Hello Kindly Fodorites!

My wife and I are arriving in LAX on Sept. 1st, hopefully for a fantastic holiday.

We are hiring a car, and instead of hiring a Sat Nav, we are hoping to buy one
(as we can bring it back to Ireland afterwards, they are expense here)

We are staying at the Hilton Garden Inn near the airport in El Segundo for our first night, before our road trip to Vegas!

Where could we buy a Sat Nav?


Please, please if anyone can help with a suggestion, we would be most grateful.

Many thanks,

M.

If you go a little way down Sepúlveda Blvd. into Manhattan Beach, there's an electronics store called Fry's at the corner of Rosecrans. Its phone number is (310) 364-3797.

A bit chaotic inside, but it's close to where you will be.

To elaborate: Your hotel is basically at the corner of Mariposa and Nash in El Segundo. You will head west on Mariposa two blocks to Sepúlveda and turn left, then it's maybe two more major intersections to Rosecrans. Happy shopping!

Thank you rjw_lgb_ca! what a fast and helpful reply.

Would they have a good selection do you think? and are they any other shops near buy in case they are closed, out of stock etc?

I was looking up the locations of Walmarts and trying to plot them on Google Maps, but they were quiet a bit away.

This place sounds perfect.

Thanks again!

Fry's is a HUGE electronics store -- sort of a Disneyland for computer geeks. You will find what you need there. They have a web site: www.frys.com.

Thank you Guys!

Just checked their website and plotted their location on google maps!

Problem solved thanks to your kind help.

We can't wait for our trip!

Fry's would have more selection that you want or need!

Make sure you do your homework beforehand when buying a Sat Nav.

A store like Fry's will have many models and it can be very confusing unless you know what you're looking for.

Many of the models are marketed regionally i.e. North America. Be sure you can get Ireland or all Europe maps at a reasonable price when you return home. Most models sold in the US come pre-loaded with US/Canada maps, but not Europe.

The big 3 brands in the US are Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan. Each of their websites has model comparisons. Other brands are making inroads with good features at lower price (Mio, Navigon).

There are also a dizzying assortment of features you may or may not want or even need. I especially like the feature of 'spoken street names' (turn right on Elm st) but really don't care about nor want to pay for real time traffic updates, bluetooth phone calling feature, or MP3 capability.

I'm certain someone will recommend that you use a laptop-based system instead...

Just wanted to add that rjw_lgb_ca's quick, concise and detailed response is why I love Fodors!!!

I agree with you txgirlinbda!

People are sure kind here on Fodors with their help etc.

No other website like it!

Thanks to you all!

There is also a Best Buy between you and Frys if for some reason they don't have what you want.
By the way, the HGI in El Segundo is a nice hotel, stayed there many times, always quiet, clean and comfortable.

Just a quick word of caution about Fry's. Some of the electronics they sell are "refurbished" or "factory reconditioned", not new. Of course, they have to disclose this, but if you are in a hurry and the price seems right, you may not notice.

Of course, given the current exchange rates, I suspect that most prices will be looking good to you.

FWIW, I'm sure that you have already done your research as to which model you may buy, but I just learned that the Garmin models that end in 70 (270, 370, etc.) have preloaded maps of Europe as well as North America.

Enjoy your trip!