Hello,
I am looking for ideas on inexpensive ways to have GPS and cell phones during my trip in Italy? I can use my ATT phones in Italty at $1/min rate. I can rent GPS from AutoEurope; the cost with all their delivery and usage fees is ~ $70 for two week. I need GPS only for 4 days when i will be driving in Tuscany
Any better ideas?
Thanks
Dimitry
You can't buy a GPS with Europe map for anything close to $70. For your cell phone choices, go here Rick Europe Mobile Phone 101
Dimitry,
I too am looking for ways to use a cell phone in Italy this June. I came across and article that suggested renting from a company named Cellular Abroad.
I have just begun tho check out their website. Please let me know if you find any good deals. I have have verizon and cannot use my cell in Italy.
Here is the website:
Try looking at mobal phones http://www.mobal.com/. That is what I bought when we went over. It worked well only used it a few times time though.
You could always try to borrow/rent a GPS from a neighbor, co-worker or relative. Of course, you'll have to find out whether their GPS contains European map data. Send out an email and ask if anyone has one, you very well might get lucky. I borrowed one from my next-door neighbor last year, and it worked out well for our trip.
P.S. Just checked Amazon.com -- you can buy a Garmin nuvi 270 for about $150 that comes with both North American and European map data. It's a great price, and you'd be able to enjoy using it here, too.
I agree with Louis. Buy one here if you will use it after you return. I use my Garmin enough to warrant buying the European map program if I go there. The Garmin at $150 sounds good to me.
Renting one for $70 may seem cheap to you, but I would buy one here before I rent one there.
We just got back from Italy and drove from Rome through Tuscany and delivered the car back to Autoerupe in Florence and would highly recommend some kind of GPS or good maps for city driving, we obviously tried not to drive in the big cities but had to pick up the rental in Rome then drop it off in Florence and what a nightmare that was,we also got a hefty ticket in Florence for driving in one of those XTL ,restricted driving lanes,and had no idea where or when this happened because the signs are not always visible.
At the risk of advertising for Garmin, I'd say it's useful to have a Nuvi 270 in Europe even if you do not drive. It has pedestrian mode so it can lead you to your destination by walk. It can save current location, so you can memorize where the train station, hotel, parking lot are. It can show you where the nearest restaurants, ATM, gas stations are. I am sure other brands have some models of GPS that are competitive.
Amazon had Nuvi 270 for $130 for about a week a few months ago, but $150 is the next lowest price I have seen by any online retailers.
Since you have a phone that will work in Italy, it should be a three or four band phone. Under the US FCC rules, you have the right to have your phone unlocked (If it isn't already) - so you can buy a Italian SIM card for Italy and not pay the big charges that you would be paying otherwise. Putting a new SIM card in is very simple. Depending on the situation, you might have to pay some money for unlocking the phone.
Also, depending on the model of phone you have, you may already have gps reception built in, and there is software for many of the phones that allows you to have GPS with moving map (and sometimes even voice directions) on your phone.
It's worth looking into.
Otherwise, there are many inexpensive GPS units that work well in Italy, and you can get European maps for them (you should also be able to get European maps for the phone/GPS/Software combo).
I just changed to AT&T and purchased an unlocked Motorola because I can buy a Vodaphone SIM and use it in Sicily (the next time we get to go there). I'm looking into modding it for use with GPS.
if you already have a USA GPS, you can probably buy and download maps for Europe and put them on your GPS. It may be around $20. Heck of that cost I would borrow a friends GPS and pay to put the maps on.
As for cell phones. You can get started with an Italian cell phone for maybe 60-70 euro.
How about being low-tech and just getting decent road maps?
Thanks everyone for the resposne.
Here is the resolution:
1. We will buy GPS from Amazon for $140. If I absolutely hate it, I will return it for 20% restocking fee after the rtip.
The cheapest way to have a cell phone is to use my US ATT with Italian SIM card ( $39); all incoming calls including international are free; rate to call US is ~ $0.5 per min
