I'm renting a car in Florence and driving around Umbria for 11 days. Cars with GPS cost an extra $15 (approx) per day. I am thinking it would be cheaper to buy a sim card and use it for data...GPS. I did this when I drove a car in Greece for a month and it worked like a charm and only cost approx $30-40.
Has anybody had experience with this in Italy? Any idea how much a sim card costs?
Thank you.
You might like a SIM card for non-driving purposes too - but you don't NEED one to use your phone as a GPS. GPS works without mobile data. What apps like Google Maps needs are the maps and directions associated with the GPS coordinates.
You can use Google Maps "offline" for driving - download the maps ahead of time on WiFi, put the phone in airplane mode, and drive. Try it at home first. It's not the same as "regular" Google Maps but still works quite well.
Otherwise, TIM or Vodafone SIM cards are usually recommended in Italy - 30 Euros or so for a tourist SIM package.
marguerite,
To begin with, I assume you're aware that each driver listed on the rental form will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit for driving in Italy (these are also compulsory in Greece). These are used in conjunction with your home D.L. and are valid for one year. You'll also have to be very careful to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) areas that are prevalent in many Italian towns, as EACH pass through one will result in hefty fines which you may not know about until several months after you return home.
Regarding the SIM card, you can certainly use your phone for GPS. AS the previous reply mentioned, TIM and Vodaphone have "tourist packages" which are quite reasonably priced. It may take a few minutes to set the phone up with an Italian SIM, and be sure to bring your Passport as it will probably need to be registered. While the GPS system isn't dependent on cellular access, you'll need data to download the maps. It is possible to download offline maps, but I find it easier just to use cellular data.
Another option would be to use international roaming with your home cell network, which may not be that expensive. Finally, you could also buy a dedicated Garmin or TomTom GPS unit equipped with European maps, and that won't require any cell data.
