GPS in Hire Car ?

Bring your GPS unit and make sure it's loaded with the appropriate maps, AND bring your laptop so you can access MapQuest and Google Maps, AND buy regular paper maps of the type that we sixty pluses are used to.

If you don't have US maps for your model you can often find them for sale on eBay.

GPS is great for telling you where you are, but they're not all created equal for providing intelligent directions. In my book the best tools are a paper map and maps.google.com to plot out your route.

There are often several ways to get from A to B.

If you rent a premium car, the GPS is sometimes built in. But the premium car will cost you more per day. I agree, bring your GPS from home, if you have one.

Does your GPS from home come loaded with US maps and if not, how much do they cost? You can rent a GPS with the rental car, but it costs at least $10/day. You can now buy GPS for just over $100 - so you can figure out the math. If you will be renting a car for more than 10 days I would buy a GPS here and then either keep it, give it to a friend who is visiting US - or go to the rental car line when you are leaving and sell it to someone - you can probably get $40-50 back instantly.

A real advantage to a GPS over printing out maps is that it allows you to wander a bit off your planned route and still find your way back. While they do not have perfect directions - and if you are familiar with an area there are often shortcuts one can use - I use one daily for work and it 98% of the time gets me where I want to go. that is my definition of stress-free.

GPS units are prime targets for thieves in the US. When you are not in the car keep not only the GPS unit hidden but the little suction cup thing that holds it in place hidden as well - it is considered a signal that there is a GPS in the car. Thefts have been far less frequent in past year or so 0 when units cost $400 and up they were targets - not worth breaking into a car for something that costs $100.

Get some paper maps as well - not for detailed part of driving but it helps give you an overview of the area. Have a good trip

Thank you all for the advice.

We live in NH. We don't use a GPS. I have friends who have them but don't seem to have the knack of using them. Last Sept the unit couldn't get us into NYC. The problem with a GPS and 4 friends is that the driver can listen to the conversation and not the GPS. My other friend tried to take back roads from NH to Sturbridge Village in MA, we almost got hopelessly lost in towns with a lot of weird intersections (New England is notorious for intersections that don't have right angles.) You should be fine with GPS for major roads and tourist area attractions. Mapquest doesn't always give the correct directions. Gail's success rate and traveling alone is great.
But, if one of you is a good map reader DeLorme publishes oversize extremely detailed maps for each state called Atlas and Gazetteer. We have one for VT, ME and NH. They are available in probably every bookstore and some large gas stations. There are interesting tidbits about each state, locations of all covered bridges and waterfalls, good fishing spots, even seasonal roads. We wanted to drive the Sandwich NH Notch Road one summer (it's a seasonal road and actually not that scenic) noted that there was a small waterfall not far off the road, and took a picnic lunch. One summer we accidentally discovered a popular swimming hole in VT while driving sort of aimlessly. It was such a perfect place we went back (again with a picnic lunch). Last summer DH saw a 'wildlife area' on a small local brochure. We asked our young waitress what it was like. She said there was nothing there. EXACTLY! It was one of those small public beaches on the coast of Maine that tourists don't usually find. I see posts by people who don't want to go to Maine in July and August because of the crowds and I just shake my head at what they are missing.
Please use other methods in addition to modern technology to have a wonderful vacation.

In a first - dfrost and I disagree. I find a GPS more useful within a city or town than to/from on a major highway - probably because major highways tend to change exit numbers/names. My usage is as a homecare RN and without it I would have given up years ago - mine is built into my Honda as factory equipment. I decided it was safer than balancing a book of maps on the steering wheel while driving! But I would gladly consider the idea of dfrost accompanying me on my work journeys (covering entire eastern half of Massachusetts) to give me directions since I am curious about someone with whom I usually agree.

It is a good idea to have maps, either as a primary or backup. And it is just the type of wandering the dfrost describes for which I find a GPS most useful. When visiting a zillion colleges in too few days with my daughter, it allowed us to wander and check out the town and area rather than just driving with directions from College A to College B with at least some hope of finding our way back to the hotel.

It also depends on personality - my husband who, like most, will not ask for directions and then get them wrong when he does, does not seem as threatened by the GPS voice telling him which way to go. Are any of you good at/like to read maps? Would a GPS help avoid arguments about which way and where to go or create them? How tolerant are you of getting lost and how good a sense of direction do you have?

I think you probably get the picture - pros and cons. Decision is up to you now.

I am directionally challenged and for my job I travel across the country, often to spots that I have never been to before.

I always rent from Hertz (due to job) and love the Magellan GPS. It is simple and easy to figure out. It gives me the freedom to not have to worry about directions while on the road.

I also have a Garmin in my own car and use that for local travel and we used it in Italy last year. Although I like it, I would say that it is not as simple as the Magellan.

I would bite the bullet and rent a car with GPS if you want to be stress free.

I'm curious EmilyC. Why do you feel paying for a rental GPS at $10-$15 / day ($200 - $300 total for a 3 week rental) is a better idea than bringing along your own GPS which you already know how to use?

To supplement the GPS stop by any Walmart*, they are everywhere, and purchase a 2010 Rand McNally Road Atlas for $5.97.

I would rely on *both* GPS and maps, specifically the Delorme Gazetteer, as dfrost mentioned. In our area (Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Bass Harbor), roads may or may not be appropriately 'named' on GPS. For example, there is no Pretty Marsh Road in Tremont - the actual name of the road is Tremont Road. In Town Hill (Bar Harbor), Main Street is actually State Highway 102. It is not as confusing as I am making it sound. I suspect that GPS will catch up with this shortly but it can be very frustrating. I'm not sure that you can avoid the pilot/navigator scenario regardless of what you bring. I wouldn't bother with the laptop for mapping but if you have an iPhone, etc., that can work, too. I have yet to take a trip where we have not gotten lost and found again, even by a few blocks. Part of the fun is getting there - and there is a lot to see off the beaten path. Have a great time.

I would not get in a car in the US anymore without GPS. I was on driving holidays for the past 2 years and having GPS just makes life so much easier. I would also have a back-up map, especially for route planning, but for daily trips, I find the GPS invaluable. Enjoy your trip!

Gail, I would love to take you up on your offer to navigate esp in Western MA. Spring would be nice. Can we stop at all the plant nurseries? I'd like to see a GPS work because I got sick of hearing 'recalculate' on my friends. The home we visited last night is hard to find with a GPS, a situation like bassharborbaby describes. In our area some systems direct people onto discontinued roads.

We are pretty good a finding our way even if we don't have good directions like the time we tried to find Pizza on Earth in VT not expecting it was a tiny pizza place on a very rural farm. Headed in the wrong direction we found a fabulous plant nursery we enjoyed visiting. DH trusts me to navigate even though I sometimes make a mistake. If he's been to a place once, he can find it again and can memorize verbal directions with a variety of turns. My sister OTH gets lost easily and thus prefers not to drive alone. Last summer she was surprised to see what she thought was a toll booth in northern VT and discovered she was approaching the Canadian border.
If you're used to a GPS, stick with it as long as you don't lose your sense of adventure.

In reference to GPS units being car-prowl targets, I use a beanbag mount for mine. I just take it from the dash and put it on the floorboard near the seat and it is out of sight, leaving no indication that I have a GPS.

I've traveled all over the country using GPS and would not leave home without it....and I have navigated ships and planes in pre-GPS days.

GPS is much, much, better than navigating with maps. But, it's important to choose the best GPS device (after checking reviews).

Our Garmin Nuvi is invaluable. You do have to use common sense, too, and it's good to have maps along as a backup, or just to plan your itinerary based on your destinations.

Desktop/laptop software, such as MSStreets, can be invaluable for planning any road trip, especially one of three weeks. You can save everything to one map, updating as you determine destinations, hotels, sights/attractions, scenic routes, etc.

"Recalculating" happens when you miss a turn or lose the satelite connection, neither of which happens as often with a better device.

One huge advantage of GPS is calculating the distance/time to your intended destination.

GPS is superior to a laptop - because you have to know where you are!

Best bet is to determine which model/device you'd prefer, then find out whether it would be more economical to buy it at home and purchase additional mapping for the USA and Canada, or whether it would be more economical to purchase GPS with USA/Canada maps when you arrive.

You could always rent the first vehicle with GPS, see if you like that model, and buy one.

One way to not have to worry about theft is to purchase a model that has a dash beanbag mount. You simply slip the unit and the mount into the glove compartment or under a seat. Although, we often carry the device with us, as it's handy for walking around directions, too. If you use a windshield mount, and you're really worried about theft, you'd need to clean the windshield every time you remove it to get rid of the imprint...

When people criticize GPS, it's usually because that model isn't very good, or they're traveling in towns/cities which have not provided the most up-to-date information to NavTech.

Will you be using cell phones while you are here? If you are on Verizon, they have a GPS program that you can load onto your phone and run for $10 per month. I assume that some of the other phone companies have the same thing. I love my GPS on the phone, and kick myself every time I don't use it.

In case you don't have enough opinions yet

Based on my travels in other countries, I would definitely recommend a GSP system for you. If you can get US/Canada/North America maps for your GPS, bring your own. Or get a new one when you get here if your rental car doesn't come with one.

I also like travelling with paper maps also - not necessarily to get me where I'm going, but to use at night to plan the next day's trip. It's easier to get the 'big picture' of where you are and where you're going. In general, anymore, I don't use one in the car for navigation.

I also like travelling with my laptop for the same reason - planning the next day's activities. And, I like to download my photos from my camera each eveningn, and spend a little bit of time labelling or weeding out the duds - much easier to do it each night rather than try to do it all when you get home.

Well, What do I say to all that ? I've got a bit of homework to do now. Thanks to all from Australia.

Just to add another Australian's 2 cents, Suzie: I'd take a good paper map AND your own GPS, provided you can load the latest US maps on it at a reasonable cost. I just find it easier to use a GPS I'm familiar with, than to learn the intricacies of a new one on the fly.

Maps. Free maps from your version of the American Automobile Association. Or, see if you can join AAA; they'll plot your trip out on a map for you.

I have an expensive GPS that I always use for city visits; it has never failed to let me down.

"I have an expensive GPS ... that has never failed to let me down." That's too bad it's given you problems.

I have a cheap GPS that has never let me down.

That's good!