My friends and I will be purchasing a GPS here in the U.S. before we
travel to the Tuscany region. We have been shopping for the best
GPS and find we are confused. Anyone with experience who can
recommend a good one (current maps of Italy, can recalculate).
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Make sure the charger is OK with Italian electricity (230 V 50 Hz AC). Or even better get a charger with 2 round pins, European style, then you won't need a plug converter.
Posted by
Los Angeles
4853 posts
this is like saying What's the best car? Everyone has a different opinion.
I recommend researching GPSs that come from a European company like Tom Tom. By default, they should do the best job no? You might try sneaking onto the Amazon Italy site (or failing that, Amazon UK) and find out what Euros are buying for the continent these days.
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for your replies.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
I've been using a Garmin Nüvi for many years, and it's always worked reasonably well. I should probably update the maps, but haven't got around to that yet.
Posted by
420 posts
We got a Garmin from Costco. Worked perfectly in Italy and Scotland. No exaggeration. Friends had a much older Garmin. Their kids would chant from the back seat of the car "Don't trust the Garmin, don't trust the Garmin..."
Posted by
🏝️ Hobe Sound, FL⛱️
3282 posts
No GPS unit is perfect. You should do well with any of the major brands. I have a 9 year old Garmin and I was lucky enough to subscribe to "lifetime" European map updates when they were offered. Newer units are faster, have larger screens with better resolution and other bells and whistles. You should be able to buy a Garmin quite easily and then before you go on your trip, purchase the maps for Italy. They're available as a download or on an SD card on their website. The download should have the latest updates. Make sure that all the drivers of your vehicle are included in the rental agreement and that each one has the required international driver license.
I'm returning to Italy for three weeks in the autumn and will be using mapping on my iPhone in lieu of taking the GPS.
Posted by
Nebraska
333 posts
Do you really need to buy one? There are lots of good GPS apps for your phone. That's one less things to pack and works driving and walking. :-)
Lisa
Posted by
8 posts
waze is amazing
Posted by
Los Angeles
4853 posts
WAZE is only amazing if you don't happen to live in one of the quiet off the beaten path neighborhoods that they now route commuters through. At least in LA ...........