GPS system in Europe

Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 02:17 PM
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GPS system in Europe

We will be renting a car in France. Is there a need for a GPS system?
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 02:21 PM
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ira
 
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Hi C,

I use the maps from Michelin.

Others will disagree.

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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 02:24 PM
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Check the other postings about GPS - all I know is that 10 of millions of Europeans get around Europe without the need for GPS. I also know that GPS makes you a target for car thieves unless you always hide the bits - including the mount & aerial - whenever you leave the car
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:24 PM
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I just came back from France and used my Magellan Roadmate 760 extensively. It basically made the back-up paper maps I had with me unnecessary.

Is there a need for a GPS? No, there is not IMO.

Would you regret having one? No, because once you've used one you'll appreciate the convenience.

Do I agree that they make your car a target for thieves if left in sight? Yes, I do and that's one of the trade-offs.

Do a lot of other things left in sight in a car make it a target for thieves? Sure, and probably no more so than a GPS and you probably spend just as much time safeguarding those "other things" as you would your GPS.



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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:29 PM
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I have done France without one. I have purchased one for my trip this fall. IMHO the signage in Europe is very good at getting you from city A to city B. (I think it's probably easier on me to get around then it is on a Frenchman trying to drive here...)

What I HOPE the GPS will help with is finding the hotels, parking lots etc. That's where my navigator (AKA as my mother) and I tend to have issues LOL!
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:35 PM
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We just returned from 4 weeks in a Gite in Provence. We stayed in the same Gite for 2 weeks in '05, so we know the local roads quite well. My cousin stayed with us for a few days in week 2 this year, and he had a GPS for his car. When we went to dinner in Gigondas one evening, the GPS suggested that we take a much different route than we had taken to the town many times before. The GPS route was shorter in distance, but the roads were smaller (narrower), less scenic, winding, and would have added about 5 mins to our travel time, which was about 20 mins. The GPS worked fine for major roads - but not so great for the smaller ones.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:43 PM
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We recently bought a Garmin Nuvi 670 which is preloaded with maps for N. America, Canada and Europe. We also bought a "bean bag" mount so the mount can easily be stashed under the seat when we park the car. The GPS itself is small enough to slip into a pocket or purse.

We used it extensively on our trip to Canada and found it invaluable. It finally allowed me to relax and enjoy the trip instead of constantly monitoring the map for our turnoffs.

We made numerous trips to Europe before having a GPS and we got lost numeous times. Will this prevent us from ever getting lost again? No, I'm sure it won't. But it does allow a certain amount of freedom that we didn't have before.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:10 PM
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We rented a car with a GPS and we are glad we paid the extra charge, since it was the first time we drove in Europe.
The roads in France are well kept and marked but I still wouldn't drive without the GPS. It was very helpful.
Driving around France (Brittany and Normandy) was a lot of fun and the scenery was truly amazing!

Have a good trip.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:35 PM
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Here's another recent thread.

I loved my GPS in Europe and wouldn't leave home without it. Also kept my wife sane.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=35037421
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:43 PM
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We just purchased a Garmin 670 for planned travels in Europe. We had a rental car in France last year with GPS and it really helped with the number of road detours we encountered.

I found some free audio tours on Viamichelin which I am downloading on the 670 so it will be our GPS and our MP3 player on the trip to Normandy and Brittany in Sept Deborah
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:44 PM
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We brought a small Tom Tom GPS with us to France this summer. Sure it made a couple of small mistakes, like trying to lead us down small village streets or through roads closed due to construction, but over all it was a terrific addition to the trip! It probably saved my mom's sanity (who was traveling with my husband and I), since she didn't have to listen to DH and I argue about the route! By the way, it was wonderful not to spend my time in the navigation seat with my nose in a map, searching for road signs; instead, I was able to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I agree with bettyk, the GPS allowed us more freedom. It was easy to figure out the distance and time needed to reach a new destination. We ended up visiting a lot more towns than originally planned.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:58 PM
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My Michelin Maps indicate:
1. The most scenic roads (shaded in green)
2. The places on the road with exceptional views
3. Chateaux along the roads (most not in any guide books)
4. Roads that go through forests where all I see are tree trunks for miles & miles

I pick my routes based on these attributes, or suggested driving itineraries in the Michelin Green Guide.

When driving in villages & cities, often the GPS system told me to "Turn right on Ave Charles De Gaulle". Signs indicating the specific street names are scarse - almost non-existant (or impossible to see) in France. Instead there is usually a sign that directs you to Avignon, or whatever city is in the direction you're going. My wife (who speaks French) says the voice on the GPS butchered the French language - which may be a plus or minus to some people.

I am an excellent navigator, my wife is terrible. I always navigate & she always drives. If I had to both drive & navigate, I'de get a GPS and forgo the most scenic roads, the views, and Chateaux.

Stu Dudley
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:19 PM
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When driving in villages & cities, often the GPS system told me to "Turn right on Ave Charles De Gaulle". Signs indicating the specific street names are scarse - almost non-existant (or impossible to see) in France.

Stu, I don't know what kind of GPS you had, but mine (a Garmin) was completely different. It would tell me to turn "right" in 500 meters, then 200 meters, then I would get a split screen showing me the turn and the name of the street to turn.

Going into a round-about, it would tell me that the round-about was approaching, and tell me to take the "2nd or 3rd" exit once I entered the round-about, and show a split screen of the turn.

Additionally, it would show me the names of the streets as I was approaching, and which one I should turn on.

Additionally, I can pre-program routes on the computer in map source the download into the GPS.

My wife hated reading a street map and looking for a turn, especially when going thru a small town/city with little/no signage. The GPS has its advantage. If you made a wrong turn, it would tell you vs. a map where you are 3-5 miles down the road before you knew you missed a turn.

There are pros & cons, but I believe the pros for the GPS ourweigh the cons for reading a map. Of course, you always have to factor in the costs.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:28 PM
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I go with those that use the GPS. We used our Magellan Roadmate last year in France, Germany, Belgium and Austria. Although it was not perfect, it saved loads of time. Without it we would still be looking for our first B&B outside of Lyon. It was dark and the GPS made it simple. It was small enough to remove when we parked the car and take it with us.

You can read about our experence here:

http://www.slowtrav.com/tr/tripreport.asp?tripid=1259
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:31 PM
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IME, a GPS is not a true need but a very nice bit of technology to have. We always hid the mount and aerial when we left the car; no problems.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:38 PM
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There are also GPS units that include WiFi internet terminals, GSM phones, and general-purpose computers that play music, show movies, and track expenses and itineraries, books, guides, tickets, contacts.... tinyurl.com/yrn2x5

I put mine in my pocket when I'm not in the car - to use it for other things. Saves having to secrete it in the car. When the windshield mount is empty, it's obvious it's not there.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:39 PM
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My European GPS experience is limited to using Microsoft Autoroute 2006 with the GPS attachment, rather than a decidcated GPS unit. However, I think I can say that I would prefer any kind of GPS navigation to simply relying on a map. Paper maps don't tell you where you are, how far to your next turn, or how to get through urban areas. A GPS will do that, and more.

The one point that I would stress is that if you don't pre-plan your route, but rather, simply enter it in when you are in the car before heading down the road, you are probably going to take some routes you don't want to take, either because they are illogical (GPS's can make mistakes) or they don't take you by the best scenic areas. The best approach is to take a Michelin map and check the route the GPS proposes to ensure that it takes you where you really want to go. If you can do this before you get in the car (as you can with Autoroute), then that's the optimal approach.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:42 PM
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We used a Garmin GPS on our 3 mth motorhome trip of western and central/eastern europe.

True there is no need for a GPS and you should always have some good Michelin maps with you in case it dies but from my experience it makes life a whole lot easier if you have one.

As far as crooks are concerned. We used it all through western and eastern europe and just took it with us when we left the vehicle. We have a Garmin Nuvi with the travel pack which had great local details as well as a currency convertor so we took it everywhere.

We named her Betty and she was better than any marriage counselor in terms of keeping the peace. Also great for getting in and out of cities like Paris and Rome.

She would guide us to a parking area in the city and we would just put her position in before we left the vehicle and she would guide us back to the vehicle at the end of the day. Too easy.

As we had a motorhome we used navigation for a truck so she never directed us to underground parking or under any low bridges.

Trip
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:43 PM
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And - if you use Michelin's PPC software, their famous maps (along with Red Guides) are built in! tinyurl.com/273fdz
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 10:31 PM
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<<< When the windshield mount is empty, it's obvious it's not there. >>>

Thieves too love GPS devices since they are not integrated into the car. They are a quick snatch and easy to spot. If the GPS isn’t in plain sight, just look for the suction cup mount. Even if you take down the suction cup mount (and endure the pain of putting it back a few minutes later) thieves know to look for the discoloration left on the windshield let from the suction cup mount.

www.gpsreview.net/death-of-the-pnd

As I said ANY evidence of a GPS makes you a target for thieves
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