I will be renting a car in England from Hertz and hope to use my own Garmin GPS with appropriate maps loaded. My only concern is that the cigarette lighter plugin that I connect to the device to keep it charged is compatible with such a UK rental car. Considering one needs adapters and to take voltage into consideration with wall outlets, I want to know if there is anything special I might need to do to assure that all works well in the car. I also plan to get a good road atlas to supplement the GPS and would like anybody's thoughts on good ones. I'm considering an AA atlas. Thanks.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
My preference for an atlas is the A - Z series, but it probably isn't any better.
You have two options for the GPS:
Buy a a direct-wire kit for about seventeen dollars on eBay, plus lead extensions and a reverse oscillating inverse transformer with British bipolar reversing lead (green goes to blue). Remember to get the driver's window supplemental rain shield due to the weather. Total cost will be under a hundred dollars.
Just plug the darn thing in the hole and haul tail.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
To paraphrase Ed, the plugin is exactly the same in UK cars as at home. Your own GPS will work just fine. And I have always done just fine with the maps the rental car counter hands out, but I have also taken Michelin maps (or bought one there).
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks Ed & Nancy. That's all I wanted to know. And thanks to Ed for the good laugh.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
295 posts
The plug is the same. What works in a US car will work with a British car rental. Different story for the outlets and electricity in hotels. I personally like the Michelin atlases. You should be able to pick up a Britain atlas in the states before you go. Then if you need additional maps you can get them easily over there.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
The UK is in a special category for maps.
Michelin generally has a first-rate product, but doesn't compare this time.
Both AA and A-Z use Ordnance Survey data. Michelin doesn't. OS is one of the premier mapping agencies in the world.
Part of the problem lies in the mean datum line. OS uses one in Cornwall. Michelin one somewhere in France. That, combined with two slightly different projections, can cause distortions and consequent relational errors.
OS data also has more detail at any scale.
GPS program maps use the British system in the UK, making OS-based maps correlate better with a GPS display.
Sometimes using a paper map with the wrong datum is inconsequential, other times it can nip you in the tail.