We will be driving for 5 days from Bilbao up to the basque region in France and Spain. We are wondering if we should have a Nav i.e. Garmin in the car or just relie on the google maps and Waze apps on our iPhone. Any suggestions are appreciated..
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3282 posts
I think it's more a personal choice. I used to use Garmin GPS but now rely on my iPhone with Google maps. Used it in Spain and France, and many other countries, with no problems. The GPS seems a little more friendly and informative but I can't see packing an unnecessary gadget. If you're happy using Google and Waze at home, don't hesitate to use them in Europe.
Posted by
Ozarks of Arkansas
286 posts
There are many stand alone navigation apps that run on an iPhone and do not require an internet connection to operate. I used Co-Pilot last summer in Wales and it worked great.
Posted by
Connecticut
337 posts
We used Google maps on my iPhone in Ireland and it worked like a charm.
BUT be aware:
You MUST download all the areas you might travel in as an "offline" area BEFORE you travel, using your home wifi. (I have a 132-gig iPhone 7 and was literally able to download ALL of the Republic of Ireland.)
You will get most everything except voice prompts, which means you'll need a navigator to tell you when and where to make your turns. It worked well with my husband driving and me in the passenger seat.
You will also not get traffic info. But it WILL recalculate for you if you take a wrong turn or change your route.
It showed absolutely every road. It favored the shortest route, which wasn't always the easiest route. But it always got us where we were going. And it was free, and it worked offline (e.g., in Airplane Mode).
We did have a paper map for backup, but it wasn't very detailed. The downside is that my husband, as the driver, never could see the map himself, and that made him a little nervous. For that reason, you might prefer a bigger GPS device.
If your traveling companion is willing to act as navigator, then I think you'd be OK with your phone and Google maps. But I agree that it's a matter of personal preference. I hope this helps with your decision.
Have fun!!
Posted by
Midwest
2768 posts
If there are at least 2 people in the car and the non-driver is comfortable acting as navigator then you don't need a GPS. If you have limited data on your phone then you will need to download google maps of your routes on wifi then use them offline. This has worked fine for me. I also have the broad area I am in dowloaded offline on citymaps2go (the whole province and nearby ones if I will be close to a border). This doesn't provide routing but serves as a backup map if I forgot to download the area on google or somehow end up off the area I downloaded. Like a paper map - no routing - but does have your location dot updated in real time.