Auto GPS suggesions

I have used a Tomtom gps for several trips, mainly on the continent. I would purchase a standalone gps, with the maps already installed.

They are relatively inexpensive now and I would use a specific gps device. Purchase at home and practice with it at home first.

You must make sure that your GPS includes Europe maps. Some models do, some have an additional charge to add maps. I like TomTom too, but mostly use my phone these days for directions.

Last year in England and Wales I used Co-Pilot as the navigation app on my ipad. It worked very well. But my wife had never used it before and it took her some time to become familiar with its us. The European maps were an extra cost option.

Having a live co-pilot when driving in the U.K. is very helpful. The driver is often too focused on staying in to navigate.

I use my Garmin loaded with European maps and it works fine. The roads are well marked and for the most part you won't really need one. GPS does come in handy in cities to find a hotel you have reservations at and to get out of town headed in the right direction.

We didn't use a GPS for this route at all. Didn't need it. We bought the A to Z Great Britain atlas and mapped our route out each night before, which was pretty easy to do. The signs in Scotland, in particular, are FANTASTIC as are the roads. I navigated while my partner drove. I do recommend stopping by the visitor's center on the Isle of Skye in Portree. They were very helpful.

I'll admit, I was pretty nervous about it, but it worked out well. We also invested in UK sim cards when we arrived in Edinburgh, so we could use Google maps on our phone, if needed, but we only did this when we got to England where the signs were not quite as good in certain areas. You can also download the Google maps app on your iPad, download the maps you want offline and then use them without wifi/network to get directions. You have to login to do this, and the maps expire in 30 days.

I use Co Pilot throughout Europe. It uses gps and therefore you don't need any data allowance on your device.

I used an iPhone app in 2014 for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Its name was TomTom for UK and Ireland, but I can't see it in the iTunes store anymore. It worked very well, with a learning curve to hike the first day or two.

The noise level wasn't quite loud enough to hear over the car's noise, so I found a small speaker to plug into the iPhone at a supermarket. It wasn't a great one, so a good, loud & small speaker that you can take along could be a useful item to add to packing list.

The app had an option to stay off toll roads and bigger highways. Umm, pros and cons :-) It took a lot longer to arrive anywhere, but the extra scenery was priceless!

The app used the phone's GPS function, so data was firmly turned off and the GPS gave the directions live.

Doesn't Google Maps work in Scotland?

Google maps work ok in Scotland. I have used them.

I would however suggest a paper based atlas. It is a good souvenir and allows better planning. If a SatNav is preferred, a paper atlas is always a good addition.

Hi,
We use Garmin GPS with Europe map chip. Chip costs more. However, I bought mine fo 40.00 on ebay, used. It was 1 year old. Europe roads do not change that much in a year and I saved 50.00. When possible, get the co-ordinates of the place you need to go. Much easier than an address. For example. In Spain, my GPS was speaking Castilian Spanish, my AirBnB host was speaking local dialect and that did not bode well for me, finding my digs in a driving rain storm at midnight. It took two hours, but we found him. When I left, I gave him his co-ordinates to give to others. I really hope he did. You can also find co-ordinates by looking up the address on googlemaps. I would print them and take them with me to plug in when you are getting close to where you need it. Also, on a rental, be sure that there is a 12v plug. My rental car did not have one. No cigarette lighter, Nada. I McGivered it. That is another story and I think I have pictures.

Also, I would buy a driving map of the area. GPS does not necessarily tell you about sites close by. Maps will. You can see the area you are going through, not just the road and 30 feet on either side. The map will also tell you, in the front, about driving rules in Scotland, what signs mean, what parking lines - single, double- spaced and solid, etc.

Regards,
John

Regards,
John

Every time I've rented a car the last few years (one of which was in Scotland last August), there's been a GPS already in the car. Not that I rented from the company - but just built in.

"... there's been a GPS already in the car. Not that I rented from the company - but just built in"

I've found that also, but on my last rental the GPS software was on a removable SD card and since I had not paid to rent the GPS, the SD card was removed.