Walking GPS?
#1
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Join Date: May 2016
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Walking GPS?
Hey!
I'm spending 20 days traveling throughout Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Amsterdam, and London) I'm not very good with navigation and can get kind of disoriented with directions. Since I won't have my phone (not getting a data plan) my apple maps/google maps are not going to work.
I was looking into getting a GPS but it's not for when I'm driving, rather just walking around and exploring the cities. I wasn't sure if some of the GPS I saw would work for a walker vs driving in a car in terms of updating properly.
Thoughts?
I'm spending 20 days traveling throughout Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Amsterdam, and London) I'm not very good with navigation and can get kind of disoriented with directions. Since I won't have my phone (not getting a data plan) my apple maps/google maps are not going to work.
I was looking into getting a GPS but it's not for when I'm driving, rather just walking around and exploring the cities. I wasn't sure if some of the GPS I saw would work for a walker vs driving in a car in terms of updating properly.
Thoughts?
#2
You have bigger problems than which GPS -- you have listed 7 countries and only have 20 days. If that is 20 days total you will only have about 14 days free for seeing/doing (or 16 days free if you actually have 20 days on the ground - a 22 day trip total)
Or two days per country . . .
You can download maps onto your phone BTW.
Or two days per country . . .
You can download maps onto your phone BTW.
#4
What janisj said. Have you laid this out on a calendar with transport time?
You can download maps to your phone for off-line use. Of course, there are also, gasp, paper maps, which I have always found work fine.
You can download maps to your phone for off-line use. Of course, there are also, gasp, paper maps, which I have always found work fine.
#9
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Get the CityMaps2Go app for your phone. You download a map of Paris (or any city) to your phone when you're connected to wifi. Then when you are out and about the phone's GPS will show your position on the map. You don't need a data plan for GPS.
#11
Haven't tried using a phone app or downloading maps to a phone but will it only show where you are or will it give the option to enter where you want to go and lead you to that destination without data?
My GPS tells me turn by turn where to go.
My GPS tells me turn by turn where to go.
#12
Haven't used downloaded maps, but the maps app operates like Google maps. Turn by turn directions, by voice if desired, plus it knows about buses and metro systems. Will tell you when the bus will arrive and exactly where the bus stop is, which is indeed a great improvement over paper maps if you don't want to walk.
#14
The app I use requires data, I have a month-by-month account with T-Mobile which includes unlimited low speed data in 120 countries. As I said, I don't know what the capabilities of the downloaded apps are, never needed to use one.
#16
Join Date: Mar 2011
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I take my phone even without a data plan. Then, at some location with free wifi (like, most cafe's, bars) use Google maps to find the route, or cover the area where I'll be going for the next few hours.
Once you have pulled up that area in Google maps, then even when you are away from free Wifi, your phone will still locate where you are by GPS, and show that as a blue dot on the map you were last looking at. Your GPS location will still appear on your most recently downloaded map, even without active Wifi.
Once you have pulled up that area in Google maps, then even when you are away from free Wifi, your phone will still locate where you are by GPS, and show that as a blue dot on the map you were last looking at. Your GPS location will still appear on your most recently downloaded map, even without active Wifi.
#18
Join Date: Oct 2011
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I use Here Maps on my phone when I don't have a data plan, it has turn by turn walking and driving directions and you can download whole countries to your phone before travelling. The only thing that doesn't work when offline is traffic data (obviously) and point of interest search isn't as good compared to when you're online.
Alternatively, Google Maps supports saving parts of the map onto the phone, but more limited areas than Here. That said, point of interest search probably works better on Google, although I haven't tried it offline yet.
Alternatively, Google Maps supports saving parts of the map onto the phone, but more limited areas than Here. That said, point of interest search probably works better on Google, although I haven't tried it offline yet.
#19
Join Date: Dec 2005
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What I am trying to imagine -- I am not being critical, just really curious -- is how people manage a GPS in places like Amsterdam, London, and Venice where there are so many people on the pavements/sidewalks that you actually have to walk single file in some places.