Need GPS recommendations for France, Italy, and Portugal trip

Last fall for Sicily, we left our Garmin Nuvi with Europe map chip in it at home and used Google Maps on my phone. I had an Italian SIM but I do not think that is necessary to use Google Maps online. It was great and we drove all over Sicily without any problems.

Google maps offline works great in all 3 countries, no need for data nor wifi. Just download the maps at home. We have always brought our Garmin Nuvi gps as a backup but in retrospect didn’t really need it.

You can get buy using Google Maps without mobile data. However, if at all possible, I still highly recommend getting a SIM card or using your an international roaming package (depending on your carrier, this may be cheap or expensive). Mobile data makes your phone much more useful in general, and it adds traffic data to Google Maps as well as the ability to use it for public transit and waling directions.

Some readers have suggested using your smartphone and this may indeed work. I've been using my Garmin nüvi 3597 with an accessory chip that allows GPS navigation through most of Europe. I've use it in France and Spain and it worked well for me. It also works well in the US, of course.

Easy to use your smart phone instead of a dedicated GPS. I would suggest buying a SIM card in Europe so that you’ll be able to communicate in emergencies, call lodgings or make other inquiries. To use google maps offline, you’ll need to download them using a WiFi connection. (Practice at home to see how it works.) I actually prefer using Waze since it highlights hazards, speed cameras, etc.

I would definitely bring a mount so you’ll be hands free and have the screen visible. Many of the newer rental cars have USB or Blue Tooth capabilities so you can keep the phone charged (with a USB cord) and use the car’s sound system to play the turn by turn directions or your personal playlist.