plambers

do I need to rent a gps with my car or will waze work (on my iPhone.) I am worried bc it seems addresses are rare and gps coordinates are used more frequently.

many thanks

janisj

whether you use a GPS or waze -- you still want to have a proper road atlas as back up. Especially in rural and remote areas gps/sat navs can send you down some non-road roads.

Pegontheroad

We certainly could have used a GPS in the Gaeltacht areas through which we drove. The signs were in Gaelic with no English at all. We were hopelessly lost and wandered around aimlessly. Finally we saw a truck coming out of a building of some kind. We asked if we could follow him. Unfortunately, he was a Pole and spoke no English. We did follow him anyway. He drove like a bat out of hell, but he did lead us to civilization.

hetismij2

We didn't have GPS or a smarphone when we went and relied on good maps. Never had a problem and didn't get lost once. I would say get a good map and have Waze as a back up. Make sure you can download the map you need to your phone before you go - even if you are happy with roaming the signal may not always be that good.

travelhorizons

Use the GPS in your cell phone

If you intend to buy cell service whilst in Ireland, Waze will work quite well.

If you're not going to buy cell service, use the Google Maps app. Download google's instructions for off-line use here, download the desired areas of Ireland to your phone, and use Google Maps for directions.

bvlenci

My relatives in Ireland use postcodes instead of addresses for their GPS destinations.

I think the special features of Waze (based on crowd-sourced up-to-date information,) are most reliable in places where there are crowds, which means I wouldn't expect it to be useful in rural Ireland. You won't get information about an accident if only three people see it and none of them uses Waze.

Besides, as someone already mentioned, you can download Google maps in advance, using wifi, and then use them when driving without consuming data. You have to keep GPS turned on, but that doesn't use data services. To use Waze, you have to maintain a data connection. In rural areas, data services may be spotty. (In Northern Ireland, where my family lives, data services are very spotty in rural areas.)

​​​​Anyway, Google owns Waze, and they share data, so I don't see any advantage to Waze, except maybe in cities.

plambers

thanks all. I will have unlimited data thru work on my phone but not sure how to enter gps codes and not numerical addresses. I know when we were in the dordorgne region of france our gps was a godsend and got us everywhere we needed to go.

how do you enter postcodes rather than addresses in waze?

lolfn

we had data service through verizon (not sure what network they connect to in Ireland) and had very spotty to no service out on the Beara and Dingle peninsulas. Others areas were spotty too. I highly recommend downloading google maps of the areas so you can look offline or having a paper map.

Padraig

There are not too many roads west of Dingle if you disregard those narrow ones that are fairly obviously access roads; signposting is, for the most part, reasonable. Satnavs (Garmin and whatever system is provided by Volvo) do not perform well there, as maps are poor.

It's broadly similar around the western end of Connemara, and I have had really bad route suggestions from a Garmin. Happily, I know the roads well enough, so have not been led astray.

I think paper maps are best.

HappyTrvlr

Get a SIM card for your phone and use Google Maps.

travelhorizons

With unlimited data, go with Waze, and make sure you enter your route when you have WiFi or cell coverage. Waze will store the route, even if you go out of cellular range.

As to "how" to enter postcodes, I suggest trying it at home. Enter a neighboring zip code into the "Where To" field and see how Waze handles it!

plambers

Travelhorizons, thanks! I entered a zip code and it got me in the general direction. I will also be sure we have a good map. Thanks all!!

nanabee

I know nothing about all the GPS technology but I do know that I have Google maps on my Smart phone. I didn't need to do anything in advance when I was in England a year ago with my carrier.

When the Google box pops up I say "oK Google" "I want directions to such and such a place or address" and it immediately gives me directions and even talks to me. It is easier than unfolding a map and certainly easier than folding the map back up! Plus it is free.

Colleen

We used a TomTom GPS in Ireland two years ago but we generally have it on whenever we are driving in Europe. You may not need it but when you do, it is invaluable. Saves so much time and frayed tempers.

janisj

>>It is easier than unfolding a map and certainly easier than folding the map back up! Plus it is free.<<

First of all one wouldn't want a fold-out map. A proper road atlas. AND it is only easier when the map app decides to send you down the correct roads. Almost every week there are reports in the British press about someone following a gps' directions into some pig farmer's yard, or into a hot ammunition military preserve.

Padraig

Most GPS systems do not work on Irish address codes (which are called Eircodes). I understand that you can purchase some kind of package, but it's an unnecessary outlay.

Option 1: get close, and ask somebody for directions; option 2: have a local contact phone number..

nanabee

Were they using Google maps janis? I haven't had that problem. My Prius has a GPS car navigation system and I had problems with that though and we had problems with a GPS purchased at the car rental place years ago.

Maps are great but difficult to use if you are driving imho. You have to find the corrdinates then locate then on the page then try to follow the road lines on the map, etc. If someone prefers maps (which aren't always accurate either) then they should use that.

bvlenci

I use Google Maps for navigation and my husband uses a Garmin. Google Maps has been much less likely than the Garmin to send us down a mule track, although they sometimes advise minor roads. Their advice is based on time of day and traffic experience.

nanabee

The thing I like about Google maps is you don't have to put in your location it already knows exactly where you are (and many times I dont know where I am in terms of an address).

If you are walking along and want to go to the nearest cafe, park, underground, bus stop, or wherever you just type or verbally ask Google and it tells you how to get there, how long it will take by car, bus, bike or walking.

For those who have Google maps I recommend giving it a try it is so convenient to use. And it is free.

Also if I am going somewhere and can't remember the name of let's say a restaurant I can give a vague description (sushi place on Main st) and it will bring it up for me.

janisj

>>Maps are great but difficult to use if you are driving imho<<

By a 'map' I mean a proper road atlas. There is no folding or unfolding involved. It is in spiral large format book form and one page covers a large area. Even driving solo I have no problem referring to the atlas laying in the passenger seat. When I have a navigator it is even easier. Plus there are larger scale rote planning pages to see the 'big picture'.