We are renting a car for 2 weeks in Spain. Picking it up in Madrid and dropping it off in Barcelona. Got a great rental rate w/National @Carrentals.com. After making the reservation online, discovered that National does not have GPS sytems to rent in Spain. Wondering if it is worth it to rent one for 2 weeks from a GPS rental company, or look for another car rental company that provides GPS systems as an option. One concern I have is that it be reliable. Our experience with our TomTom here in the States, has been less than adequate - it died after a year, with very little use. Obviously, I would feel more comfortable knowing if something was wrong with it, we could easily have it replaced while in Spain. Any info. is greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Newport Beach, CA, USA
769 posts
Id just go to Cotsco and pick one up - you will probably pay as much extra - so learn to use it now at home. You can also check out Bestbuy and ask the diff between various models but they have many on sale under 150-200$ range. It may be a bit more than renting but hey - you can learn to use it here and not worry about it when you are in Spain!
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
2026 posts
Just FYI..did you check rates with Autoeurope? We rented a car from them in England a few weeks ago and it worked perfectly. They had excellent rates and a GPS (mailed to you at home, you mail back upon return) that was very reasonable, even with the shipping charge. Actually, when we rented there were some deals for free GPS, but England wasn't on the list. Really don't know whether Spain is their bailiwick or not. Good luck.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, United States
64 posts
I second what Tom says. Buy one at Costco and learn to use it before you go over there.
I purchased a Garmin from Costco.com two years ago and it works great. I have not brought it to Europe, so I can't comment on what you need to do, if anything, to make sure that it is Spain ready.
If you are a traveler and rent cars, this is a must have device. Not only from an efficiency standpoint, but more importantly from a safety standpoint.
Posted by
gaston, oregon, usa
842 posts
Lori, did your TOMTOM die, or did it just need to have the re-set button pushed in and held for 30 seconds, to re-boot it?
I know, on our trip a few weeks ago in France, "Jeanette" (my GPS) was stuttering when she pronounced the names of the streets. Another post mentioned that re-boooting it should take care of the problem.
I would go to Costco and buy a new GPS; learn how to use it here, and take it. Or check out the prices on Amazon.com. You can find plenty of units for around $200 that have the EU maps built in( The Garmoin Nuvi 270 is less than $150.)
You can have a whole host of problems with the rentals GPS; chief among them is getting them to speak English.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Just make sure that, whatever brand of GPS you purchase, it includes European maps. Many versions only include North America. If a salesperson tells you it includes Europe, and it's not mentioned on the box or in the literature....don't believe him/her. At least one model of all the popular brands, Garmin, Tomtom, etc, will have a version with European maps included. EVERYONE has a GPS in Spain these days, so you won't have problems replacing it if yours dies. Just make sure you get the clerk to help you switch it over from Spanish to English before you leave the store.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
WE bought a Garmin nuvi with European maps prior to our 2 weeks driving around Normandy. I am so glad I learned to use the handy features before leaving Caen at rush hour in a rainstorm. I set as a favorite the actual remote entrance to the rental car parking lot so I could easily return there at the end of our trip and not wander around trying to find it in the dark.
There are many features like saving favorite addresses (hotels, museums, restaurants, etc.) before you leave on your trip that will truly be a lifesaver upon arrival. There is also a feature that also allows you to set map coordinates (degrees, minutes, and seconds) from GoogleEarth if you stay in a rural B&B with no real street address. Zoom in on any location using Google Earth and the coordinates are at the bottom left on the screen. That worked like a charm in rural Normandy. Buy the GPS before your trip.