Hello All,

Can anyone help me with the following query.

If I purchase a Garmin Sat Nav in California, for our holiday in the USA, afterwards will I be able to use it at home in Europe?
ie, will I have problems buying maps, updates, etc.

Forgive me if this is a stupid question!

Many thanks to those who can offer advice.....

Kind regards,

M.

I don't think it's a stupid question. I live in Italy and I bought my Garmin Nuvi 600 in New York City and it came loaded with both US and European maps. I've used the Garmin in both countries.

I've yet to buy updates.

Hi M,

May I suggest contacting Garmin?

You can find them at www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us

Thank you both!

I emailed Garmin, ira but they have yet to reply! Possibly they don't want to give a response to this question.

Its future updating I'd be worried about.

M.

Some models come with US and Europe maps pre-loaded - they will be more expensive than models with US only, but will definitely work as you ask. As with other electronics like games the profit for manufacturers comes from the software (maps) and not just the hardware.

I recently bought a GPS for US and the salesman insisted the model that I wanted with only the lower 48 US states (no Alaska, Hawaii, no Canada) was far inferior. The only differences? Those maps were not included, and the price was over $100 less. Exact same functionality, and I don't plan on driving in HI, AK or Canada any time soon.

An important question to know than answer before you buy is what will it cost to buy Europe maps for a model that comes loaded with US only maps.

There seems to be a lot of price competition for hardware, but if you have to buy maps that aren't included I think you're stuck going through the manufacturer.

I've determined that for my needs it will be cheaper to buy a basic Europe model (not any time soon) for my next trip than to buy Europe maps for my US unit.

Hi there,

I just did some research on this for my up coming trip to Europe
Check out the Garmin Nuvi 270 & 670 -both preloaded with NA & European maps.
I bought the 270 and so far it works great.
Tuscany will be the test, but I have read positive feedback about the Nuvi on this board

http://www.electronicadirect.com/cat...mp;x=0&y=0

Costco.com was running the Nuvi 270 for 199.00 in August 2008. We bought one for upcoming trip to Europe.

majorvonhapen,

Seconding bellalinda's suggestion about getting a unit that has both NA and Europe loaded. And don't worry about updates: Garmin'll let you know bi-weekly when your mapset is over a year old .

Free upgrades from the GPS co's are nice, but paying for updates is just another unnecessary revenue source for them - IMO.

I have and use paper maps from 15 years ago and they still work just fine. In the grand scheme of things very little changes from year to year on the roads.

Roads like the Via Appia Antica should be the same on last years and and next years maps.

A sincere thank you to you all for your advice.

I think I might going to go with buying one in the States.

Its working out at €80 just to hire the Hertz sat nav, so for a few euro more I'll purchase one.

They all work from 12volt car adapter don't they?

Hi Major

They work the same in cars here and there, however you may want to purchase an extra AC adapter wall charger in case you want to use your GPS for hiking or biking and will not be able to charge from the car.
It's a small added extra, but does need to be ordered separatley
Have fun with your new toy

HI M,

Good advice from B.

You will need a plug adapter when you get home.

My GPS unit plugs into the 12V outlet in my car, but actually runs on 5V. There is a small thumb sized unit built into the power cord reduces that to 5V. The end of the power cord that plugs into the GPS is a mini-USB port.

Thus, I can simply plug the GPS into any computer USB port for charging (and any s/w updates), obviating the need for any AC adaptor.

I just bought a NUVI 670. The kit comes with a car charger, a regular AC wall charger but it comes with <b>3 adapters</b> for UK, Europe, and US. And also the USB port which you can plug to your computer to charge it. So, at least for the Nuvi 670, you do not need to purchase an additional adapter for the plug.

BTW, have you checked the prices and availability for the Nuvis at the stores in California? My experience was that the 70s models (ie, 270, 370, 670) are not widely available at stores. And when they are available, the prices are usually quite a bit higher than online stores.