GPS rental in Italy

Consider buying one from home. That's what we did. Plus you can learn to use it before you go. We purchased a Garmin from Costco.

A GPS is called a 'navigational system' on some websites. Autoeurope will be cheaper regardless.

We have a garmin,but don't you have to get maps for Italy for a charge ? Ours is several years old,a bit bulky ( haven't used it since we got our iPhones ) .What was the charge at Cosco ?

Why not use your iphone in Italy instead of the GPS? You'll already be familiar with it. Just bring a car charger like you would use at home (and a suction cup or whatever), as the GPS function can really eat the battery fast. If you won't have mobile service in Italy, you can still use some apps like Google Maps "offline" to navigate without any mobile connection - just keep the phone in airplane mode. But you must download the map(s) you need ahead of time in that case.

Last Oct. we drove all over Puglia using my husband's Samsung tablet with Google Maps navigating in real time with GPS info WITHOUT needing a data plan. Many tablets have GPS chips in them so you may not need a Garmin. For convenience my husband downloaded our destinations (some before we left home or at our acomm. with wifi) and saved them in Google Maps to make it easier each day. We had data plans on our smartphones but the tablet worked great for driving. We didn't find using it for walking around navigation so good esp. in the historic centers of towns. It was great for driving. We also have a Garmin with European maps but found the tablet so convenient. Our smartphones would do the same thing downloading the maps on wifi in advance.

Janet, Google Maps "offline" supports driving directions but not walking/public transit directions. So your tablet without a data plan wouldn't have been so useful for walking around, unless you can find another app besides Google Maps that supports "offline" maps for walking. Your tablet could show you where you are (on a map) but not give you point to point directions. Because you had phones with data plans, I would have used the phones for that instead.

Thanks Andrew!

From what I have researched,my Verizon international plan costs $40 a month but only has a small amount of data with it.When I use my phone GPS in the USA it takes quite a bit of my data .I had thought of downloading google maps when in wifi and using them offline as we travel,but not sure I am techy enough to manage that 😱

Kathy, Google makes it pretty easy to download the maps offline. Try it at home! Go into Google Maps settings and find the "offline areas" section. Start by downloading your home map on WiFi. Then put the phone in airplane mode - and try to navigate somewhere by car. It's a bit different than "normal" Google Maps (and has no traffic info) but still works quite well.

Google Maps offline maps expire in 30 days, though (you will be asked to update it after that), so don't try downloading any Italy maps until close to your arrival there.

Verizon's monthly plan doesn't have much data. Their $10/day plan makes more sense to me, but it can get pricey quickly. Another option is to buy an Italian SIM for your phone. Verizon phones are at this point still not locked, so you should have the option to do so. (Italian SIM from TIM or Vodafone means you have an Italian phone number while that SIM is in place, until you put your Verizon SIM back in the phone. You can go to a TIM or Vodafone store in Italy just like a Verizon store at home and have them set up the SIM in your phone.)

You can also get a Verizon Int'l plan where you take your talk, text, & data allowance from home with you--the "Travel Pass." Good in 130 countries. You are charged $10/day and charged only on the days that you use your phone. Last fall when we were in Italy for 3 weeks my husband had this plan and I had the $40/month plan that came with 100 mb of data.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/solutions-and-services/international-travel/

I know it prob does make more sense and more economical to get an Italian sim card and we have done this numerous times but lately we have just added Int'l plans so we don't have to get new numbers.

If your service is with Verizon, your phones should be or can be unlocked. If so, get a visitor SIM card from either TIM (in the arrivals area at FCO) or Vodafone. Not only will you be able to navigate easily but you can also call hotels and restaurants. Here’s a link to the TIM website.. If you pay for it ahead of time and take your voucher to the counter, they’ll have your new card installed in less than 20 minutesand you should have service in less than an hour. Here’s a link to the Vodafone website. Vodafone does not have a presence at FCO so you’d have to find one of their stores to get a card.

You might also want to read the Phones & Tech section under the Travel Tips section of this site. To buy maps for your Garmin would cost about $80. I used the TIM card for my last 2 trips and it was great. I also thought that the Waze app was better than using Google Maps.

Wow ! Great advice here. I have read the tips for phones on Rick's site plus have his 2018 book - love it ! Are you saying there is a TIM store in the airport or close by ? We pick up the car at Rome airport and head straight to Siena that morning. I may get the $40 plan and have hubby do the $10 a day as a backup for him - like he gets separated from the family group and gets lost !

Kathy, the TIM store is actually 2 very large and visible counters near the exit of Terminal 3. So you’d have the card installed before you leave the terminal.

So, Phillip,if 200 of us leave the plane at one time,how many will hit the TIM store at one time ? Have you actually done this in the past . How long did it take you to have card inserted ? Love all the answers,folks.