dixie020

Hi, I am planning a trip to Provence and we are planning to drive in Provence, can anyone recommend a good GPS with Europe maps preloaded that I can buy in US?

Thanks

DebitNM

We used a garmin 50 LM but you have to buy a micro card for France map. Truthfully, we found maps WAY more useful.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/17327931?w...967870&veh=sem

halfapair

We have an older Tom Tom and when we travel we download maps via the internet onto it. We have downloaded Europe when we traveled from Paris > Loire Valley > Normandy > Bruges, Belgium. And we also used it in Australia.

kja

I've been very happy with my TomTom, which I used without difficulty in western France in 2011.

michele_d

Our Garmin Nuvi worked great for us.

greg

It is kind of tricky to use GPS in France.

1. GPS models with European maps are largely discontinued by the manufacturers. Just look at Amazon for example and search for "GPS Europe."
2. Updating maps in the device is PITA requiring a lot of patience.
3. You must disable exact speed camera location capability or be hit with a mega fine. Here is how Tom Tom deals with it: uk.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5560/~/is-the-tomtom-speed-camera-service-legal%3F
Here is AA (UK organization) view of the regulation: http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice...in-france.html

sparkchaser

I use a TomTom. You can get one from Aamzon with Europe maps no problem. In fact, this one comes with Europe, US, Canada, and Mexico with free lifetime maps: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...llectionofcoll

Updating maps is a cinch, despite what greg says.

ribeirasacra

I use a tomtom. Maybe I have a problem with it as the GPS signal keeps dropping out. That happen in Spain France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
I have to say that TT customer service is not great. Just read the official TT forum on the amount of complaints.
This is a shame as I really like the unit I purchased.
Do not listen to the no sayers stating you cannot purchase maps for France for any GPS. You can but you may have to store them on a SD card.
My advise is there will not be one unit which is going to sand out. It will come down to a mater of taste on cost, size and menu layout.
One has to ensure the maps are up to date. One has to ensure you know how to adds destinations, one has to know it's foibles too. So purchase a unit before you go and "play" with it. Do not hire one one either.

bvlenci

I use Google Navigator as my GPS when driving. It's free, and it's always updated (with Google Maps). My husband has a Garmin, and he does find it a pain in the neck to update, so my Google Navigator is definitely more up-to-date than his Garmin. Google Navigator is usually already installed on Android phones. I know it's available also for iPhones, but maybe it doesn't have the turn-by-turn voice directions. You might find that you can buy a cheap unlocked GSM Android phone to use as a GPS unit for less than a dedicated GPS unit would cost, and then you'd also have the phone, into which you could put a pay-as-you-go French SIM card.

Google Maps now allow you to download in advance the maps you'll need for a trip, so you can do it when you have a wifi connection (for example, in your hotel). Then, unless you have a French data service plan, make sure that data services are turned off but that the satellite connection is turned on; the GPS connection doesn't cost anything by itself. (If you have a French data plan, you can skip downloading the maps in advance.)

I find that Google Navigator takes longer to home in on a satellite than the Garmin does, so I open the app and enter the destination well before I'm ready to take off. Also, I keep my phone plugged into the cigarette-lighter recharger the whole time I'm using Google Navigator, because GPS services really make big demands on the battery.

With any GPS system, you really need to also consult a good map before taking off to determine more or less the route you want to follow. Make a point of noting the towns you'll be passing through. GPS systems sometimes send you down roads that are little better than mule paths (at least here in Italy), so if you see a road sign pointing to a town that you know is on your route, and your navigator is pointing you in a different direction, it's best to ignore the advice of the navigator.

sparkchaser

Unless you are using maps offline, using your mobile as a GPS is a bad idea because it will chew your data like crazy. Plus there are data deadzones that you will encounter.

In fact, I will go ahead and say that even using Google Maps offline isn't really advisable. Many stand-alone GPS also contain RDS-TMC monitors and can advise about traffic problems in near real-time and reroute you accordingly. Offline maps cannot do that.

As much as I love my smartphone and as much of a Google fanboi that I am, I cannot recommend using your smartphone as a GPS.

ira

Hi D,

I'm very happy with my TomTom.

It did very well in the UK and France last Sept.

Well, maybe it shouldn't have directed me to the entrance of HRH the PoW's home, but no harm was done.

The_lonely_traveler

You can't beat TomTom here in Europe if you want a standalone GPS for carnavigation IMHO.

However, if you already have a good Android smartphone or (even better) a tablet, look at Sygic. Lower cost (since you already own the hardware), same maps, lifetime map updates for free. The routes that Sygic calculates often are better than TomTom's (though Sygic requires a little more time to calculate).

However, tablets and smartphones just are not as good in direct sunlight as TomTom's anti-glare screens, you need to put some more thought in powersupply and placement and, last but not least, TomTom provides "live services" that contain pretty accurate traffic information with automatic on-the-fly rerouting in case of traffic delays.

Someone in this thread suggested google maps. Maps is a very nice product, but not very accurate at providing driving instructions. The instructions IMHO are not very clear and they often are provided at less than optimal timing.

Further more, the offline cached maps are not without their problems. You can't calculate a new route without data connection, even if you have the maps cached. If you go off-route somewhere, you are in trouble.

traveller1959

All GPS systems have their shortcomings, therefore never rely on your GPS, especially not in France. Michelin has wonderful yellow maps in scale 1:200,000 with scenic roads and tourist attractions marked. When we are in France, we often switch off our GPS and rather follow the map. Especially in Provence, you may prefer the small scenic roads.

I found that Garmin is particularly weak in France because
- the concept of a city is different in North America and in Europe, hence the Garmin does not know many small towns (you have to enter the name of a city in order to find a village),
- France has many towns with the same name (Saint Pierre, Saint Paul...),
- you often have different streets with the same name in one city,
- Garmin does not list many tourist attractions.
It may sound cumbersome, but what we do when we use a GPS system in France (or elsewhere in Europe): If we read about an attraction in a guidebook and the guidebook does not tell us the exact address, we google the attraction in order to identify the address, especially the ZIP code. Then we enter the ZIP code in the GPS and the street address.

I remember a post here in this forum from Americans who entered Rotenburg in their GPS system and ended in North Germany, 500km from Rothenburg in South Germany, where they intended to go. Can easily happen in France, too. Better use ZIP codes.

sparkchaser

<i>Better use ZIP codes</i>

Word.

ParisAmsterdam

I'm another happy TomTom user. Not so sure about using zip codes... they can cover a wide area in France. And yes, having too many St Pierres can be a problem... sometimes a hyphen is needed after the St as well.

There is a handy program called TYRE that addresses this. It uses Google Maps to plan a route. You can then import into TomTom. Problems with multiple St Pierres solved! ;^)

There are many hundreds of Points of Interest (POIs) you can download for TomTom as well. Everything from locations of bank branches of the bank that has an arrangement with your bank at home to hotels in various chains to nude beaches.

And downloading new maps for TomTom has always been simple. I have a Michelin road atlas I wouldn't be without but neither would I drive without a TomTom. Get one with bluetooth so you can use your phone hands free.

rogandgee

Hands down the Garmin Nuvi. I ordered it through Costco online. It paid for itself because it was less expensive than renting from the rental car company. We could not have done without it through France and Spain although it is still a good idea to have paper maps.

malansg

A lot of posts have recommended or mentioned about TomTom GPS Navigator.
Please mention the Model Number also.

kja

My TomTom is an XXL 540 TM. I've been very pleased with it.

mjs

Bought Garmin 2559LMT
Last month and used it driving in France in October. Worked quite well

bilboburgler

buy a cheap mobile phone and down load "Here" app, you get the first 20 maps for free (20 maps will cover the whole of France and Spain BTW) do that at home with a glass of wine in one hand.

Turn off data roaming and just use the gps signal.

Dead cheap and easy to use. I call mine Ermintrude after the cow in the Magic Roundabout and I gave her an Australian voice but she still fails to say "strewth mate; do a Uie" when I get it wrong