car rental with GPS?
May 11th, 2005, 06:01 PM
#1
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car rental with GPS?
We (2 adult women) are traveling by car through Germany and parts of Austria for two weeks in June. Not wanting to get lost during our driving, we're wondering if it's advisable to get a car with GPS. (Our rental is with Auto Europe through Gemut). Any suggestions would be appreciated.
May 11th, 2005, 07:36 PM
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I've had 2 cars from EuropCar that had GPS. One BMW and one skoda, both with built in GPS.
The good news: both were able to get me where I needed to go.
The bad news: both were set up in German and it took me the entire week to figure out how to change to English
The good news: I really didn't need the GPS. Getting around Germany and Austria is easy, especially with a good highway map and detailed street map of major cities.
The bad news: If you are trying to find a specific address in a big city (Munich, Vienna, etc) without a detailed map you can easily get lost.
The good news: Signs to get to town centers (Zentrum) are usually very well marked, so if that's your destination you're in luck
The good news: www.viamichelin.com is an excellent map website that will give you detailed directions to/from any point in Europe.
My co has a contract with Europcar, so I often get upgraded to a high end car that has built in GPS for no charge, so I have no idea what you'd have to pay to get it.
I don't think you need GPS but if you're a techie and like to figure out these toys then get it, otherwise look out the window, enjoy the scenery and if you get lost finding your way is part of the experience.
May 12th, 2005, 05:22 AM
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GPS is very handy, you go off the route, it recalculates, if you can get it, DO! I have used it many times and when you get to any city it is great, and after a long day of driving it is really nice when your looking for a hotel and a hot shower.
May 22nd, 2005, 12:07 PM
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It is also great after dark. We once went to a local festival in an obscure mountian town, and we never would have gotten there and back without the GPS. it allows you to go off the beaten track a bit.
May 22nd, 2005, 12:22 PM
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There is an alternative to paying for a GPS that you don't get to take home with you: own the equipment. Any fairly recent laptop computer with a plug-in GPS receiver will do everything that an onboard rental unit will do. Not only do you get to keep it, but you can practice before you leave home.
The receiver and software (US and Canada maps included):
<b>http://www.microsoft.com/streets/default.mspx</b>
The maps of Europe:
<b>http://www.shop.viamichelin.co.uk/csasp_index.asp?id=119</b>
The receiver and software (US and Canada maps included):
<b>http://www.microsoft.com/streets/default.mspx</b>
The maps of Europe:
<b>http://www.shop.viamichelin.co.uk/csasp_index.asp?id=119</b>
May 22nd, 2005, 06:06 PM
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Spending 10 days in France earlier this month has made me a believer in the virtues of GPS; cousin and wife who were going with my husband and me (their first time to Europe) felt we needed one, and I pooh-poohed the idea, saying that maps had worked well for us in several trips, so why change now, ya da, ya da. Well, long story short, cousin bought Magellan here with Europe "add on", and it worked beautifully. I sing the praises of GPS; of course, it can be done without it, but it sure makes things easier. More than once it had to say to us, "Recalculating the route. . ."!
May 22nd, 2005, 06:33 PM
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Get the GPS! It saved us several times in Germany and Austria last September. It did take quite a while to program it to "english", but once it was programmed, driving in big and small towns was a breeze.
It recognized one-way streets, pedistrian only roads, etc. I'm the navigator in our family and have a good sense of direction, but the GPS was invaluable!
Good Luck,
Marla
It recognized one-way streets, pedistrian only roads, etc. I'm the navigator in our family and have a good sense of direction, but the GPS was invaluable!
Good Luck,
Marla
Jun 15th, 2005, 05:47 AM
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I forgot to mention that on one ocasion we drove across the border into Austria. The screen went blank.
Later on we met a family with the exact same car and they said their GPS didn't work. They had tried it when they were across the border in Austria. When we showed them how easy it was, they got a good laugh out of it.
I suppose the Magellan or Garmin portable from here would cover that issue, wouldn't it?
Later on we met a family with the exact same car and they said their GPS didn't work. They had tried it when they were across the border in Austria. When we showed them how easy it was, they got a good laugh out of it.
I suppose the Magellan or Garmin portable from here would cover that issue, wouldn't it?
Jun 17th, 2005, 05:03 AM
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You need to ask for the international/european cd/dvd. The standard equipment of the gps system often only has the national issue of the software that ends at the border. International cd/dvd should be available at the car rental.
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