to download. The larger map area you choose, the more space it will consume on your device. (Hint: if you can, make sure you have added a memory card to your device like a microSD card to add storage. Some devices don't allow this - or you may already have one.)

Try it at home before trying to use it in Europe. Download the map area for where you live now, while you are on WiFi. Then, put the phone into Airplane Mode and go for a drive, using Google Maps offline as your GPS. It will work the same way in Europe, except that (depending on the country) units will be metric not English.

I've used Co-Pilot for Western Europe. I download the maps at home. After that I can navigate with no data or phone signal (but I need to know the street address - exactly - to put in). I often use Google maps, with data on, and a local SIM (or WiFi), to search for an address. I don't use Google to navigate because I like Co-pilot better. Google maps is a data and battery hog. If you turn data off, it won't recalculate your route when you miss a turn. Co-Pilot already has maps in memory so it doesn't matter if you miss a turn. Co-Pilot for Europe also gives you speed limits, speed warnings and speed trap warnings which can be really useful when you're driving in an unfamiliar area.

I travel very light, a shoulder bag with 10-12 lbs. Paper is heavy so I no longer carry paper maps. If I did use a map, I'd buy it there (better selection and cheaper) and dispose of it before flying home. I used to carry a TomTom GPS. I don't want that weight or bulk in my bag any more. I liked it marginally more than my phone app but I really appreciate saving the weight of both the device and dedicated charger. I don't pack a camera for the same reason, just the phone.