GPS, smartphone & dumb phone&#59; any simple advice/solutions?

Phone-wise: I bought an unlocked quad band Motorola V-190 on ebay for $18, delivered, including a charger. I think I'll be able to get a sim/tim chip for $10 in Milan. We've got a droid with cool GPS...but know that a data plan in Italy will cost a gazillion euros so...it stays at home. Many people have written that a GPS is a good thing to have in Italy. I'm thinking of just loading some points into my old school handheld unit.

For the price of renting a GPS for a month you could certainly buy a european gps unit (probably several for the money they charge to rent). If you have a garmin currently you could just buy the european maps separately. You might be better off buying new, GPS prices are pretty low now and you'll have current maps and faster satellite fixes than on an older model. You could buy SIM cards in Germany and Italy for your Razor, they don't cost much. I plan to buy a SIM card for my unlocked android phone in Italy next month.

Bobbe, It might be worthwhile to get the AT&T travel pack for voice & text on both phones, as it might save a few dollars (depending on your usage patterns). With the Smart phone, it's extremely important to switch off the data roaming and check that it's OFF, or you could return home and find a HUGE bill in your mailbox! You might suggest to your "techie husband" that he take some interest in this, and have a look at the Thread in the "General Europe" section about knowing the risks of travel with Smartphones. If your husband chooses to ignore this, he too could be receiving a bill for $37,000! "as well as gps capability to navigate while driving around" That might not be possible, as IF the GPS application accesses the cellular data network, you'll be paying the astronomical data roaming charges. This will depend mostly on the method used by the phone to provide the GPS function (I don't know how this is accomplished on the HTC phones). I've been travelling with a small Garmin GPS unit equipped with both N.A. and Euro maps for the last few years, and it's worked well (and no worries about roaming charges). For an example of the prices, E-Bay has Garmin 275T models for ~$150. If you buy a used model, I'd suggest updating the maps (although that will add to the price). There are other models available that come equipped with both N.A. and Europe maps. Happy travels!

Bobbe, One more item, since you'll be driving in Italy.... One important point to note is that for driving in Italy, each driver must have the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. These are valid for one year, and easily obtained at any AAA office (two Passport-sized photos required, which in some cases are provided by the issuing office). Failure to produce an IDP if requested can result in fines on the spot! Have a look at This Website for more detailed information. You may also want to search other Posts here regarding the Zona Traffico Limitato areas that are becoming increasingly prevalent in many towns in Italy. EACH PASS through one of the automated Cameras will result in a €100+ ticket! A GPS along with a good Map would also be a good idea. Be sure to also give some thought to the question of CDW. If you accept the CDW offered by the rental firm, it will be expensive but will provide "peace of mind". Some "premium" credit cards provide rental vehicle insurance, however I've found this to be somewhat complicated so I just accept that offered by the rental firm. Check the Car Rental section in Europe Through The Back Door for further information. Cheers!

I wrote a blog post to make all the phone choices simpler, and it is now the most popular post on my site: http://www.lodgephoto.com/blog/going-wireless-in-europe-what-you-need-to-know-about-cell-phones/12/ Most cellphone GPS navigation like Google Maps requires a data connection to function. So you won't be able to use it unless you sign up for a data plan. The only exception to this are recent Nokia phones with Nokia Maps installed. It's a full GPS that runs on the phone with no data connectivity requirement. I have that for my Nokia E71, and it's pretty amazing. Make sure you download the maps before you leave, though! I wrote another blog post on how to sign up for AT&T's international voice & data roaming and not get a $37,000 bill -- again, because it's confusing: http://www.lodgephoto.com/blog/set-up-iphone-for-europe-travel-save-money/277/ It's actually the same sign up for any phone, not just iPhone. By all means buy a used GPS with European maps. Much cheaper than renting. I have an old TomTom (don't like Garmin) and use that. Mathew

Thanks to all of you for your valuable input......Wow, I used to be a travel bug in the '70's-'80's (including a year's trip around the world!), but I haven't done as much traveling abroad in the past 25 years......and everything seems much more complicated. Maybe I should just go "unwired"...... At any rate, now I'm considering which gps to buy used/reconditioned.....and I'm getting different opinions. The Garmin Nuvi (and then there are many models, so it boggles the mind.....) with Europe maps or the TomTom. Who has a recommendation for the definitive gps that will have an easy learning curve, but will help us in our drive, especially once we drive into Italy and start driving some back roads? I've been told the Nuvi 275; buy it on Amazon or eBay or Craigslist; with Europe maps already in it. What are your insightful thoughts? (I'm really enjoying this site, by the way......! It's helping me to get psyched up for this trip, despite all of the prep that's gone into it.....

@Mathew Thanks for the good blogpost @Bobbe Probably the best buy for North America and Europe GPS for $154 is the Garmi 275:
http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-3-5-Inch-Bluetooth-Portable-Navigator/dp/B001ELJ9Q0/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1301624536&sr=1-4 If you buy a used garmin online you will have to buy european maps which are about $100 also an older GPS will give warning to update the maps and can be more hassle to deal with.

re: gps Thanks, Lisa. You seem knowledgeable about this stuff. I guess you're saying better to buy a new 275 T, rather than a used or reconditioned one, because the maps will be more up to date? I gather this is a model that's several years old, but if you buy a new one, it has been d? I'm curious (since I've never owned a gps, other than the one that came with a car I own, which I have never really used)) whether the POI's in Italy will include b&b-type hotels, in some of the smaller, out-of-the-way locales, as well as a good ion of eateries. Has anyone used this particular model (particularly in Germany and Italy)? Looking at the 275T vs. the 775T: it seems like the 775T has a few advantages and more bells & whistles that perhaps could come in handy, or could just be a drain....larger 4.3" screen, lane assist, choice of keyboard (querty or abc), 10 routes (although I'm not sure exactly what that means.....?); but, the battery life is 3 vs. 4 hours. That might be a deal breaker, since we'll most likely need the thing the most when we're somewhere in the mountains in Le Marche, near Urbino or Gubbio, i.e. and then, I'm up against a partner who thinks we don't need one more gadget (he being the driver, I being the navigator:)

Bobbe, Even buying a brand new GPS unit will not guarantee that you'll get up-to-date Maps. If the dealer has slow "turnover" and the product has been sitting on a shelf for a year or two, it won't be current. I've been using a Garmin Nüvi unit for several years, and it's been a great travel accessory. I use it both for driving as well as in "pedestrian mode". The two "minor issues" of the compact unit I'm using are battery life and speaker volume. Battery life is only a problem when walking around (as it can be connected to the vehicle when driving), so I tend to use it intermittently. Speaker volume is only a problem in the car due to road noise. One very important caveat regarding GPS units. DON'T trust them implicitly! I've found that it's necessary to "double check" the directions they're providing, either with a Map or using local road signs. There have been a few well publicized cases of people ending up 500 kM or more from where they wanted to be, simply because they entered one or two letters incorrectly in the GPS. However, my GPS has been VERY useful on a few occasions. You might find it helpful to read These tips. Cheers!