What GPS works in Europe?

Hi, Gail. You'll see on many posts here that most recommend just buying one, as it's the same price or cheaper than renting, usually. (Though AutoEurope tends to have free GPS specials, if you want to go that route.).

On suggestions of member of the board, I got a Garmin 270 from CompUSA for $121.98. It was fantastic. Worked in Italy, Ireland, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia (We drove all but one day of the trip.)

The 270 is older, but you'll find on your return home, you can Ebay it for almost what you paid for it.

One drawback - It comes with US, and EU maps, and Garmin only allows you to update 1 set for free. If you plan on using it at home, it's another $70 to update US maps. However, ones with just Europe maps updated seem to sell well on Ebay. :)

Hope that helps! Chris

PS - The other nice thing is that it charged off a USB input, so it was the same charger for our cameras, and Ipods, and no extra cables! Plus, we could charge it off the lap top when needed! :)

I have been asking the same question lately and found the Garmin 270 on Amazon for an AMAZING price. Then when I saw that Auto Europe rented the same one, I bought it. Haven't gotten it yet but am hoping that it will work well in the Czech Republic. I read a lot of reviews on Amazon before buying it. If anyway has any experience with this model, I would like to hear about it.

We bought a TomTom 930, and it was great! It made our trip so much easier, and we had no reservations about going into cities, knowing we could navigate easily and always find our way out!

Mine is a TomTom 920. It's the older version of the 930. It works great. I think the 930 adds traffic information and plans around it.

Gail,

The "short answer" to your question is basically any GPS equipped with European Maps. I've used my Garmin Nuvi 370 (now discontinued) in Europe and it works well. Since first buying the unit, I've updated both the North American and now the European maps (a somewhat slow process).

One thing to keep in mind is that GPS units are not infallible. I always pack a good Map for "backup" or to verify the GPS instructions (if necessary). When entering a destination, sometimes the GPS requires a specific name with local spelling, and it's not always easy to know what that is.

Cheers!