GPS recomendation

Steve hit the nail on the head.

I love my Nuvi.

If cost is an issue, compare rental cost to what they're going for used on Ebay.

I'd wager that it is far cheaper to buy/use/sell than to rent.

Bill,

Buy a gps with either the European maps already loaded or buy the sd card. If you buy the sd card compare prices with amazon.com first. I have a Garmin nuvi 260w and it was indispensible this past summer in Italy. I did purchase the 260w from amazon and it included free shipping. Later, I purchased the sd card from amazon and it was about $40 cheaper than Garmin. My neighbor let us stay at his house in his small town called Nusco. It is not on any maps and the gps took us directly to his house.

Go to the Garmin website and find a Nuvi with the European maps already loaded. Next, check with amazon.com and also look for free shipping. i would also recommend buying the wide model.

Buon viaggio,

RB

Bill,

I'd also recommend the Garmin Nuvi GPS units. I have an older Nuvi 370 which came with both North American and European maps (I've updated both recently).

The equivalent model to the 370 is the newer nuvi 275T which you should be able to get from Amazon for ~$200.

Cheers!

The GPS is great to have and I would also recommend purchasing one before you go. That would give you time to get familiar with it so you would have no learning curve upon arrival. I use the tomtom 910 which has since been replaced by the tomtom 920 and 930. I believe another upgrade is in the works. Each of these have Europe maps already loaded on the unit. I believe the Garmin units that end with x70 also have Europe maps preloaded. Either make would serve you well and to me a gps is well worth the investment.

I also recommend the Garmin Nuvi. I have the 780 and love it. However, Costco had the Garmin Nuvi 785t (I believe that was the model) on sale for about $279 which shows you what lane to get in for your turns.

We will always travel with the Garmin. I will buy the lifetime European Maps before our trip to Portual, Spain and Italy....even though we will ride trains and buses.

Bill,

One important point to make. Don't trust the GPS unit completely, as they're NOT infallible. It's important to know the local names for locations, as even a small error in entering the destination name can result in a totally incorrect route. I tend to constantly "double check" the information provided by the GPS against road signs or other indicators.

I'd suggest packing along a good Michelin Map for "backup" as well.

Travelling through Spain and some of France I had GPS in the car that I leased. As Ken suggests, make sure that you have other back up. I had my itinerary mapped out with google maps and I bought some Michelin maps while I was there also.

Just got back from driving in Tuscany & we also used a Garmin Nuvi. Wouldn't have attempted to drive without it however the other poster is right in saying that it's not infallible. There were a few times that it took us around in a circle or down a small unpaved road that led to nothing but overall it was a lifesaver & I would not drive through Italy without it.

Garmin Nuvi, hands down. Just make certain that it has European maps already installed. Buying them separately is pricey. Learn how to program and use it before you go. You will also need to update the GPS and maps before you leave for your trip. Garmin has a GPS "selector tool" on their website that can assist you in choosing the right one.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&ra=true

You will want one with European maps for sure and one that speaks street names. That narrows it down to 3 models, the 1370T, 275T, and 775T. I bought mine a couple of years ago, and it is one of the 700 series. If I had to purchase a replacement, I would go for the 775T. If you are more budget minded, the 275T would be your choice.

I agree with other posters. We rented a GPS last year in Italy and it was great. We are leaving in less than a week for two weeks in Germany, Austria and Italy and decided to purchase one- that we can use it for road trips in the US as well.
We bought our Garmin for 199.00- on sale- at Costco. It came with the European maps and free shipping.
** I do plan on bringing some michelin maps- just in case.
Good luck!

I love my Garmin, but I agree with posters who advise being aware of your route and having map backup. Sometimes when I suddenly try to go an alternate route, due to an accident for instance, the GPS "recalculates" by trying to route me back to the road I just got off rather than giving me an alternate route. Also, be aware that the pronunciation of some of the place names can be quite off, even if you have it set in the native language of the country you are in.

I have a TomTom 920. It works wonderfully. It picks great routes, asks me if I want to avoid tolls, take the fastest or most scenic route. The new models (930, 940) have traffic monitoring to get you around any traffic jams. It also warns you (in Europe) where the speed traps are set up.

I don't recommend renting one with the car - much better to buy one here, learn to use it and bring it with you. Knowing how to use it is 90 percent of the effectiveness of a GPS, plus you will pay about half as much to rent one for a week as to buy your own.

Bill, I took my TomTom OneXL to Tuscany a couple of weeks ago and can't imagine doing the trip without it. Just ordered the maps of Italy online for $65.00 dollars and downloaded to an SD card. Worth every penny! The daily rate for GPS rental with our rental car would have been 18 euro/day.

We jsut returned from a two week driving trip in Italy. We purchased a Garmin Nuvi 275T from Costco just before we left. It came preloaded with the European Maps. For the lion share of the time, it was dead-on correct. The only thing I would have done differenly would be to download the one free map upgrade before we left. The autostrade had many new interchanges that had just opened and the GPS didn't recognize them. She had a fit trying to get us to turn around or we took the wrong off ramp.

Keep this in mind: Take along a good paper map for reference and if it looks like new pavement and a new interchange, consult the signs and your map and your GPS.
I wouldn't go back to Eurpoe without a GPS unit. It saved our bacon countless times even though the "turn right" or "turn left" voice sometimes got a little annoying.

This may sound crazy, but rather than messing w/map, wud anyone suggest using a GPS when walking around Rome? I hate to lug all this electronic gear (Ipod,
net book, etc)but some people sound like it's the only way to go!

Bill,

Like Garmin, some TomTom models come with European maps included. The 920,930 and 940 come with N. American and European maps. Garmins that have a 7 as the middle digit are preinstalled with Europe and N. America (270, 370, 670, etc.)

I have a Tom Tom GO 730. Just got back from France where it worked great! http://www.gadtravel.com

Hello Guys,
I am about to buy Garmin 275T. It accepts microSD card (not included), not a standard SD card. If I need to update a preloaded map, will I be able to do this?
Please advise.
Tatyana.

Hello Guys,
I am about to buy Garmin 275T. It accepts microSD card (not included), not a standard SD card. If I need to update a preloaded map, will I be able to do this?
Please advise.
Tatyana.

Tatyana, If you check the Garmin web site you will see that they offer updates on new mini SD cards, so yes, you can update your Garmin at any time.

What many people do is buy the updates on EBay, and sell them when they get back. Buy an Italy update one year, sell it when you get back, and buy a France update the next year, the re-sell it when you are done.

I can't do that with my old TOMTOM 920, but some of the new ones have "lifetime" free updates.

Stella, usually battery life is an issue when you lug around a GPS when you are walking in cities. Also tall buildings can block sattelite reception. This can be a big problem because you are not moving as fast as a car, and you have less time with sattelite contact.

TomTom XL (and other TomTom models) and Garmin Nuvi both great.

I have a Garmin Nuvi....would not leave home without it. I highly recommend the Garmins.

I use a Garmin Nuvi. I highly recommend using a GPS!! You will need one with European maps preinstalled if possible; it is less expensive overall. Learn to program it and how to use it before you leave. You don't want to rent one as you will have to spend time "on the fly" trying to learn how to use it. This is the link to the online tool to help you choose the right one.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134