Use GPS in Ireland?
 

Anyone used a GPS in Ireland for dealing with roads? Considering buying a Garmin 60CS with IReland map card or renting one for the rental car like NeverLost. I like GPS in the US, but is it a good idea or a waste of money in Ireland. We have a frommer's atlas we plan to use at the least since it sounds like there aren't many road signs and you should rely on town names to get you in the right direction.

My personal feeling is that, if you don't get lost, you're not having any fun. I always use maps and have never used GPS. Sure, I've made a few extra roundtrips in a roundabout and made some U-turns, but I've never been hopelessly lost. Any opportunity to ask for directions can turn into a good story.

Road signs are improving and road numbers are starting to show up on them. Consider the Michelin Map (I prefer the road atlas version that includes the UK) if you are not planning to go far off the beaten path. The OSI map which is available at most petrol stations will give you a more detailed but sometimes more confusing look at the world.

Bill

I agree with Bill. You'll get by fine with a good map. In fact, when driving on a main road near the coast, if I saw a small, narrow road leading toward the water, I would take it to find out where it would go. Drove my wife crazy, but we saw some great scenery. ((b))

Another vote for the old-fashioned map. We have gotten lost many times on our trips, always found our way out and had fun in the bargain. You will never have the joy of finding out what's at the end of the road that becomes a cow path if you don't take it!

Most visitors will miss the fun of getting lost in Ireland. Exploring in Ireland takes you off the main roads, gets you back where the locals go, and where the tourists have not raised the prices to lofty extremes. You know you will come to a main highway sometime. Best of all, you know Ireland is an island!

There is no chance of getting lost following the tourist herd, but the explorer just wants to see more. Slow down, have fun, and try getting lost. It is a great way to meet the Irish.

I'm glad BFLOGAL asked this question but no one's really answered it yet! I really need to know how well GPS works in Ireland. I'm traveling by myself and have no problem with getting lost occasionally. However, trying to juggle the various maps and point-to-point Michelin directions while driving could be nightmare for me! I reserved the NeverLost system for my October rental in hopes that it will just help me get from place to place without having to continually look at the maps. But I'm hearing that most GPS systems don't work that well anyway because the OSI won't release the maps for publication by the GPS providers. Am I wasting my money? Should I just rely on my maps and forget the GPS?

I purchased the City Navigator for Europe and used it for the first time last month. It worked exceptionally well in Germany and Switzerland. I didn't have to yell at my wife one time. :-)

As you can see from this link, http://www.garmin.com/cartography/ma...itynavEuro.jsp it has limited coverage for Ireland.

I'll browse the software when I get home tonight and check out Ireland for you. ((b))

Thanks Budman! I think the general consensus is that there's only limited GPS coverage in Ireland. I guess I'm just wondering if it's worth €10 per day with my rental for its limited capabilities (i.e., does it offer enough info to get me between the major cities so I can relax a bit?).

Poppycock! Whether you have keyed maps or not, <i>any</i> GPS will <u>always</u> tell you your position anywhere on the planet. It's not rocket surgery to transfer latitude and longitude numbers to a paper map.

You could always spring for a basic unit (no integral maps) for less than $100 if there's any doubt about OSI integration.

You can use Microsoft Pocket Streets coverage for Cork and Dublin for free if you have a GPS-capable Pocket PC.

And to add to Robespierre's comment if the GPS will give the Irish Grid coordinates you can find where you are easily (as long as your map has the grid on it ;-) )

The GPS will take you on all the N routes (Major Roads) and all the R routes (Minor Roads). Additionally, there is some detail in all the major cities such as Killarney, Tralee, Limerick, Cork, etc. It will take you out to Crookhaven, but not to Mizen Head and the secondary roads. Not really a problem because you couldn't get lost on the Mizen Head Peninsula even if you tried.

I don't think you will need a GPS in Ireland unless you really wanted to get some detailed directions in some of the major cities such as Dublin, Killarney, etc. Having been there 3 times, most of the maps the rental car companies provided enough detail to get you from city to city. I did find it very useful on the mainland. ((b))

I'm really not looking at GPS to keep me from getting lost. I was just hoping it would help prompt me as I drove along. When you download directions from AA Roadwatch, you can see that driving from Cashel to Kenmare, for instance, isn't just a straight shot. There are multiple roundabouts and junctions along the way where I will have to (quickly) figure out which exit to take or which way to turn. I was hoping the NeverLost system had a verbal response to help me with that so I'm not juggling with the directions I've downloaded. Essentially, I'm looking for a non-human navigator to direct me as I drive!

Many thanks to all who've responded.

kmg21, if that's what you are looking for, a GPS should take care of your needs and get you from town to town and turn to turn. You could program it from Shannon to Killarney and it would take you there without any problems. It just doesn't have the detail for the country/farm roads. For example, if you are looking for a B&amp;B on the outskirts of town down some old country road -- forget it in Ireland, but you could get that detail it in Germany &amp; Switzerland.

It was nice for the GPS to talk to you and tell you how many meters you are away from approaching the roundabout, and which exit to take off the roundabout. ((b))

Doesn't Ireland have GPS towers?

No, but there are GPO Towers in London and several other cities.

I never heard of GPS towers. My Garmin GPS calculates position from Satellite signals. GPS=Global Positioning System

If you take your U.S. purchased GPS to Ireland, you have to adjust it for the rime zone you are in and re-adjust it when you get back home.

If you park your rental car and wander thru the Burren, for example, you set a waypoint on the GPS where you parked: then you have no trouble finding it when you finish your walkabout.

That's the tactic my relatives use when they go looking for exotic mushrooms; and if you meet a leprechaun out in the woods you won't be so bedazzled that you can't find you way back to where you started.

GPS towers?

that is funny :-D

&quot;If you take your U.S. purchased GPS to Ireland, you have to adjust it for the rime zone you are in and re-adjust it when you get back home.&quot;

I've never done that. The local time certainly has nothing to do with the GPS figuring out where it is.

If you take your U.S. purchased GPS to Europe, chances are it doesn't have the downloaded software for Europe. You will have to purchase the software. Mine didn't come with enough memory so I had to purchase a 512 SD card which it is equipped to accept.

Since I live on the East Coast of the U.S., when I flew to California and to Munich, Germany, once I turned the unit on, it took about 15-20 minutes to acquire the satellites, then it worked like a charm. ((b))