I will be renting a car in Ireland for 4 weeks. Does it make sense to buy a GPS device in Ireland instead of renting one from the rental car company for nearly $15 per day? Is there a good one from the USA that has maps of Ireland?
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
There are several models of both Garmins and TomToms that come with Europe maps (of which Ireland maps are a part). The best solution is to buy one here, so that you can learn how to operate it, and also preprogram some of your destinations in before you leave. Websites like Best Buy can show you a comparison of several models, and they are often on sale at various places. The car charger that works here also works in cars there, so that is no concern.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, King
8 posts
So much of the fun we had was because we just drove and got lost and accidentally found so many cool places!!!
Posted by
Gaston, Oregon, USA
931 posts
Ditto Nancy! Buy it here, learn to use it here. (much cheaper!) We always bring our GPS from home, loaded with the maps of the country where we will be driving. Then we bring a Michelin map of the country, and a compass. For our trip to Ireland this May I will be bringing my trusty TOM TOM, that I have used for years. I know that no GPS is infallible, so we always review our proposed GPS route using the map.
Posted by
OP
Holbrook
35 posts
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I have a Navigon that I use here but I don't think I can get European maps for it. I will check that out.
Posted by
Spring, Texas
635 posts
For what you would pay the rental car company, you can buy a new GPS with European maps. I suggest you check EBay and Amazon. There are refurbished units that are frequently on sale for good prices preloaded with European maps. I agree with the earlier comment about bringing a good map. Sometimes you need to double check the GPS. It might be confused or you may have not programmed it right.